Let's talk about Roman Regins.

[BeansOnToast]

So the other day I was speaking to a friend who is largely a non-wrestling fan, he know's very little about wrestling and could probably name you 4 wrestlers top. So it surprised me when he said "Everyone really hates that Roman Regins fella don't they?" it took me by surprise that he 1. Knew who he was and 2. Knew of the large distain the hardcore audience has of him.

 

It partially got me thinking about why people actually hate Regins and I've kind of drew to the conclusion that the fans aren't really booing him but booing the whole idea of WWE booking against what they believe to be, the better route. This all really started at the 2015 Royal Rumble in what I still view, as one of the most bizarre booked matches of all time. Eliminating clear favorite Daniel Bryan early on, before seeing Big Show and Kane steam roll through crowd favorites to only have Roman Regins (who still wasn't fully accepted) be the one to topple them both was ludicrous booking. From that point on Regins has received reactions varying from eh to pure distain.

 

Now we're in mid 2017, I believe Regins has become a lot more tolerable as a character, largely ditching the cartoon type put downs and genuinely carrying himself as a star. He, himself has finally fount himself a full fledged character. The two questions I want to put forward in this topic are the following; Why do you believe that fans boo Roman Regins to this day? And what could WWE do to fix it?

[St★rstruck]

I guarantee you that most fans who boo Roman Reigns couldn't give you a real, logical reason as to why they dislike him so much.

[RodanTerroroftheSkies]

I would like to think people boo Roman Reigns because they really like Braun Strowman, and they've been feuding for a million years. He's essentially the top heel, even if the company doesn't want to acknowledge him as such.

[Paul Smackage *MOTSP*]

Fans boo Reigns because they love to boo the guy who they're supposed to love.

 

Roman Reigns is just the new John Cena.

[Ziggy Vercetti]

Most the folks that boo Roman probably do it cause it's the hip thing to do.

[Creepia]

Most people probably boo Reigns because he's pretty boring and monotonous.

[Faster Than Light]

Jesus, some really far-reaching generalizations in here. Want to show me your mind-reading credentials?

[Senex Beast]

The hardcore fans boo him because of his booking and know he's the new top guy replacing Cena.

 

Most casuals boo him because they see him as a heel or because it's just the hip thing to do like it's been with Cena for years.

 

I actually like him and so I don't boo him when Raw comes to my town. I just don't want him boomed as the top guy and new cena

[St★rstruck]

Fans boo Reigns because they love to boo the guy who they're supposed to love.

 

Roman Reigns is just the new John Cena.

 

I don't agree with this entirely.

 

One of the main reasons why some people boo Reigns is because they don't want to accept him as the current/next top guy in the company. In Cena's case, just about everyone loved Cena and accepted him from the beginning when he won the WWE title at Mania. When Reigns won his, he was boo'd out of the damn building. People just grew really bored of John's old, tired routine and shtick over the past several years.

[MikeM]

For the real reason, I believe you have to go back a full year before he won the Rumble. 2014 and everyone KNOWS for a fact that Batista is winning it and going to Mania - and it absolutely sucks. The crowd are clinging on to hope that WWE is finally going to pull the trigger on Reigns' long awaited push and just maybe have him win the Rumble.

 

But no, WWE stuck with the plan. Then having missed the boat with (what I believe would have been a natural gravitation of the fans behind Roman) they then decided to rectify it - but at that point they actually made Reigns into "the plan" to the point where him winning the 2015 Rumble was every bit as predictable and boring as Batista the year before. And so it proved, to be fair to WWE they realised that Lesnar losing to Reigns at Mania was going to bomb, so they had Seth cash in. But fans knew now that WWE was hell bent on pushing Roman, it now didn't matter who wanted it - WWE (Vince) had now backed himself into a corner - and we all know very rarely does Vince backtrack, put his hands up and say "yeah we screwed that up".

 

And then the hatred of the push became more pronounced, because now it was simply viewed as WWE saying to the fans - this is our new main guy, and you can learn to live with it. And WWE fans in particular hate to be dictated to like that.

 

It's a shame because Roman does have a charisma about him, but like his cousin, I think it's more heelish in it's nature - personally I think they should have gone the Rocky Maivia / The Rock route with him. Let him get over as a cool, cocky heel - and when the fans are ready, let them turn him.

