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In 2017, WWE continued to edit reactions for Reigns, one example being after Reigns lost the United States Championship to [[Chris Jericho]], when an audience member was shown live, jumping for joy at the result; however, when WWE showed replays of Reigns' loss, they showed a clip of the same fan reacting negatively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Roman Reigns WWE Fan Reaction from Raw Loss Gets Edited (Video)|url=http://www.foxsports.com/wwe/story/roman-reigns-wwe-fan-reaction-from-raw-loss-gets-edited-video-011717|publisher=[[Fox Sports]]|accessdate=18 January 2017}}</ref> Veteran wrestler [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] and ''Pro Wrestling Torch'' editor Wade Keller criticised Reigns' attitude in mainstream interviews, specifically Reigns stating that he "just" worked 9-to-5 before becoming a professional wrestler, as well as flaunting his financial prospects within WWE. Austin said Reigns has "got to watch" what he says and needs to be "smarter", while Keller saw him as "trying to impress the people interviewing him" and "not thinking about the fans who are paying the money for the seats".<ref>{{cite episode|title=Interview Thursday: Keller w/Steve Austin|series=Pro Wrestling Torch Livecast|network=[[BlogTalkRadio]]|date=January 26, 2017}}</ref> Keller also chided Reigns and WWE for publicly claiming they are happy with any crowd reaction for Reigns, whether positive or negative, describing such statements as "insincere" and "[[Spin (propaganda)|spin]]". He asserted: "They [WWE] turn the volume down; they seek out fans who are cheering him; they doctor footage to make it seem like fans are cheering him when they're not... they manipulate in every way that they can to make it seem like he's not getting a negative reaction".<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mid-Week Flagship w/Wade Keller & Pat McNeill|series=Pro Wrestling Torch Livecast|network=[[BlogTalkRadio]]|date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>
In 2017, WWE continued to edit reactions for Reigns, one example being after Reigns lost the United States Championship to [[Chris Jericho]], when an audience member was shown live, jumping for joy at the result; however, when WWE showed replays of Reigns' loss, they showed a clip of the same fan reacting negatively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Roman Reigns WWE Fan Reaction from Raw Loss Gets Edited (Video)|url=http://www.foxsports.com/wwe/story/roman-reigns-wwe-fan-reaction-from-raw-loss-gets-edited-video-011717|publisher=[[Fox Sports]]|accessdate=18 January 2017}}</ref> Veteran wrestler [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] and ''Pro Wrestling Torch'' editor Wade Keller criticised Reigns' attitude in mainstream interviews, specifically Reigns stating that he "just" worked 9-to-5 before becoming a professional wrestler, as well as flaunting his financial prospects within WWE. Austin said Reigns has "got to watch" what he says and needs to be "smarter", while Keller saw him as "trying to impress the people interviewing him" and "not thinking about the fans who are paying the money for the seats".<ref>{{cite episode|title=Interview Thursday: Keller w/Steve Austin|series=Pro Wrestling Torch Livecast|network=[[BlogTalkRadio]]|date=January 26, 2017}}</ref> Keller also chided Reigns and WWE for publicly claiming they are happy with any crowd reaction for Reigns, whether positive or negative, describing such statements as "insincere" and "[[Spin (propaganda)|spin]]". He asserted: "They [WWE] turn the volume down; they seek out fans who are cheering him; they doctor footage to make it seem like fans are cheering him when they're not... they manipulate in every way that they can to make it seem like he's not getting a negative reaction".<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mid-Week Flagship w/Wade Keller & Pat McNeill|series=Pro Wrestling Torch Livecast|network=[[BlogTalkRadio]]|date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>


