10 Reasons Roman Reigns is Going to be the Next Face of Wrestling
The WWE is the premier sports entertainment company in the world, no doubt about it. No other organization, whether it be NJPW, AAA, or ROH, even comes close. So, when a wrestler ascends to the top ranks of the WWE, they automatically become one of the biggest professional wrestlers in the world. When a wrestler becomes the top star of the WWE, they become the face of wrestling worldwide. So far, there have been five top stars in wrestling history: Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena. No offense meant to guys like Ric Flair and Sting, but those five are the only wrestlers worthy of being called the face of wrestling. So who will be the next top star? Well at this point, all signs point to Roman Reigns.
Two months ago, the WWE Network reported breaking news: Roman Reigns would be out of action for out six weeks due to an incarcerated hernia. Later, it was announced that he would actually be missing up to 3-4 months. Even with this setback, it is still believed that Reigns will win the 2015 Royal Rumble match and then beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania in April. Not only will that cement Reigns's place as a top WWE star, it will put him in place to become the next big star of wrestling.
There are however, fans who now want Dean Ambrose to be the next wrestling star. After all, he is a better talker, extremely over with the fans, and just a better wrestler overall. However, his unstable personality isn't that suited to be the face of a family-friendly and PG company. John Cena is the perfect face with his "never give up" attitude and respectful demeanor. The best guy to follow Cena is Reigns.
Of course, Reigns is not ready right now to become the face. He still has a way to go before he is worthy of that top spot. Until then, Reigns has to improve in several facets, including his promos and in-ring ability. He's not a bad talker, but he's nowhere near the level of Hogan, Austin, Rock, and Cena (Sammartino's era wasn't one of promos). The same goes for his in-ring work. He's a good worker, but his arsenal is a bit limited and he has only one singles PPV match in his career thus far. He'll definitely need some more experience and polishing. Nonetheless, he's still very well qualified to become the next face of wrestling. Here are ten reasons why.
10. John Cena has Limited Time- As of right now, Cena is definitely the WWE's top star. While other stars have threatened his position, such as Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, but Cena still stands untouched at the top. However, he cannot be around forever. He's 37 years old, so he has at most ten or so good years left on his career. He might even be a part-timer in his last few years, like Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam. There's also the possibility of Cena's movie career taking off, which would definitely limit his schedule.
Once Cena leaves, or has his schedule shortened, Reigns will be able to ascend into the top spot. We might even see Cena put Reigns over, perhaps in a WrestleMania main event, officially anointing Reigns as the new face of the company.
9. There's Always Been One- It would be weird to think about the WWE without having a top star. It's like the NBA without LeBron James, the PGA without Tiger Woods, or the NFL without Peyton Manning. Imagine the 1980s or 1990s without Hulk Hogan, the Attitude Era without Austin or Rocky, and the PG era without Cena. The WWE would be totally lost.
So why mess with perfection? It's proven to be very successful and has helped the company tremendously. Reigns is the perfect guy to be the next face of wrestling and continue this storied tradition.
8. Merchandise- Let's face it, the WWE is a business. They run on money and make all of their decisions based on sound (alright, not always sound) business judgments. This has become especially important as of late. The WWE Network's launch failed to live up to expectations, and the company's stock plummeted as a result. In response to this, the WWE released a lot of talent, including Brodus Clay, Camacho, Yoshi Tatsu, Drew McIntyre, and Aksana.
One of the biggest revenue sources for the company is merchandise. And who is the biggest merchandise seller? John Cena, and it's not even close. After all, he is the face of the company and is prominently featured throughout the year. The Cenation Commander-in-Chief has been selling boatloads of merchandise for years now, most of which is for kids. Hogan, Austin, and Rock also sell a good amount of merchandise. When Reigns becomes the top star, he will most likely be the top merchandise mover as well. The WWE will be depending on him to bring in the big bucks.
7. Go-to Guy- When Daniel Bryan went down with injury and vacated the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE went into a state of flux. They needed someone to carry the title and represent the company. So who did they turn to? John Cena, won won the vacant title in a Ladder Match at Money in the Bank.
