Roman Reigns is set to step back inside the ring at WWE’s Bad Blood event as he teams with long-time rival Cody Rhodes to face Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. It will mark the first time he’s wrestled since WWE WrestleMania 40, having had several months out of the ring and off television.
Roman Reigns didn’t cut the best promos early in his WWE career, but The Tribal Chief got more comfortable with time and delivered memorable quotes.
His return to in-ring competition is obviously a big deal, and audiences have been champing at the bit to see him, especially in a babyface role. However, there is a feeling that WWE is completely wasting Reigns’ big return, which could have been a much bigger moment in different circumstances.
Roman Reigns Is Getting Entangled In Cody Rhodes’ Issues
Roman Reigns Should’ve Returned In A Big Singles Match
Reigns will be returning to the ring to compete in tag team action by teaming with the American Nightmare. It’s being done to continue the overall Bloodline storyline as Rhodes has been having issues with Sikoa for months now. Reigns is obviously back to prove he is the original Tribal Chief and to take back control of The Bloodline, but it feels like a waste overall.
Rhodes is doing a lot of the work with the storyline here as Reigns pops in and out, and that’s not getting the best out of him. Having him return as a babyface makes sense and feuding against Sikoa and the new version of The Bloodline is a great angle, but the American Nightmare doesn’t need to be entangled in it.
Fans want to be able to invest in Reigns as a babyface now and dive into a storyline with him from an emotional perspective. That’s not possible when the Undisputed WWE Champion is part of the feud as well. There’s too much being juggled at once with this storyline currently, and that’s not helping anybody who is involved.
Roman Reigns’ Return Should’ve Happened At A Bigger Event
Bad Blood Is Seen As A ‘B’ Level Show
Fans are excited about WWE’s Bad Blood event as the company has created an impressive card. However, this isn’t one of the year’s biggest shows, which is why it’s surprising that Reigns’ in-ring return is happening here. Seeing him return at WWE SummerSlam felt fitting, as it was a huge event that needed a big moment.
This particular show doesn’t feel like the right place to bring the Original Tribal Chief back to the ring. He’s the biggest name in the entire company, regardless of how often he turns up, and that’s why putting back into a competitive match on a smaller show has come as a surprise to most people.
Of course, it could be argued that adding Reigns to the event instantly makes it feel more important, but now that he makes limited appearances, it would serve the company better to use Reigns on the more important events when there will be an increased number of eyes on the product.
WWE Bad Blood Already Has A Great Main Event
There’s A Chance Roman Reigns Won’t Go On Last
Arguably, the biggest issue with putting Reigns’ return on this particular card is the fact that there’s already an obvious main-event match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. That storyline is drawing to its conclusion, and considering that it’s run for just short of a year, that angle deserves to headline the premium live event.
The fact that it’s a Hell in a Cell match also works as a reason why it should go on last. That stipulation should mean something and bring a much bigger atmosphere than a tag team match, regardless of whether Reigns and Rhodes are involved.
Of course, WWE could easily book the tag team match to go on last simply because of the Reigns factor. But then the creative team runs the risk of upsetting Punk and McIntyre, who deserve a big opportunity for the hard work and effort they’ve put in. WWE has booked themselves into a corner with this situation, considering Reigns’ return could have been saved for the next PLE.
The potential of Reigns’ big comeback not taking place in the main event is a realistic possibility, but it’s something that could happen and would be such a huge waste. This storyline doesn’t deserve to headline the show as fans aren’t as hooked as they are with Punk and McIntyre, which is why WWE has got things wrong with Reigns this time around.