For the [[Royal Rumble (2017)|2017 Royal Rumble]] match, Reigns entered as the surprise last entrant after losing a [[WWE Universal Championship]] match earlier that night.<ref>{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=1/29 Powell's WWE Royal Rumble 2017 live review: AJ Styles vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship, Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns in a No DQ match for the WWE Universal Championship with Chris Jericho in a shark cage|url=http://prowrestling.net/site/2017/01/29/129-powells-wwe-royal-rumble-2017-live-review-aj-styles-vs-john-cena-wwe-championship-kevin-owens-vs-roman-reigns-no-dq-match-wwe-universal-championship-chris-jeri/|work=Pro Wreslting Dot Net|accessdate=January 29, 2017}}</ref> International media outlets noted that this drew "This is bullshit!" chants from the live crowd, and even more boos when he eliminated [[The Undertaker]]. Fans had anticipated other surprise entrants including [[Samoa Joe]], [[Shinsuke Nakamura]], [[Finn Bálor]], [[Kurt Angle]], [[Kenny Omega]], [[Rey Mysterio]] and [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]]. Reigns went on to eliminate other fan favourites Chris Jericho and [[Bray Wyatt]], making it to the final two before he was eliminated by eventual winner [[Randy Orton]]. Orton, who isn't really a popular wrestler among fans due to his stale gimmick, received big cheers upon eliminating Reigns. It is believed that WWE had purposely given Reigns the last spot to [[Internet troll|troll]] the fans and also make fans cheer Orton's victory. Stone Cold Steve Austin also believes that Reigns was the "set-up guy" used in order for Orton to get praised for his victory, knowing that Reigns would get negative reactions.<ref name=bildrumble17/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoffmann|first1=Martin|title=Rumble-Finale verärgert WWE-Fans|url=http://www.sport1.de/wrestling/2017/1/wendungsreiches-gigantentreffen-beim-wwe-royal-rumble-2017|publisher=[[Sport1 (Germany)]]|accessdate=30 January 2017|language=German}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WWE: Roman Reigns fue el número 30 y eliminó a Undertaker de Royal Rumble|url=http://peru.com/deportes/wwe/wwe-roman-reigns-fue-numero-30-y-elimino-undertaker-royal-rumble-noticia-496469|publisher=Peru.com|language=Spanish|accessdate=30 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WWE-Star Roman Reigns erntet Shitstorm für Royal Rumble-Auftritt|url=http://www.heute.at/sport/sportmix/WWE-Star-Roman-Reigns-erntet-Shitstorm-fuer-Royal-Rumble-Auftritt;art23665,1394070|publisher=Heute.at|accessdate=30 January 2017|language=German}}</ref><ref>{{cite wed|title=Stone-Cold-Comments-On-Roman-Regins-In-The-Royal-Rumble|url=http://comicbook.com/wwe/2017/01/31/wwe-stone-cold-steve-austin-comments-on-roman-reigns-in-the-roya/|publisher=Comicbook.com|accessdate=1 February 2017}}</ref> The following night on ''Raw'', the villainous [[Braun Strowman]] received a "Thank you Strowman!" chant for costing the heroic Reigns his WWE Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/01/30/kellers-wwe-raw-report-130-ongoing-coverage-royal-rumble-fallout-including-owens-celebration-cut-short-ominous-strowman-news/|title=Keller's WWE Raw Report 1/30|last=Keller|first=Wade|date=January 30, 2017|website=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=January 31, 2017}}</ref>