This is one of the advantages of having a top star, but the star can also be used to put over a budding star, like Cena did with Bryan last year. Whenever the WWE is in a bit of a jam, they always have someone to help get them out of it. That is the advantage of having a go-to-guy.
6. Face of the Company- Like I said before, the top star of the company is featured very prominently throughout the year. Because of that, their face is plastered on just about everything from mugs to billboards. The face of the company must be very marketable, and Reigns's face is definitely marketable. It's already generated a nice fan following from the female fans.
It's not just the face, however. The star's whole look is important. The looks of Hogan and Rock were based on their impressive physiques. Cena's look is centered around his clean-cut, All-American guy. Reigns is an edgier superstar with a combat suit, so his look is certainly unique, but it's definitely marketable.
5. He's Young- Cena has been the face of the company for about nine years now. His unofficial coronation took place at WrestleMania, when he beat JBL for the WWE Championship. Cena was 27 then. Reigns is 29 years old right now and will still be that age by WrestleMania next year. That means his WWE career can be upwards of 15 years, which will give the WWE a lot of stability. They'll also have enough time to find the next star after Reigns.
Age is a big reason why other stars, like CM Punk and Randy Orton, were never pushed to the very top of the mountain. In Reigns's case, it's just another positive in his case.
4. The WWE has Already Pushed Him Too Far- Reigns hasn't even been on the roster for two years, but it's been an absolutely great 23 months. He was a member of one of the most dominant factions in WWE history, had the sixth-longest reign as WWE Tag Team champ, eliminated four competitors in a Survivor Series ten-man elimination match and was the lone survivor, beat the record for most superstars eliminated in a single Royal Rumble match, was the runner-up of the 2014 Rumble match, ranked #7 in the PWI 500, and has wins over superstars like CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Kane. Anyone saying the WWE hasn't pushed him yet has no case whatsoever.
In other words, the WWE has made him look too strong to bring him down now. After all of that, anything short of becoming the top star will be a disappointment. Another thing: the rise has been completely organic. Not once have we felt the company was simply forcing Reigns down our throat. Everything he did was completely believable. By the way, the WWE gets criticized a lot for not doing long-term planning. but they have done a phenomenal job of building Reigns up since 2012. Kudos to them.
3. There's No One Else- Now that the WWE has pushed Reigns so hard, what other star can they push ahead of him? It'll be hard to convince fans that this guy is better than Reigns. And who exactly is there to challenge Reigns? Dean Ambrose? Can you really imagine him going on talk shows and chatting up the hosts? Seth Rollins is too scrappy and too small. Sami Zayn doesn't have the mic skills. Adrian Neville isn't charismatic enough. Bray Wyatt's gimmick is not at all suited to be face of the company. It could be Kevin Steen, but Vince McMahon likes big, muscular guys.
So as you can see, Roman Reigns is really the only choice. Even if the WWE didn't want to make him their next star, they would still have to. Of course, this just adds pressure to Reigns, but we're sure he can handle it.
2. WWE is the Premier Wrestling Company- This may not seem relevant, but it is. The WWE is the absolute biggest sports entertainment company in the world. Therefore, when they push a top star, that star becomes automatically international stars. John Cena is HUGE internationally, especially in countries like India and U.A.E. Other stars that are huge around the world include Rey Mysterio, Big Show, and Daniel Bryan. Reigns hasn't reached that level of popularity yet, but he will.
This article is about becoming the biggest wrestling star of the world, not just in the WWE. And as much as TNA would like Bobby Roode or Lashley to be that star, it's not gonna happen. Reigns will be that guy.
1. The WWE Needs Him- Plain and simple, the WWE needs him to be a top star. Without him, they could be in a LOT of trouble. As I mentioned in all the reasons above, having a top star is extremely important to a production. They can create whole storylines and scenarios around them. It's a great thing to have.
Will the WWE be struck dead without Reigns? No, they're too strong and powerful for that. But it will definitely be harder for them to turn a profit without him.
