MONDAY NIGHT REIGNS-O-METER #81: Tracking Roman Reigns’s ability to beat the odds and come out on top

Roman Reigns comments on Brock Lesnar — Roman Reigns (artist Joel Tesch © PWTorch)

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Roman Reigns is one of the most dramatic, divisive and discussed WWE performers in history. The company makes desperate play after desperate play to make him your favourite graps guy – with limited success. How do they do it? What do they do?

I’m Tom Colohue and this is the Monday Night Reigns-o-Meter.

There’s been a big change recently on Monday Night Raw. Whether or not it’s a good change is up to you but, to the surprise of everyone, Roman Reigns is not the hero of the Roman Reigns Show any more.

It used to be, back in the good old days, that Roman Reigns was the fastest rising up and comer on the John Cena Show. The, as days turned to weeks, as weeks turned to months and months turned to years, the John Cena Show became the Roman Reigns Show and the world rejoiced. So what’s happened? Why is Roman Reigns secondary on his own show? Well, Triple H obviously.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not all down to Triple H. Triple H, the man who Roman Reigns defeated in the main event of Wrestlemania 32, is now locked in a supposedly brutal feud with The Undertaker, the man who Roman Reigns defeated in the main event of Wrestlemania 33. Seriously, tell me Roman Reigns isn’t the hero of this story.

This week on Monday Night Rematch, The Shield will have a rematch with Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre. And if you can tell me the last time an episode of Monday Night Raw took place without some combination of those men you will win the internet. Unlike the last few weeks, when The Shield would be littered through the entire show, this week was too busy focussing on up and comers like Bobby Lashley, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle.

This next generation is really showing a lot of promise, isn’t it?

In fact, Super Show Down was so blatantly forgotten by WWE itself that the Brie Bella vs Liv Morgan fight only started to get personal on Raw, despite the fact that the two shared a ring two days before. John Cena went barely mentioned. They opened the show with a recap of Triple H vs Undertaker that lasted half the show. I can’t help but wonder if Super Show Down actually happened or if it was all some strange Australian dream. So we can assume that Roman Reigns will once again beat the odds, right?

How can I enjoy a Raw instalment that isn’t Roman heavy? That Roman doesn’t win? That doesn’t feature the usual sing along with Roman Reigns segment?

As we enter the final hour of Raw, The Shield cut one of their classic hidden footage promos. Seth Rollins declares that he doesn’t bend. Dean Ambrose announces that justice has a name, and the name that it has, besides justice, is The Shield. Roman runs through his catchphrases and pouts at the camera before they carefully place the camera on the floor and step around it like the good citizens that they are.

At the close of the hour we see them again, boldly entering the arena once Paul Heyman has finished his whole promo, like the good citizens that they are. Ambrose, still devoid of title, twitches and sways from side to side while his brethren hold on to their arsenal. The match, as usual, takes up four championship belts.

Five if you count Braun Strowman’s apparently fictional Saudi Arabian Championship. Let’s just forget about that though, right?

Reigns and Strowman open the match in classic big man, little man style. Reigns plays the little man, confusingly. I mean, it’s Roman Reigns; I never even imagined I would be calling him a little man in any walk of life. Roman gets beat up most of the match but later realising he’s getting too much of the attention and tags in Seth Rollins to take the beating instead. So, with the whole Shield angle basically all about Ambrose and with Rollins in the ring taking the beating, this week might just be the least Roman Reigns in the history of Monday Night Raw.

We finish with Dean Ambrose in the ring, brawling with Drew McIntyre at a fast and intense pace. I’ve lost track of Roman at this point. I think he was napping. What a hero; always sharing the spotlight with his brothers. After a little Ziggler interference, Roman saves Dean from a violent spinebuster. Somehow, everyone ends up straight back outside though and we are once again treated to an Ambrose vs McIntyre duel. Roman, casually maintaining his hair at the same time, dives into Braun Strowman’s waiting arms but is thankfully saved by Dean Ambrose once again.

It’s all about Dean here. Roman spears Strowman to make sure and returns to his previous nap. Rollins eliminates Ziggler but McIntyre, past and future Roman Reigns of the WWE, finishes the match with his Claymore kick.

As the match ends, Dean Ambrose walks out on The Shield. Roman and Seth are distraught. It’s a fanfic writer’s dream.