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I have been a wrestling fan as long as I can remember. Literally at least two-thirds of my life. It's the only thing I'm truly passionate about. Some of my earliest memories of life involve wrestling, watching it on Saturday nights on TBS with my mom. Yep, I started off as a WCW fan sometime in 1990. It took a few years before I finally found World Wrestling Entertainment, but I knew from the moment I saw Undertaker in 1994 where my heart was destined to stay. Now, 20-plus years later, I am a firm and unashamed WWE loyalist and WWE apologist. At the end of the day, I stand by this company, come what may happen. They have given me memories to last literally a lifetime. I’ve been to lots of house shows, Wrestlemania X-8 in Toronto, a couple Smackdown shows, and just this past summer, I went to my very first RAW broadcast. I’m kind of addicted to them.
At the same time, I can very easily acknowledge their flaws and faults as objectively as anyone can. They have fumbled lots of things over the years, pushed guys I didn’t like, squandered guys I did. I am obsessive compulsive and can nitpick with the best of them. And I can admit that 2014 – more specifically, post-Wrestlemania 30 season – has been the hardest time in a while for me to be a WWE fan. Storylines over the past five months have certainly left me wanting for more and questioning why I was a wrestling fan, especially a WWE fan.
Today, September 20th, it was reported that Roman Reigns went out with an incarcerated hernia injury, and had to have emergency surgery. I’ve known people in real life who’ve had hernias, and they are exceptionally painful. I can’t imagine one where part of one’s intestine wraps around the hernia in question. This is not the first major Superstar to be hit with the injury bug at arguably the worst time, either (as if there’s ever a *good* time to be injured, but that’s beside the point). Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett also got hit. However, nobody in their right minds doubted the legitimacy of Bryan's OR Barrett's injuries when they were reported. Yet almost everybody and their mama thinks Reigns/WWE is faking the hernia and necessary surgery to get it fixed. These are the most popular reasons I’ve seen so far in the hours since the story broke. Reason #1: Roman Reigns’ character is stale. Reason #2: Roman Reigns is bad in the ring. Reason #3: the WWE is shoving Roman Reigns down our throats.
Counterargument #1: Reigns was always the strong, silent type. From the moment the Shield debuted, it was clear that Roman Reigns was not the talker of the group. That was left to Ambrose and Rollins. Reigns had one or two lines, but for the most part, the other two guys (rightfully) carried them through their promos. For people to expect Punk-like promos when Reigns is on his own is crazy, especially since he’s only been on his own for 3 months! It takes time to build mic skills the same way it takes time to build in-ring skills. Improvement takes time. There's no patience anymore from wrestling fans. I’m not sure if this is because of the lack of attention span in this new generation of wrestling fans or the pace that WWE sets for guys (and girls) to learn. I know that I pay attention to Reigns' promos each time, and every single time, he improves. Whether it’s his physical demeanor or word delivery, there’s something new I pick up from him every time he does a backstage interview or in-ring promo. Not every guy is gonna be an ace on the mic immediately.
Counterargument #2: Reigns was the powerhouse of the Shield. For anybody to expect a Daniel Bryan-esque moveset from him is insane. I'm not saying Reigns is the greatest power wrestler on the planet. But that doesn't mean he can't have good matches. Reigns has only been wrestling for, what, four years? People expect way too much way too soon for a guy with that little time in the ring. I have seen him have great matches with guys like Seth Rollins, Rusev, and even, yes, Randy Orton. Reigns may not be improving at the pace *you* like, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t steadily improving. He’s getting more comfortable in the ring, establishing the kind of character he wants to be between the ropes, and telling one hell of a story every time I see him. If he threw out something new each and every match, I don’t think people would be able to identify exactly what his “brand” of wrestling is, and that’s not good, either.