For the [[Royal Rumble (2017)|2017 Royal Rumble]] match, Reigns entered as the surprise last entrant after losing a [[WWE Universal Championship]] match earlier that night.<ref>{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=1/29 Powell's WWE Royal Rumble 2017 live review: AJ Styles vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship, Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns in a No DQ match for the WWE Universal Championship with Chris Jericho in a shark cage|url=http://prowrestling.net/site/2017/01/29/129-powells-wwe-royal-rumble-2017-live-review-aj-styles-vs-john-cena-wwe-championship-kevin-owens-vs-roman-reigns-no-dq-match-wwe-universal-championship-chris-jeri/|work=Pro Wreslting Dot Net|accessdate=January 29, 2017}}</ref> International media outlets noted that this drew "This is bullshit!" chants from the live crowd, and even more boos when he eliminated [[The Undertaker]]. Fans had anticipated other surprise entrants including [[Samoa Joe]], [[Shinsuke Nakamura]], [[Finn Bálor]], [[Kurt Angle]], [[Kenny Omega]], [[Rey Mysterio]] and [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]]. Reigns went on to eliminate other fan favourites Chris Jericho and [[Bray Wyatt]], making it to the final two before he was eliminated by eventual winner [[Randy Orton]]. Orton, who isn't really a popular wrestler among fans due to his stale gimmick, received big cheers upon eliminating Reigns. It is believed that WWE had purposely given Reigns the last spot to [[Internet troll|troll]] the fans and also make fans cheer Orton's victory. Stone Cold Steve Austin also believes that Reigns was the "set-up guy" used in order for Orton to get praised for his victory, knowing that Reigns would get negative reactions.<ref name=bildrumble17/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoffmann|first1=Martin|title=Rumble-Finale verärgert WWE-Fans|url=http://www.sport1.de/wrestling/2017/1/wendungsreiches-gigantentreffen-beim-wwe-royal-rumble-2017|publisher=[[Sport1 (Germany)]]|accessdate=30 January 2017|language=German}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WWE: Roman Reigns fue el número 30 y eliminó a Undertaker de Royal Rumble|url=http://peru.com/deportes/wwe/wwe-roman-reigns-fue-numero-30-y-elimino-undertaker-royal-rumble-noticia-496469|publisher=Peru.com|language=Spanish|accessdate=30 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WWE-Star Roman Reigns erntet Shitstorm für Royal Rumble-Auftritt|url=http://www.heute.at/sport/sportmix/WWE-Star-Roman-Reigns-erntet-Shitstorm-fuer-Royal-Rumble-Auftritt;art23665,1394070|publisher=Heute.at|accessdate=30 January 2017|language=German}}</ref><ref>{{cite wed|title=Stone-Cold-Comments-On-Roman-Regins-In-The-Royal-Rumble|url=http://comicbook.com/wwe/2017/01/31/wwe-stone-cold-steve-austin-comments-on-roman-reigns-in-the-roya/|publisher=Comicbook.com|accessdate=January 31, 2017}}</ref> The following night on ''Raw'', the villainous [[Braun Strowman]] received a "Thank you Strowman!" chant for costing the heroic Reigns his WWE Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/01/30/kellers-wwe-raw-report-130-ongoing-coverage-royal-rumble-fallout-including-owens-celebration-cut-short-ominous-strowman-news/|title=Keller's WWE Raw Report 1/30|last=Keller|first=Wade|date=January 30, 2017|website=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=January 31, 2017}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 11:22, 2 February 2017

