5 reasons that could explain the criticism that Roman Reigns receives

Despite the best efforts of the WWE, the audience just hasn’t been sold on Roman ReignsAlthough the WWE tries its utmost best to keep a lid on the creative direction of the product from leaking out, the wealth of information obtainable through the internet has provided the fans with a free backstage pass to observe the behind-the-scenes goings-on in the company.

While this is beneficial in a sense that the reach of the product has never been more wide-spread or far reaching, it has also created an interesting dynamic between fans that understand the nature of the industry and the WWE that are obviously trying to preserve the integrity and novelty of their product.

Caught in between this tug-of-war, deprived of breathing room yet dangerously close to toeing the line, Roman Reigns has found himself the inadvertent victim of this battle of wills between the WWE and the hardcore fans whose loyalty, much like their expectations, is unyielding.

While one party is fixated upon hoisting the Samoan into the stratosphere currently occupied by John Cena, the other couldn't be more averse to the idea, expressing dissent at every opportune moment and trying their hardest to derail the company’s best-laid plans.

Still, it is highly probable that WrestleMania 32 would be rounded off with the commencement of the Roman Era, but in the meantime, here are 5 reasons that may explain why the audience have been so vehemently opposed to that eventuality thus far.

#5 Microphone skills

Cringe-worthy at worst, or unconvincing at best, Roman Reigns really needs to work on his microphone skills

Even though an outward comparison between Roman Reigns and The Rock may border on the absurd, there is a case to be made that an unconscious juxtaposition between the two cousins creeps into reckoning whenever the ex-Shield powerhouse wields a microphone.

While The Rock was and still is one of the greatest proponents of the microphone to have ever graced the squared circle, Roman Reigns comes across like a fish out of water – flustered and out of his depth – when asked to render any promo for a substantial period of time.

Perhaps the responsibility falls on Creative for not yet figuring how exactly to unearth his niche with words, but some of the blame has to be shouldered by Roman Reigns who seems rather hesitant and apprehensive even, when provided with opportunity.

Although his in-ring work ethic shines in comparison to his propensity on the microphone, considering the global mainstream presence of the WWE in modern day scenario, it is still a chink in his armour that the top babyface of the company can ill-afford to bear.

#4 Reluctance to turn Heel

Perhaps Roman Reigns needs a heel turn in order to manufacture some momentum; something that just hasn’t been afforded to him as a babyface

With the Fastlane pay-per-view rapidly approaching, and with it a defining Triple Threat match on the Road to Wrestlemania, the internet has been frothing with a plethora of possible outcomes including a potential heel turn for Dean Ambrose, if the signs on TV programming are reliable indicators.

This despite the fact that the audience seem to be markedly more invested in Ambrose as a babyface as compared to Reigns, whose persona the company seem eager to conserve and maintain in light of the mantle that he would likely be shouldering in the future.

Perhaps the WWE is merely acting to protect its long term interests by preserving his current status, but having Roman Reigns turn heel may prove to be an effective ploy to appease the bulk of the fans that are not sold on him as yet, even if it were for a mititigating period of time.

Having toiled for a year or so to try and manufacture genuine adhesion between the audience and Reigns, with fluctuating results at best, the WWE’s headstrong attitude and unbudging approach seems no closer to paying dividends, as fan opinon towards the Samoan seems to be on a downslide yet again.

#3 Presence of other Babyfaces

With the popularity of Superstars like Dean Ambrose spiking, the traction that Roman Reigns enjoys with the fans has inevitably suffered

During the Attitude Era, the likes of Stone Cold and The Rock who were earmarked as the top babyfaces, were not just major merchandising and marketing draws for the company, but also highly appealing personas for the general audience to get behind and support.

While this arrangement seems to have been departed from in recent times, through the polarising figure of John Cena, the WWE seem skeptical in traversing the same path in the case of Roman Reigns as well, instead opting to try and engineer a favourable climate for his impending ascension.

Unlike in the cases of either Stone Cold, The Rock or Hulk Hogan before them though, the WWE are not dealing with a babyface that the fans are eager to throw their weight behind, but rather a Superstar in Roman Reigns that is being unfavourably perceived as the hand-picked golden boy of the company.

So as long as Dean Ambrose, Brock Lesnar or even Seth Rollins is present to divide fan opinion and steal some of Roman’s thunder, the WWE may be grappling with a highly onerous task in trying to specifically sell the Samoan as someone who the audience should wholeheartedly back to the hilt.

#2 John Cena v2.0

A view of Roman Reigns as a repackaged version of John Cena is seriously hurting his chances with the hardcore fanbase

Although John Cena was booked along similar lines as Hulk Hogan had been – with a larger-than-life persona and a slightly superhero-esque feel to the whole gig – the perception of the audience in both eras were so distinct from one another that the reaction to both Superstars couldn’t have been more different.

From that perspective, perhaps Roman Reigns is facing an uphill battle as he reaches out for Vince’s proverbial brass ring following one of the toughest acts that a babyface has had to pull off – embracing a love-hate relationship with the audience while universally commanding their respect.

But the downside of this situation, as has been lobbied as John Cena’s one valid point of reproach, is the fact that many Superstars have been martyred in the process of building him up, with some never really recovering sufficiently to make their mark with the company in the long run.

While Roman Reigns has not quite so blatantly mowed over other Superstars as yet, there is nonetheless a widespread cloud of concern amongst the fans about the possibility of being confronted with another all-conquering babyface, just as his predecessor seems to be at the cusp of his homestretch.

#1 Belief

Before the WWE Universe buys into him as the top babyface, perhaps Roman Reigns has to believe it himself first

From Bruno Sammartino to John Cena, the franchise players of the WWE may have been divided by generations but have all been united by certain salient qualities and attributes that are omnipresent in the spectrum of greatness, regardless of the passage of time.

Whether they may have been catering to a predominantly young age demographic or an unruly adolescent one, the ability of a top babyface to grow into his own skin and embrace equally the responsibility and the perks of shouldering the company has been of vital importance throughout.

He may not possess the swagger of Stone Cold or the rhetoric of The Rock, but Roman Reigns is at a crossroads in his career where he has to expand his persona so as to fill the shoes left vacant by those stalwarts, should he hope to justify the top billing that is awaiting him.

On paper, and certainly in the eyes of the WWE brass, the Samoan may be the perfect candidate to do so, but as everyone else would testify, for the WWE Universe to “believe that”, perhaps it is imperative for Roman Reigns to foster an unshakable belief in himself first.