 

Now, ever hellbent on getting Reigns super over, they then had him retire one of the most iconic and beloved names in the history of the company - and they seriously thought the fans would be happy and cheer for him?

 

In short I've always felt the trouble with Roman, is simply the way he's booked. He's decent in the ring, gives a good promo when allowed and has the charisma to pull off all the out of the ring stuff (maybe he could be more diplomatic in interviews).

[Counting Lights]

His big push in 2015 is the closest I had ever come to stopping with wrestling, and had it not been for NXT, I would have. It just made me so sick they disregarded the crowd reaction so much to him, and watching countless talented wrestler after talented wrestler lose their push to "Make Roman look strong"....ugh.

 

Reigns at this moment? I don't think I'll ever cheer him, but he's doing fine. His feud with Braun has been the best this year, and he's grown in the ring a lot. I still can't get through a promo of his without thinking "Oh shut the **** up", and I'll never stomach a title reign of his, but he's not as awful anymore.

[King Tha Row]

I believe it's the booking that caused it. Of course your gonna have people that boo. Just cause everyone else is doing it. Roman has the look. In my opinion you'd be a fool to not push him in the main event. WWE could fix it by having him go full heel. Instead of tweener. Then again I could be wrong. It might just be like the you suck chants Angle gets.

[St★rstruck]

I highly doubt WWE expected fans to cheer and be happy for Roman after defeating The Undertaker.

[MikeM]

I highly doubt WWE expected fans to cheer and be happy for Roman after defeating The Undertaker.

 

Which is why it's all the more baffling that they did it, and weren't trying to turn him heel.

[Willows Way]

Whos Roman Regins?

[Creepia]

Whos Roman Regins?

 

WWE studios version of Batman Begins.

[Faster Than Light]

Whos Roman Regins?

 

Easily the best post in the thread

[E#37]

Let's not talk about him.

[OPC]

I just don't like the dude or the Shield in general. He doesn't entertain me on the mic or in the ring. Just nothing.

[St★rstruck]

 

I highly doubt WWE expected fans to cheer and be happy for Roman after defeating The Undertaker.

 

Which is why it's all the more baffling that they did it, and weren't trying to turn him heel.

 

 

Hell, Roman wasn't even supposed to be fighting Undertaker at Mania, lmfao. No one really wanted to see it to begin with, but I'm at this point in Undertaker's career, just about anyone would have gotten boo'd if they were in Reigns' position.

[Lil' Kazu]

So the other day I was speaking to a friend who is largely a non-wrestling fan, he know's very little about wrestling and could probably name you 4 wrestlers top. So it surprised me when he said "Everyone really hates that Roman Regins fella don't they?" it took me by surprise that he 1. Knew who he was and 2. Knew of the large distain the hardcore audience has of him.

 

Lol.

 

Most the folks that boo Roman probably do it cause it's the hip thing to do.

 

Lmao.

 

Shit like this is why I don't want to talk about Roman Reigns.

[Ziggy Vercetti]

I said "probably", not stating that it was a fact

[Faster Than Light]

But 'probably" based on what though?

 

Yes, there's dumb 'haters' out there, but how are 'most' "probably" dumb haters?

[Willows Way]

I cant speak anyone else but my reason for not liking Roman is simple. Hes pushed and promoted as the greatest wrestler walking gods green earth. Like when this man is on screen its a huge deal. But to me he is at best a solid to good wrestler who is dull as *Censored* in the personality department. He is either a mono toned "badass" or a corny cheesy wannabe cool guy both of which suck.

 

His matches differ. Either they can be very good or they can be the same old shit over and over like his feud with Owens & Jericho. However i really cant knock his in ring stuff. Its mostly solid.

 

Idk i have a personal bias against Roman as it pisses me off to no end that he was the one to retire Taker and the fact that they are trying to put him in Takers spot is laughable to me. But even if that didnt happen, Roman to me is always just there as the next "guy" whos overall just ok at best.

[Ziggy Vercetti]

But 'probably" based on what though?

 

Yes, there's dumb haters out there, but how are 'most' "probably" dumb haters?

Comments all over social media.

 

But since y'all are looking for a legit answer since mine wasn't in favor. Either wrestling skills, booking compared to others or overall just another and fresher Cena people are seeing. Cena was on fire till late 2005 or during 2006 when reactions started being split. Roman was on fire till he won the Rumble and the rest is history.