So there you have it. Roman Reigns is undeniably the next biggest wrestling star on the world stage. Of course, all the steps have not been taken yet. Personally, I would like to see John Cena and Triple H put Reigns over (it was rumored that HHH would do the job at SummerSlam, but plans changed). Now, it's just a matter of if and when.
Two months ago, the WWE Network reported breaking news: Roman Reigns would be out of action for out six weeks due to an incarcerated hernia. Later, it was announced that he would actually be missing up to 3-4 months. Even with this setback, it is still believed that Reigns will win the 2015 Royal Rumble match and then beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania in April. Not only will that cement Reigns's place as a top WWE star, it will put him in place to become the next big star of wrestling.
There are however, fans who now want Dean Ambrose to be the next wrestling star. After all, he is a better talker, extremely over with the fans, and just a better wrestler overall. However, his unstable personality isn't that suited to be the face of a family-friendly and PG company. John Cena is the perfect face with his "never give up" attitude and respectful demeanor. The best guy to follow Cena is Reigns.
Of course, Reigns is not ready right now to become the face. He still has a way to go before he is worthy of that top spot. Until then, Reigns has to improve in several facets, including his promos and in-ring ability. He's not a bad talker, but he's nowhere near the level of Hogan, Austin, Rock, and Cena (Sammartino's era wasn't one of promos). The same goes for his in-ring work. He's a good worker, but his arsenal is a bit limited and he has only one singles PPV match in his career thus far. He'll definitely need some more experience and polishing. Nonetheless, he's still very well qualified to become the next face of wrestling. Here are ten reasons why.
10. John Cena has Limited Time- As of right now, Cena is definitely the WWE's top star. While other stars have threatened his position, such as Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, but Cena still stands untouched at the top. However, he cannot be around forever. He's 37 years old, so he has at most ten or so good years left on his career. He might even be a part-timer in his last few years, like Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam. There's also the possibility of Cena's movie career taking off, which would definitely limit his schedule.
Once Cena leaves, or has his schedule shortened, Reigns will be able to ascend into the top spot. We might even see Cena put Reigns over, perhaps in a WrestleMania main event, officially anointing Reigns as the new face of the company.
9. There's Always Been One- It would be weird to think about the WWE without having a top star. It's like the NBA without LeBron James, the PGA without Tiger Woods, or the NFL without Peyton Manning. Imagine the 1980s or 1990s without Hulk Hogan, the Attitude Era without Austin or Rocky, and the PG era without Cena. The WWE would be totally lost.
So why mess with perfection? It's proven to be very successful and has helped the company tremendously. Reigns is the perfect guy to be the next face of wrestling and continue this storied tradition.
8. Merchandise- Let's face it, the WWE is a business. They run on money and make all of their decisions based on sound (alright, not always sound) business judgments. This has become especially important as of late. The WWE Network's launch failed to live up to expectations, and the company's stock plummeted as a result. In response to this, the WWE released a lot of talent, including Brodus Clay, Camacho, Yoshi Tatsu, Drew McIntyre, and Aksana.
One of the biggest revenue sources for the company is merchandise. And who is the biggest merchandise seller? John Cena, and it's not even close. After all, he is the face of the company and is prominently featured throughout the year. The Cenation Commander-in-Chief has been selling boatloads of merchandise for years now, most of which is for kids. Hogan, Austin, and Rock also sell a good amount of merchandise. When Reigns becomes the top star, he will most likely be the top merchandise mover as well. The WWE will be depending on him to bring in the big bucks.
7. Go-to Guy- When Daniel Bryan went down with injury and vacated the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE went into a state of flux. They needed someone to carry the title and represent the company. So who did they turn to? John Cena, won won the vacant title in a Ladder Match at Money in the Bank.
This is one of the advantages of having a top star, but the star can also be used to put over a budding star, like Cena did with Bryan last year. Whenever the WWE is in a bit of a jam, they always have someone to help get them out of it. That is the advantage of having a go-to-guy.