Reigns in November 2013

The ascendency of American professional wrestler Roman Reigns (Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi) within WWE has divided critical and public opinion.

Reigns debuted on the company's main roster in November 2012 (having performed in its developmental system from 2010) as part of stable The Shield, and was well-received by fans and critics. Support began to dwindle upon Reigns's transition to a heroic main event singles act in 2014, due largely to his perceived forced push. Since 2015, he has headlined the 2015 and 2016 editions of WrestleMania (WWE's premier annual pay-per-view event), and has won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship three times, despite mostly negative crowd reactions. Wrestling journalists have offered alternating praise and criticism for Reigns, and have observed WWE's repeated attempts to conceal hostile fan responses.

In 2016, ESPN reporter David Shoemaker wrote that Reigns was the company's "most despised wrestler" in over 25 years.[1] The same year, Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers voted him "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year", a first for a heroic character.[2] Into 2017, WWE has continued trying to establish Reigns as a megastar despite audience rejection;[3] industry critics Wade Keller and Todd Martin said that company owner Vince McMahon is engaged in a "war on fans".[4]

History

Wrestling persona and initial reception

Reigns as a member of The Shield in April 2014

While in NXT in 2012, Reigns' character was described as a "businessman" who was "always dressed to impress" and viewed himself as "the most valuable commodity in WWE".[5] After transferring to WWE's main roster, his character was changed to the "powerhouse" and "heavy hitter" of The Shield, as well as an "exceptional athlete".[6] Noted as the least talkative of The Shield members,[7] in mid-2013, Reigns' character was tweaked from "the quiet muscle" to being an "ultra-confident" source of leadership with "quiet strength".[8] CM Punk revealed that he was constantly reminded to make Reigns look "really, really strong" despite The Shield being booked to lose to Punk at the December 2013 TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event.[9] Reigns was voted the 2013 "Most Improved" by Wrestling Observer Newsletter.[10] During the 2014 Royal Rumble match, the live crowd cheered for Reigns over eventual winner Batista, despite Reigns being a villain.[11][12] Anoaʻi later acknowledged the reaction as "a cool situation".[13] In mid-2014, Stone Cold Steve Austin said he saw great potential in Reigns,[14] while David Shoemaker of Grantland wrote that Reigns had "mystery and intensity", as well as "superstar written all over him".[15]

Rise to main event status

After The Shield disbanded, Reigns (unlike the other former Shield members) retained much of The Shield's aesthetic including ring attire, a remixed version of the group's theme music, and ring entrance.[16][17] From July to September 2014, Reigns' positive crowd reactions were diminishing.[18][19] Reigns' win of WWE's 2014 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award garnered surprise to the point of accusations of vote-rigging, but both PWInsider and Dave Meltzer stated that the fan vote was legitimate.[20][21] Reigns then finished in second place for Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Most Overrated" award in 2014,[22] a feat repeated in 2015.[23] Writers from the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter criticized Reigns in 2014 and 2015, for a "very limited" in-ring moveset,[24] "forced promo delivery"[25] and a "petulant and annoyed" attitude ill-befitting of a top fan favorite.[26] Fellow professional wrestler Mikey Whipwreck said Reigns was "trying to be like John Cena", who was "very polarizing".[27]

"I don't think I'm headbutting with [hardcore fans], I feel like they are headbutting me. [...] One thing that kind of confuses me is that it is a performance, it is a show, there is a storyline. When people start doing the 'He deserves this, He deserves that', really did Brad Pitt deserved [sic] to be Achilles in [the film] Troy?".

Anoa'i in a 2015 interview promoting WrestleMania 31,[28] which he main-evented despite fans' rejection[29]

"What, y'all can't hear me or something? [...] This isn't boring, baby, this is real life".

Reigns' response to a heckling Chicago crowd during an October 2015 promo on Raw[30]

"Sometimes, as a former football player, we have to go into that away game and silence the crowd... And just let them know I am the man. I'm going to be here for a long time".

Anoa'i, commenting on crowds booing him en route to 2016's WrestleMania 32,[31] where Reigns won its main event[32]

At the 2015 Royal Rumble, Reigns was booed heavily after his victory despite portraying a heroic character.[33][34] By March, Anoaʻi wore blue contact lenses so the Reigns character had blue eyes.[35][36] From late 2014 to early 2015, various critics raised concerns that Reigns, despite being "not fully ready", was "being pushed too hard, too soon" while WWE tried to make him their next "flagship star", "no matter how fans reacted".[22][25][37][38] Anoaʻi reacted by saying that all his critics "weren't wrestlers", expressing distaste when non-wrestlers who cannot "lock up" try to critique wrestlers.[13] Going into WrestleMania in 2015, Anoaʻi declared that WWE "is my ship now, I'm the captain here",[39] while Dave Meltzer said that Reigns was the least over WrestleMania main eventer ever.[40] At WrestleMania 31, Pro Wrestling Torch described Reigns as needing security for his entrance while receiving "universal boos" and middle fingers.[29] Reigns was unable to defeat Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and pinned Reigns to win the championship. Despite Rollins being a villain, he received positive reactions for his victory. It was confirmed that Reigns was originally supposed to win the match but the decision to have Rollins win was made relatively close to the show to avoid negative reactions towards Reigns. Despite the fan backlash in early 2015, critics praised Reigns' performances at Fastlane, WrestleMania 31 and Extreme Rules as exceeding expectations,[41][42][43][44] while the negative reactions continued at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam.[45][46]

