What if Roman Reigns hadn't won the 2015 Royal Rumble match?

In the latest WWE NEWS, , there have been numerous instances of an event or an incident changing the course of history as we know it. In Wrestling folklore, there have numerous instances of an event altering the landscape. From the Kliq's curtain call to The Montreal Screwjob, things would've been completely different had these incidents not occurred the way they did.

One such instance in modern WWE which could've changed the course of the company for years to come was Roman Reigns winning the 2015 Royal Rumble Match. Despite being a babyface, The Big Dog was booed out of the building as he last eliminated Russev to earn a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. Even an appearance from The Rock wasn't enough to save the day as the fans turned on Reigns and the rest, as they say, is history. Things would've been a lot different, had Reigns not won the Rumble in 2015.

After being stabbed in the back by his Shield brethren Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns would go on to have several high-profile singles feud against the likes of Big Show and Randy Orton and slowly started to establish himself as a credible main event star. Many have pointed out that Reigns just wasn't ready for the WrestleMania 31 main event spot and we'd have to agree with that statement. In spite of his impeccable record as a singles star at that point, The Big Dog was still green inside the ring and was rusty on the microphone.

He was over with fans during this period but everyone knew that the company was building him as their next top star. As soon as the fans start realizing that the machinery was getting behind Reigns to be the headlining act for WrestleMania 31 instead of fan favorite, Daniel Bryan, they started expressing their displeasure by booing Reigns every time he stepped inside the squared circle.

Had Reigns not won the Rumble in 2015, he could've easily been slotted in the spot Bryan was at Mania 31. Him winning the Intercontinental Championship and having a strong reign with the prestigious title would've done wonders for his budding singles star instead of being thrust in the main event, which he was clearly not ready for at the moment.

Reigns could've eventually challenged for the company's top prize at WrestleMania 32. The year gap in between would've been sufficient to establish Reign's character and get him over as a babyface.

All the fan backlash and the dollops of negativity surrounding the Big Dog could've been avoided had WWE decided to go with a fan favorite like Bryan instead of Reigns at the 2015 Royal Rumble. And who knows, WWE might have got Reigns coronated with the type of reaction that they wanted, had they been patient and hushed things up.

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