By Ryan Frye
Roman Reigns was groomed for greatness. From the moment he inked a WWE developmental deal and first stepped into a ring, there were always visions of him becoming a main event guy.
And why not? He possesses awe-inspiring athleticism for a man his size, as proven by his football career at Georgia Tech. He's from the Anoa'i family that has been churning out wrestler after wrestler for decades.
It's not to say he didn't work for it, of course.
When he hung up his cleats—last playing in the Canadian Football League—he was a nose tackle. A space eater. Meaning that for him to look like he was chiseled from granite as he does now, he had to lose a good amount of weight.
Still, though, WWE brass took one look at the guy and deemed him a future main event stud. He was in developmental, primarily Florida Championship Wrestling as Leakee, for two years before debuting as a member of The Shield.
Roman Reigns was groomed for greatness. From the moment he inked a WWE developmental deal and first stepped into a ring, there were always visions of him becoming a main event guy.
And why not? He possesses awe-inspiring athleticism for a man his size, as proven by his football career at Georgia Tech. He's from the Anoa'i family that has been churning out wrestler after wrestler for decades.
It's not to say he didn't work for it, of course.
When he hung up his cleats—last playing in the Canadian Football League—he was a nose tackle. A space eater. Meaning that for him to look like he was chiseled from granite as he does now, he had to lose a good amount of weight.
Still, though, WWE brass took one look at the guy and deemed him a future main event stud. He was in developmental, primarily Florida Championship Wrestling as Leakee, for two years before debuting as a member of The Shield.
He was The Shield's powerhouse. He primarily was the hot tag guy that came in at the end of the match and cleaned house. His speaking was kept short and sweet. It was the perfect way to make him look like an absolute star.
The fans grew to love The Shield, and they loved Reigns. Each time he did his roar before hitting his spear, they roared with him.
The WWE's plan was working, it appeared. But when The Shield was broken up, Reigns got pushed hard, and got pushed fast. The ideal booking he received in The Shield was now gone, and his weaknesses were being exploited.
The WWE was trying to make Reigns something he wasn't: the next John Cena. They painted him as an underdog and someone The Authority was trying to hold down. In reality, the fans knew that the exact opposite was actually the case.
Reigns' crowd reaction became unfavorable. It became increasingly negative, beginning with the fans revolting against his telegraphed 2015 Royal Rumble victory. From there, WWE only found band aids at times to temporarily fix the problem, but the next night, the problem persisted. The fans only grew more defiant.
At WrestleMania 31, they deviated from their initial path. Instead of Roman Reigns' coronation as champion, Seth Rollins cashed in Money In the Bank to become champion. But a year later, they wouldn't do so. They followed through with the plan, and in front of a record breaking crowd in Dallas, Texas, Reigns won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
The next night on RAW, however, Reigns was different. After winning the WrestleMania main event by himself, it was as if he had an epiphany; he didn't need anyone. Not The Authority. Not the crowd. He was the champion.
His message was succinct and precise. His body language saying just as much as his words.
"I'm not a bad guy. I'm not a good guy. I'm the guy!" he proclaimed with a smug arrogance.
The fans grew to love The Shield, and they loved Reigns. Each time he did his roar before hitting his spear, they roared with him.
The WWE's plan was working, it appeared. But when The Shield was broken up, Reigns got pushed hard, and got pushed fast. The ideal booking he received in The Shield was now gone, and his weaknesses were being exploited.
The WWE was trying to make Reigns something he wasn't: the next John Cena. They painted him as an underdog and someone The Authority was trying to hold down. In reality, the fans knew that the exact opposite was actually the case.
Reigns' crowd reaction became unfavorable. It became increasingly negative, beginning with the fans revolting against his telegraphed 2015 Royal Rumble victory. From there, WWE only found band aids at times to temporarily fix the problem, but the next night, the problem persisted. The fans only grew more defiant.
At WrestleMania 31, they deviated from their initial path. Instead of Roman Reigns' coronation as champion, Seth Rollins cashed in Money In the Bank to become champion. But a year later, they wouldn't do so. They followed through with the plan, and in front of a record breaking crowd in Dallas, Texas, Reigns won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
The next night on RAW, however, Reigns was different. After winning the WrestleMania main event by himself, it was as if he had an epiphany; he didn't need anyone. Not The Authority. Not the crowd. He was the champion.
His message was succinct and precise. His body language saying just as much as his words.
"I'm not a bad guy. I'm not a good guy. I'm the guy!" he proclaimed with a smug arrogance.