Unlike other Shield members, Reigns retained many of the group's characteristics after the split

In late 2015, critics described WWE presenting Reigns' character as a "hard-luck underdog" chasing the world title,[47] with WWE having "spent an overwhelming amount of time" on Reigns, "bending over backwards to create new obstacles for him to overcome", "at the expense of almost everyone else on the roster".[48] Reigns received a mixed reaction upon winning and losing his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the 2015 Survivor Series event after Sheamus, another villain character, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Reigns, a move made to try and get Reigns over with the crowd,[49] and a positive reaction on winning his second world title at the Raw after TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs,[50] although a Wrestleview writer reflected that "it's been downhill ever since" for Reigns from then until March 2016.[51]

In 2015 and 2016, WWE has reportedly taken several measures to hide fans' disapproval of Reigns, this included: confiscating anti-Reigns fan signs,[52][53] editing out anti-Reigns fan signs for photos on their website,[54] muting hostile crowds (including at WrestleMania 32),[55][1] and piping in canned cheers during Reigns' appearances.[55][56]

Reigns as WWE World Heavyweight Champion in April 2016

In 2016, Reigns main evented the first seven WWE pay-per-view events (before the brand split started)[57] and was booed in all of them: Royal Rumble,[58] Fastlane,[59] WrestleMania 32 (which ended with a chorus of boos when Reigns won his third world title),[60] Payback,[61] Extreme Rules,[62] Money in the Bank[63] and Battleground.[64] CNET described a "fan rebellion" against WWE "moving heaven and earth" to make Reigns "the face of the company... for the next decade"; while "many fans are aware" that former Shield member Dean Ambrose "is the true dark horse, both on camera and behind the scenes".[65] ESPN described that "WWE started building Roman Reigns as the next great hero of the company about 18 months ago", but Reigns instead became "the most despised wrestler WWE has had since it turned Sgt. Slaughter into an Iraq-sympathizing traitor in 1990".[1] Leading up to WrestleMania 32, WWE Hall of Famers Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rikishi and Hulk Hogan have encouraged WWE to turn him into a villain.[66][67][68] Meanwhile, during interviews promoting WrestleMania 32, Anoa'i acknowledged the fan backlash, but declared that WWE is a "kids show" and that he was not wrestling to impress "grown men" who boo him.[69] He defiantly told his critics that he would not believe any of their negative opinions of him.[70] As for his detractors, Anoa'i told them to "continue to be ready to boo. You're going to be mad a long time. I'm not going away".[71]

