MONDAY NIGHT REIGNS-O-METER #89: Tracking Roman Reigns’s ability to beat the odds and come out on top

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 favorite 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.

All week, the whole week, WWE Twitter has been pumping out the question: Will Roman Reigns be fired for his actions on Smackdown Live?

I mean, obviously not; he’s Roman Reigns.

Roman struck Vince McMahon. He put his hands on the father of modern pro-wrestling, the creator of the best in the world, the man behind America. Worst of all, Roman Reigns interrupted Elias. This travesty could not be allowed to stand. It was time to punish Roman. He had to be fired.

WWE does have a habit of firing their top guys, right? The top money-makers? Sure.

We open Smackdown with an appearance from Shane McMahon. He says a lot of things, most of it not quite what he was aiming for. He demands the appearance of Roman Reigns, using the same “you work for me line” that he used on The Miz and, just like that, Reigns is in a feud with a company authority figure.

Which is brand new. It’s never happened before. Nope.

He didn’t win his first WWE Championship in a feud with Triple H. Nope.

He didn’t win his second WWE Championship in a feud with Vince McMahon. Nope.

He didn’t win his third WWE Championship in a feud with Triple H. Nope.

He didn’t win his first Universal Championship in a feud with Vince McMahon. Nope.

And so a brand new chapter begins on Smackdown Live. We have something we’ve never seen before. Shane McMahon as a bad guy picking fights with people far stronger than him. McMahon stands in the ring after calling out the man who once speared him so hard they were both heavily concussed. Brave. Strong. All words that ultimately just mean McMahon.

Then comes Elias. Interrupting. Claiming revenge for the interruption of the last week. The double-team beatdown happens fast. Roman is wearing a t-shirt so we already know that he can’t lift anything. He takes the drift away and sells it while his opponents leave.

A very good position for Elias to be in as we start our new era. Hopefully we get to see Roman Reigns playing the guitar over the next few weeks. I would genuinely enjoy that. Just saying. I’d also quite enjoy watching Roman as a Dothraki in “Game of Thrones” Jason Momoa style, but I suppose we can’t have everything.

Smackdown would continue with other stunning things we’ve never seen before. Andrade, new to Smackdown Live, faced off with Finn Balor, who he has never wrestled before. Kevin Owens turned on somebody in a shocking swerve. Charlotte Flair won the right to face Becky Lynch in their first-ever match. Smackdown was packed with new starts.

Later in the show, Elias would challenge Roman Reigns to a match at Money In The Bank in song form. Quite how Shane McMahon feels about Elias taking his spot in that match is beyond me, but they rushed out of the arena and I would imagine that he’s even now making sure that Elias steps out so that Shane can compete himself.

Oh, and Jinder Mahal is on Smackdown again. Guess we know who’s taking that WWE Championship from Kofi Kingston now.

Odds Counter
– Shane McMahon
– Elias

Did Roman Reigns beat the odds?
No

He’s just not best in the world enough, is he?

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