"That's why in the biggest WrestleMania of all-time, I beat Triple H's ass! And I told Shane McMahon that I'm about to come out here and if anybody wants this, then bring your ass out here right now!"
Four potential challengers would confront Reigns, and Reigns was dismissive towards all of them; Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn. When they started brawling, he watched on indifferently. These guys were beneath him, he didn't care if they killed each other.
A fatal four way number one contender's match would be announced for the main event—with a returning Cesaro taking an injured Sami Zayn's place. And in that main event, AJ Styles won.
Four potential challengers would confront Reigns, and Reigns was dismissive towards all of them; Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn. When they started brawling, he watched on indifferently. These guys were beneath him, he didn't care if they killed each other.
A fatal four way number one contender's match would be announced for the main event—with a returning Cesaro taking an injured Sami Zayn's place. And in that main event, AJ Styles won.
AJ Styles couldn't be more different than Roman Reigns. While both might be freakishly athletic, that's pretty much where their similarities end.
Reigns stepped off the football field and almost immediately signed a deal with WWE with no prior wrestling experience.
Styles, on the otherhand, had a much longer, more winding road to get to where he is today. He wasn't just given a WWE contract. He didn't possess the size or the look to be a WWE superstar, they said, so he had to earn that contract.
He spent 18 years traveling the world. He wrestled in TNA, Ring of Honor, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The WWE denied him many times, and each time they did, it motivated him to become an ever bigger star.
By the time a 38 year old Styles finally made his WWE debut, he was a world renowned star—the biggest name to never be under WWE contract. Not just out of active wrestlers, but ever.
Styles received a massive ovation prior to stepping into the ring. And when he did, one man awaited him: Roman Reigns.
Reigns stepped off the football field and almost immediately signed a deal with WWE with no prior wrestling experience.
Styles, on the otherhand, had a much longer, more winding road to get to where he is today. He wasn't just given a WWE contract. He didn't possess the size or the look to be a WWE superstar, they said, so he had to earn that contract.
He spent 18 years traveling the world. He wrestled in TNA, Ring of Honor, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The WWE denied him many times, and each time they did, it motivated him to become an ever bigger star.
By the time a 38 year old Styles finally made his WWE debut, he was a world renowned star—the biggest name to never be under WWE contract. Not just out of active wrestlers, but ever.
Styles received a massive ovation prior to stepping into the ring. And when he did, one man awaited him: Roman Reigns.
One man may have awaited Styles, but two followed him from New Japan to the WWE: Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.
Anderson and Gallows were cohorts with Styles in the wildly popular, but villainous, gaijin faction the Bullet Club.
Their first night in the WWE, they attacked The Usos. A week later, however, they caught up with Styles before jumping his Payback opponent—Roman Reigns—from behind later in the night.
Styles looked on and didn't appear thrilled. He would deny any involvement in the attack, although Reigns didn't believe it.
Anderson and Gallows were cohorts with Styles in the wildly popular, but villainous, gaijin faction the Bullet Club.
Their first night in the WWE, they attacked The Usos. A week later, however, they caught up with Styles before jumping his Payback opponent—Roman Reigns—from behind later in the night.
Styles looked on and didn't appear thrilled. He would deny any involvement in the attack, although Reigns didn't believe it.
Four months following their initial encounter, the two will cross paths once more. The Royal Rumble was a mere appetizer of what awaits us on May 1 at WWE Payback in Chicago, Illinois.
It's ironic, I suppose, that the one perceived to have "earned it" more might hijack the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with help from two old friends.
Or perhaps the biggest opportunity of his career will be snatched from him by those friends now flanked by the man he supplanted atop the Bullet Club—Finn Balor.
It's ironic, I suppose, that the one perceived to have "earned it" more might hijack the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with help from two old friends.
Or perhaps the biggest opportunity of his career will be snatched from him by those friends now flanked by the man he supplanted atop the Bullet Club—Finn Balor.
Credit to Eric Martinez (@E__RAGE)
At Invasion Attack 2014, Prince Devitt instructed The Young Bucks to not interfere in his match with his former Apollo 55 tag team partner, Ryusuke Taguchi. This led to the duo turning on him.
Later that same night, AJ Styles made his New Japan debut by attacking IWGP Champion Okada and took Devitt's spot in the Bullet Club.
The namesake of the event is Payback. Fitting—not in the traditional sense of Styles or Reigns seeking retribution on one other—but in the sense that after Sunday night, it's almost guaranteed that payback will be at the forefront of someone's mind.