Character alterations, suspension and public persona

On the Raw after WrestleMania 32, Reigns declared that he was now not a "good guy" nor a "bad guy", but "The Guy"; this supposedly indicated a morally ambiguous tweener character turn.[72] As soon as broadcasting for Payback stopped, Reigns reportedly turned on the crowd, yelling angrily at them.[73] Also in April, Pro Wrestling Dot Net reported that WWE "went out of their way to use [the charity] Make A Wish in hopes of getting [Reigns] over as a good guy".[74] In May, Dave Meltzer said WWE wanted Reigns as "the guy who does the charity work, so he has to be positioned as a babyface". Additionally, WWE's "new gimmick" was positioning that people actually "really like" Reigns and only boo because "it's fun to boo him", which Meltzer said was "absolutely not true" in reality.[75] Critics wondered if WWE was "leaving money on the table" by not slotting former Shield teammate Seth Rollins as a fan favorite and Reigns as a villain,[76][77] as fans were cheering Rollins and booing Reigns.[78] Reigns wrestled against Rollins at both Money in the Bank and the next Raw, where Reigns played a villain in the first match and a fan favorite in the second, and on the next night on Raw during his promo, Reigns told the fans who were booing him to "shut their mouths".[79][80] Then, Reigns' wellness policy suspension resulted in Yahoo! TV urging WWE to "quit pretending he's some kind of lovable underdog" with a villain turn for Reigns, after wasting a "dozen" chances "since the boos first reigned" at the 2015 Royal Rumble.[81] Post-suspension and leading into SummerSlam, writers from the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter wrote that Raw was "still the Roman Reigns Show", "with him necessarily closing out the show with the last laugh";[82][83] post-SummerSlam, "Raw is Roman" continued. Also in August, Anoa'i no longer wore the contact lenses, again changing the Reigns' character look.[84]

Reigns as the United States Champion in December 2016

Although Reigns dropped from world title contention to being United States Champion in September, he remained unable to connect with fans.[85] Nonetheless, calculated efforts to garner crowd support persisted. Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch said that WWE was damaging its product by associating Reigns with "really good" and "popular" performers in a "hapless attempt" to get him over. ProWrestling.net columnist Jason Powell said that McMahon's "obsession" with generating support for Reigns had handicapped Seth Rollins, whom fans wanted to see as a fan favorite in May, but was kept as a villain to oppose the heroic (and thoroughly booed) Reigns until a "horrible" turn into a fan favorite in September.[85]

In 2017, WWE continued to edit reactions for Reigns, one example being after Reigns lost the United States Championship to Chris Jericho, when an audience member was shown live, jumping for joy at the result; however, when WWE showed replays of Reigns' loss, they showed a clip of the same fan reacting negatively.[86] Veteran wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin and Pro Wrestling Torch editor Wade Keller criticised Reigns' attitude in mainstream interviews, specifically Reigns stating that he "just" worked 9-to-5 before becoming a professional wrestler, as well as flaunting his financial prospects within WWE. Austin said Reigns has "got to watch" what he says and needs to be "smarter", while Keller saw him as "trying to impress the people interviewing him" and "not thinking about the fans who are paying the money for the seats".[87] Keller also chided Reigns and WWE for publicly claiming they are happy with any crowd reaction for Reigns, whether positive or negative, describing such statements as "insincere" and "spin". He asserted: "They [WWE] turn the volume down; they seek out fans who are cheering him; they doctor footage to make it seem like fans are cheering him when they're not... they manipulate in every way that they can to make it seem like he's not getting a negative reaction".[88]

For the 2017 Royal Rumble match, Reigns entered as the surprise last entrant after losing a WWE Universal Championship match earlier that night.[89] International media outlets noted that this drew "This is bullshit!" chants from the live crowd, and even more boos when he eliminated The Undertaker. Fans had anticipated other surprise entrants including Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Bálor, Kurt Angle, Kenny Omega, Rey Mysterio and Sting. Reigns went on to eliminate other fan favourites Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt, making it to the final two before he was eliminated by eventual winner Randy Orton. Orton, who isn't really a popular wrestler among fans due to his stale gimmick, received big cheers upon eliminating Reigns. It is believed that WWE had purposely given Reigns the last spot to troll the fans and also make fans cheer Orton's victory. Stone Cold Steve Austin also believes that Reigns was the "set-up guy" used in order for Orton to get praised for his victory, knowing that Reigns would get negative reactions.[3][90][91][92][93] The following night on Raw, the villainous Braun Strowman received a "Thank you Strowman!" chant for costing the heroic Reigns his WWE Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble.[94]