Counterargument #3: Reigns is the next guy, for better or worse. That much has been established, especially since the dissolution of the Shield. So, for those of you complaining about Reigns Overexposure: If he's the next guy, OBVIOUSLY he's going to be featured a LOT more than others. As much as I love seeing guys like Ziggler, Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, Damien Sandow, etc., none of those guys are being looked at as the next guy to carry the torch. That’s just the reality of the WWE roster at this point.
Now, to be clear, I am a HUGE Reigns fan. Seriously. HUGE. I admittedly fangirl for this guy, because I see the charisma he has, the swagger he carries, the potential waiting to be tapped into as a main eventer and shining star for the WWE. At the same time, I fully recognize that he’s exceptionally young in the business and has nowhere near the right amount of experience to be the main eventer WWE needs him to be at this point in his career. The veterans and more experienced guys have absolutely dictated the pace and story of his matches, even when he’s been the most dominant. And I can argue how unprepared and not ready he is until I'm blue in the face, but I'm STILL a supporter. For those of you who aren't, I’m going to have to respectfully ask you to GET OVER IT. Reigns - prior to his injury - wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. His push was coming, and it was coming fast. Some argue that he was on the fast track to beating Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31. That is way faster than I would've liked, honestly, but that doesn't mean I wasn't ready for anybody but Cena. That doesn’t mean WWE didn’t need *anybody* but Cena.
Reigns would have to be certifiably insane to not accept the role WWE was going to put him in. It’s not his fault at all the company has failed to adequately use its upper midcard talent to provide options other than Cena. It’s not his fault WWE has failed to build even a lower midcard bracket from which to choose other solid, believable heels and faces. Roman Reigns has to make his living, too, and good on him for taking that proverbial ball and trying to run as far and as fast as he can with it. That goes for anybody else. If WWE gives you a shot to carry the ball, what are you gonna do, say no? Oh, ok….
Like I said, I know WWE has made mistakes this year, and the product has left me confused more times than not. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to hate on the guys (whomever they are) who bust their ass day in and day out to TRY to entertain me. Some guys, I connect with automatically, like Reigns. Seriously, instant connection there. Some guys, I have to build up to liking, like Luke Harper. Others don't work at all for me, like Xavier Woods. Still, that doesn't mean I'm going to claim their injuries are forced or faked or exaggerated or whatever just because WWE is "messing up" on making them believable characters.
I'm no writer or fantasy booker. I know what I like and what I don't like. I know who I like and who I don't like, and the reasons why. I knew from Day 1 Roman Reigns was going to end up being my new favorite wrestler, and I don’t deny that to anybody. Undertaker was my reason for becoming a WWE fan in ’94. 20 years later, it’s obvious to me that the Deadman is just about gone for good. I knew if I wanted to keep watching that company, I was going to have to find somebody else to put my stock into. Reigns is that guy for me. Trust me, I know he messes up, and I know WWE messes up. But I can find a silver lining on even the darkest of clouds.
If you think you know the wrestling business better than those in charge, do something about it and try and get a job in it. It doesn’t even have to be in WWE (though since they are the biggest company in the world, it’d seem best to get a job there). Work from the inside, not behind a computer. Anybody can have an opinion behind a keyboard; not everybody can back it up and actually put some action to their words. But don't you dare bash these guys for working through the injuries they do, or doubt the passion they have, knowing how hard they work every day to try to entertain YOU. Nobody's perfect in this business, and they can only work with what they’re given, no matter how big or small that opportunity is.
In the meanwhile, NO, I won't stop watching, and NO, I won't give up on WWE. When push comes to shove, they know what they're doing. WWE has been in business for, what, over 60 years or more? I tend to think Vince McMahon and company know what they’re doing when it comes to building brands. My biggest pet peeve in the world are pessimistic people. If you hate the product so much, if you can’t find ANYTHING to look forward to, you should find another form of entertainment. You only have one life. There’s no point in spending it watching something you’re obviously so unhappy with. I, on the other hand, will constantly find that one match, that one segment, that one character that keeps me coming back. He or she is certainly out there.
We just have to look.
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