6. Face of the Company- Like I said before, the top star of the company is featured very prominently throughout the year. Because of that, their face is plastered on just about everything from mugs to billboards. The face of the company must be very marketable, and Reigns's face is definitely marketable. It's already generated a nice fan following from the female fans.
It's not just the face, however. The star's whole look is important. The looks of Hogan and Rock were based on their impressive physiques. Cena's look is centered around his clean-cut, All-American guy. Reigns is an edgier superstar with a combat suit, so his look is certainly unique, but it's definitely marketable.
5. He's Young- Cena has been the face of the company for about nine years now. His unofficial coronation took place at WrestleMania, when he beat JBL for the WWE Championship. Cena was 27 then. Reigns is 29 years old right now and will still be that age by WrestleMania next year. That means his WWE career can be upwards of 15 years, which will give the WWE a lot of stability. They'll also have enough time to find the next star after Reigns.
Age is a big reason why other stars, like CM Punk and Randy Orton, were never pushed to the very top of the mountain. In Reigns's case, it's just another positive in his case.
4. The WWE has Already Pushed Him Too Far- Reigns hasn't even been on the roster for two years, but it's been an absolutely great 23 months. He was a member of one of the most dominant factions in WWE history, had the sixth-longest reign as WWE Tag Team champ, eliminated four competitors in a Survivor Series ten-man elimination match and was the lone survivor, beat the record for most superstars eliminated in a single Royal Rumble match, was the runner-up of the 2014 Rumble match, ranked #7 in the PWI 500, and has wins over superstars like CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Kane. Anyone saying the WWE hasn't pushed him yet has no case whatsoever.
In other words, the WWE has made him look too strong to bring him down now. After all of that, anything short of becoming the top star will be a disappointment. Another thing: the rise has been completely organic. Not once have we felt the company was simply forcing Reigns down our throat. Everything he did was completely believable. By the way, the WWE gets criticized a lot for not doing long-term planning. but they have done a phenomenal job of building Reigns up since 2012. Kudos to them.
3. There's No One Else- Now that the WWE has pushed Reigns so hard, what other star can they push ahead of him? It'll be hard to convince fans that this guy is better than Reigns. And who exactly is there to challenge Reigns? Dean Ambrose? Can you really imagine him going on talk shows and chatting up the hosts? Seth Rollins is too scrappy and too small. Sami Zayn doesn't have the mic skills. Adrian Neville isn't charismatic enough. Bray Wyatt's gimmick is not at all suited to be face of the company. It could be Kevin Steen, but Vince McMahon likes big, muscular guys.
So as you can see, Roman Reigns is really the only choice. Even if the WWE didn't want to make him their next star, they would still have to. Of course, this just adds pressure to Reigns, but we're sure he can handle it.
2. WWE is the Premier Wrestling Company- This may not seem relevant, but it is. The WWE is the absolute biggest sports entertainment company in the world. Therefore, when they push a top star, that star becomes automatically international stars. John Cena is HUGE internationally, especially in countries like India and U.A.E. Other stars that are huge around the world include Rey Mysterio, Big Show, and Daniel Bryan. Reigns hasn't reached that level of popularity yet, but he will.
This article is about becoming the biggest wrestling star of the world, not just in the WWE. And as much as TNA would like Bobby Roode or Lashley to be that star, it's not gonna happen. Reigns will be that guy.
1. The WWE Needs Him- Plain and simple, the WWE needs him to be a top star. Without him, they could be in a LOT of trouble. As I mentioned in all the reasons above, having a top star is extremely important to a production. They can create whole storylines and scenarios around them. It's a great thing to have.
Will the WWE be struck dead without Reigns? No, they're too strong and powerful for that. But it will definitely be harder for them to turn a profit without him.
So there you have it. Roman Reigns is undeniably the next biggest wrestling star on the world stage. Of course, all the steps have not been taken yet. Personally, I would like to see John Cena and Triple H put Reigns over (it was rumored that HHH would do the job at SummerSlam, but plans changed). Now, it's just a matter of if and when.
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