References

  1. ^ a b c Shoemaker, David. "The highs and lows of a record-breaking WrestleMania 32". ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  2. ^ Bhutia, Jigmey (January 15, 2017). "PWI's 2016 WWE wrestler of the year and most hated wrestler announced". International Business Times. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Ahlig, Enrico. "Fans sauer nach Wrestling-Schlacht". Bild (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  4. ^ "WWE Raw post-game show hosted by Wade Keller". Pro Wrestling Torch Livecast. January 30, 2017. c. 54 (commercials vary between locations) minutes in. BlogTalkRadio.
  5. ^ "Roman Reigns – NXT Profile". NXT Wrestling. Archived from the original on November 25, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  6. ^ "Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns: Who are they and why did they help CM Punk". WWE. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  7. ^ McKinley, Shane. "Absurdity Of It All: Everyone This Week: How Miz Acquired Flair's Figure-Four, Why Reigns Remains Silent, Taz Ruins Endorsement Deal, Absurd Mania Picks, And...I Confess To Oprah". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  8. ^ "WWE News: Changes to The Shield evident in post-loss promo (w/Analysis of the group vs. individuals)". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  9. ^ "Punk News: When did C.M. Punk know it was time for him to leave WWE?, Punk captures the moment, shares infamous TLC story, identifies Roman Reigns as the "chosen one". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  10. ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 27, 2014). "Jan 27 2014 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2013 Annual awards issue, best in the world in numerous categories, plus all the news in pro-wrestling and MMA over the past week and more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 1–37. ISSN 1083-9593.
  11. ^ Caldwell, James. "WWE Royal Rumble PPV results 1/26 (Hour 3): Royal Rumble vs. The Crowd main event match". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  12. ^ LaBar, Justin. "Royal Rumble's Pittsburgh debut makes memorable weekend". TribLive. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Caudill, Joshua. "Roman Reigns Talks 'Royal Rumble,' Injury Return & Haters". CraveOnline. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  14. ^ "Thursday's Ask PWTorch staff: Will Cena get booed at his Hall of Fame induction years from now? What has Roman Reigns done to earn future top star status? Was Jericho supposed to become champion 2001? Cena vs. Bryan?".
  15. ^ Shoemaker, David. "The Pro Wrestling Draft Board". Grantland. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  16. ^ Mezzera, Jon. "6/20 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Ziggler vs. Barrett, Kane vs. Ambrose, MITB Participants Talking and Wrestling". PWTorch.com. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  17. ^ "Ask PWTorch All-Stars 10/05: What will the next WWE era be about? Why does Reigns have the old Shield music and should he? Who is Cena's most likely WrestleMania 31 opponent? Should Spike force the ouster of Dixie? Low Ki-Lay Cool?". PWTorch.com. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  18. ^ "WWE Raw report: Roman Reigns the star of the show as red brand hits Montreal". skysports.com.
  19. ^ Tedesco, Mike. "Tedesco on why the 9/15 Raw was bad". wrestleview.com. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  20. ^ "Is The Slammy Vote Legitimate, Triple H Reacts To Charlotte's Debut, HHH Talks NXT, David Otunga's WWE Status, New Videos From Triple H And Steph And More". Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  21. ^ Oster, Aaron. "Pro wresting roundup (Dec. 11)". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  22. ^ a b Meltzer, Dave (January 26, 2015). "Jan. 26, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2014 awards issue w/ results & Dave's commentary, Conor McGregor, and much more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 30. ISSN 1083-9593.
  23. ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 25, 2016). "January 25, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Observer Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 31. ISSN 1083-9593.
  24. ^ "The case of Roman Reigns". PWTorch.com. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  25. ^ a b Caldwell, James (November 21, 2014). "WWE Interviews: What has upset Roman Reigns?, why was Kane recently "very worried about the future of WWE?," Sheamus points to original content lacking on WWE Network". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  26. ^ "Sunday's Ask PWTorch Staff for 3/22: Does Reigns give off a negative vibe that hurts his popularity". PWTorch.com. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
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