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He's not a good guy. He's not a bad guy. He's The Guy. Whether you like him or not, one cannot deny that Roman Reigns has successfully transitioned into one of the most talked about superstars in the WWE today.
Taking over Vince McMahon's billion dollar corporation from John Cena, The Big Dog has gone on to headline four WrestleManias and has earned his way to the top of the mountain.
However, the journey to establish the Roman Empire hasn't been easy. The former Universal Champion has been subjected to tons of criticism, with WWE creative constantly receiving backlash over Reigns' on-screen character.
The agile, imposing juggernaut certainly gravitates a lot of attention and anyone stepping up against him between the ropes is sure to share the spotlight with him.
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With the current SmackDown Live superstar holding a current win percentage of 67.99%, the 34-year old Superstar rarely loses clean on television.
Although Roman emerges triumphant in most of his on-screen collisions, there have been a couple of times where the opposition has caught him off-guard.
Any superstar outshining the Face of the company on live television is bound to reach the summit, but there have been instances when the superstars, who reigned over The Big Dog have struggled to find any significant momentum.
So, without further ado, let's dive deep and look at the 5 dark horses who defeated Roman Reigns and went absolutely nowhere with it.
#1 The Revival
The first obvious choice in this list are The Revival. Two of the most talented in-ring performers, who are yet to reach their full potential on the main roster.
Although, the two have struggled to impress the management above them, the duo do share a big 'W' in their column over Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley.
Thrown together in an impromptu tag-team match, the former Raw Tag-Team Champions wasted no time in capitalizing on the ongoing rivalry between The Big Dog and The All-Mighty and came out looking like a million bucks.
Since WWE does not put Roman in such situations, seeing Dash Wilder pin the former Universal Champion in such fashion felt like a shocker and only elevated our hopes of seeing the former NXT Tag-Team Champions make their mark on the main roster.
With the rumors constantly linking the tag-team with All Elite Wrestling, their creative frustrations could genuinely see them leave WWE sooner rather than later.
Furthermore, the two technical in-ring masters have not been presented as an extraordinary force, at all. With the fans losing all hope from the tag-team division, getting a win over Roman Reigns didn't do anything for The Revival.
#2 Bobby Lashley
Regardless of the experience and talent he possesses, Bobby Lashley hasn't tasted any sort of success in the main event scene.
The All-Mighty's return was certainly refreshing, but the creative team failed to present him as a dominant babyface on Monday Night Raw.
Though he did have his fair share of success on the main roster, Lashley's victory over Roman Reigns felt like a start of something incredible for the former ECW Champion.
The former Intercontinental Champion tussled it out with The Big Dog at WWE Extreme Rules, with the two performers wanting to lock horns with The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
After Extreme Rules, the two clashed again on Monday Night Raw for an opportunity to face Lesnar at SummerSlam, where Roman unfortunately reigned supreme over Lashley.
Even though Lashley came out winning clean at Extreme Rules, the three-time wrestling national champion got lost under the shuffle real quick and never really found his way out.
He eventually turned heel, paired with Lio Rush, and won the Intercontinental Championship, but certainly lost all his credibility as a top-tier force on the main roster.
#3 Samoa Joe
It's a damn shame that in spite being one of the most sought after performers in the world of professional wrestling, Samoa Joe may never receive the adulation he deserves in WWE.
The Destroyer took the world by storm after he savagely attacked Seth Rollins and was introduced as Triple H's personal henchman on the Road to WrestleMania 33.
On the February 6th, 2017 episode of Monday Night Raw, the former NXT Champion collided with Roman Reigns and scored a decisive victory over him.
Though Braun Strowman did try and interfere in the clash, Joe's victory certainly ascended his credibility as a top-tier main-event star.
However, things took a drastic turn afterwards. Even after debuting on the main roster prior to WrestleMania 33, the creative team had no significant plans for Joe and he was eventually sidelined from featuring at the Show of Shows.
Despite receiving so much acclaim for his mic work and savage disposition, it's absolutely shambolic that Joe has never won a single World Championship on the main roster.
#4 Bray Wyatt
Even though his new gimmick is destined for greatness, Bray Wyatt still remains one of the most overlooked performers to ever step inside the squared circle.
The guy possesses all the credentials to take this company forward, but for some reason he has never managed to get the job done when the spotlight is upon him.
One such occasion was when the Eater of Worlds clashed against The Big Dog during Battleground in 2015. Despite the fact that Wyatt enjoyed working with Roman Reigns, the lack of creative direction led his character nowhere.
The WWE Universe were gradually turning on him, with many failing to invest in his words. One cannot deny that the former WWE Champion was good with words, but failed to back it up between the ropes.
His collision with Roman Reigns at Battleground saw the leader of the Wyatt Family emerging as the victor, thanks to Luke Harper's surprising intervention.
It's understandable that Vince McMahon gave Bray Wyatt the win whilst keeping Roman strong, the aftermath of the feud was terrible for Wyatt and his future.
#5 Finn Balor
In 2016, Roman Reigns was effectively suspended for 30 days over wellness policy violation and gracefully accepted the consequences that came after.
With WWE going all-in with the brand extension at that time, there were significant rumors of the company wanting to push Finn Balor as the new face of the company
Moreover, the Extraordinary Irishman was presented like a top star when he made the transition from NXT to the main roster and went on to outshine The Big Dog on his very first night on Monday Night Raw.
Balor's victory sealed his ticket to SummerSlam, where the former NXT Champion slayed Seth Rollins and made history by becoming the First-Ever Universal Champion.
Although Balor did suffer an unfortunate injury that night, the fans expected him to return with a bang and claim his spot back to the top. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort ever happened.
Even if you look at Balor today, the man can do wonders between the ropes, but has never reached his full potential on the main roster regardless of having a 'W' in his column over the biggest star in the company today.
