Doubt Reigns will be ready by 31. His reactions have dwindled imo recently with Ambrose and Rollins becoming a bigger focus in recent weeks for me from fans. Given time it will happen but atm The Shield helps disguise Reigns weaknesses and help him look strong. Alone I'm not sure yet.
I agree. Although with a match between he and Triple H rumored for Summerslam (and imo, a rematch inside the cell that will happen at the HIAC PPV in October as well, as well as a traditional Survivor Series elimination match between opposing teams captained by he and Triple H), that could do wonders for him as far as how people view him as a singles competitor and star goes.
However, in case no one has caught on, we seem to be repeating the same cycle that we saw in terms of eras from the 80's/90's. We just had this generation's version of the Hulk Hogan Era with John Cena, and now it seems we're transitioning into the second coming of the New Generation Era, a period where people (to a large extent) preferred the smaller, more athletically gifted wrestlers (Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, etc.) over the bigger, more impressive looking guys (Lex Luger, Diesel, etc.) Just look at who the most popular guy in the company is. Like Hart, Bryan is gifted inside the ring but isn't exactly the most charismatic guy in the world, but in spite of that, he still pulls off the traditional babyface role and has the crowds behind him more than anyone else at the moment. Cesaro and Ziggler are other examples of guys who are gifted in the ring but not so much in the other areas.
I know I seem to be rambling here a bit, but my point is, if it's the mid-90's all over again, then Reigns may end up being this generation's Diesel, the biggest guy of his era but also who may prove to be the least popular one as well when pushed to the top. Only time will tell, but if he doesn't end up reaching Bryan or even Punk's zenith of popularity (or if Rollins and/or Ambrose end up as bigger stars than him), I wouldn't be surprised.
