So who here thinks Roman is being punished?

[Solid Snake]

Roman Reigns returned at WWE Battleground and fans seemed to care about little else.

In a match that revolved around The Shield, and perhaps the most significant WWE Championship match of the New Era, the majority of crowd reactions were directed at the returning, embattled top star.

It will be interesting to see how ratings hold up between Raw and SmackDown, especially with Reigns back in the picture. SmackDown certainly has the momentum with the WWE Championship, and a live season premiere that drew an additional one million viewers. With two evenly matched rosters, it will all come down to intriguing characters, and none seem to command more attention than Reigns.

Still, WWE continued an under-the-radar trend of having WWE Superstars lose in their first night back from a long layoff. This time, Reigns took the deciding pinfall. And after making his wellness violation public leading up to his loss, this could be the beginning of a lengthy punishment before Reigns is reinstated as “The Guy.”

Chants of “Roman sucks,” which were acknowledged by WWE announcers, filled the Verizon Center before the match even began. Cole described Reigns receiving “the ire” of the WWE Universe as the former three-time WWE champion returned to action.

To an outside observer, he comes back and loses a PPV match... Not a big deal... But what happens on Raw the night after is what convinced me they are done with his push for now. Maybe it is show, maybe not, but the look on his face when Steph was bad mouthing him seemed like he was legit mad. Anyone even know what "drugs" he did?

I get the policy and everything but if this was his first offense, I think making him lose and canning his push was a bit harsh. Dude was suspended and on top of this he loses two nights in a row. It will be interesting to see what happens because it seems like they had plans involving him and just swapped him out for someone else. I really am not sure if they let him keep losing, he will be relevant with the crowd again (hate or no hate).

 

[¡Tranquilo!]

He failed a drug test as the WWE champion. Sure he failed with Adderall, but the face of the company shouldn't fail a drug tests regardless and the punishment is justified. Losing a few matches won't hurt him and most fans (smarks) probably don't care. He'll eventually be back as champion or in the hunt at the least.

 

[Stopspot]

He's not getting "punished" that badly. He'll get dropped down the card for a while to re-charge, get some character development and for this thing to blow over.

Longterm he's going to benefit for it. But he does deserve a punishment. Otherwise the message sent for failing wellness will just be "you get a 30 day vacation".

 

[Jacob Fox]

He's not getting "punished" that badly. He'll get dropped down the card for a while to re-charge, get some character development and for this thing to blow over.

Longterm he's going to benefit for it. But he does deserve a punishment. Otherwise the message sent for failing wellness will just be "you get a 30 day vacation".

I agree with Stopspot...is something in the water? This is the second time I've agreed with you today:

I'm just being silly though. I think you are absolutely correct. I think he is getting a slight punishment, but in the long run this is not going to be a punishment at all. There will not be such a strong focus on him being "the guy," while Ambrose and Rollins rule the two shows. Like you said, he'll recharge and I think with the focus taken off his character, he'll be able to eventually come back stronger than he is right now.

It's a punishment, but it's a punishment that will benefit him in the end.

 

[Stopspot]

I agree with Stopspot...is something in the water? This is the second time I've agreed with you today:

I'm just being silly though. I think you are absolutely correct. I think he is getting a slight punishment, but in the long run this is not going to be a punishment at all. There will not be such a strong focus on him being "the guy," while Ambrose and Rollins rule the two shows. Like you said, he'll recharge and I think with the focus taken off his character, he'll be able to eventually come back stronger than he is right now.

It's a punishment, but it's a punishment that will benefit him in the end.

One night on RAW under Triple H's (assumed) direction and he's already a more three dimensional character than the rest of his singles run.

He worked so well as a more heelish character on RAW. Being a bully and working from above. More of that please

 

[Jacob Fox]

One night on RAW under Triple H's (assumed) direction and he's already a more three dimensional character than the rest of his singles run.

He worked so well as a more heelish character on RAW. Being a bully and working from above. More of that please

I agree completely. I've made no bones about my dislike of his direction. I really loved his match with Lesnar but have been underwhelmed since then. The position he is in right now... I find it very interesting.

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

Creatively Im fine with Roman being in the doghouse because I'm sick of him being the main guy. But morally I think it's dumb because he got popped for adderall which he was probably taking so he could stay awake for the drive to the next town after a show.

 

[Jacob Fox]

Creatively Im fine with Roman being in the doghouse because I'm sick of him being the main guy. But morally I think it's dumb because he got popped for adderall which he was probably taking so he could stay awake for the drive to the next town after a show.

Stop making sense

 

[DylanTM]

Obviously, but not to the extreme. He is still looking very strong (as seen by the finish to Battleground and winning The Fatal Four Way), but I'm happy that he's being forced to put other people over. He'll still be in the Upper Midcard slot and will probably be fairly protected until he's ready to head back into the main event spotlight.

I say that Roman will win the Universal Championship within a year from when I post this.

 

[Roadster]

He isn't being punished. It's a way for him to slowly rebuild. He will be back in the upper-midcard. His character took a big hit from the suspension, and it won't be a smart move to keep a "pill pusher" in the main event scene. He will stay down the card, until at least September.

Nobody is routinely punished for being popped. Randy Orton was suspended in 2007 only to come back and start the greatest run in his career. So I think it's rather rash to think that WWE will treat their new "Face of the Company" badly. As I said, it's only a way to rebuild his character and try again at the higher ranks.

Obviously, but not to the extreme. He is still looking very strong (as seen by the finish to Battleground and winning The Fatal Four Way), but I'm happy that he's being forced to put other people over. He'll still be in the Upper Midcard slot and will probably be fairly protected until he's ready to head back into the main event spotlight.

I say that Roman will win the Universal Championship within a year from when I post this.

The finish to Battleground a.k.a the one where he was the one taking the pin? Also, I don't think Roman has the pull to "refuse" to put anyone over, so all his jobs are probably done with a smile on his face. Whether he likes that or not, but he isn't being forced to do anything. He's doing his job.

 

[DylanTM]

The finish to Battleground a.k.a the one where he was the one taking the pin?

You can look at it that way, but from a different standpoint, he didn't exactly look weak did he? He was so close to winning, and looked good when he hit that supermn punch/spear on Seth. Surely Roman looked the second strongest, ahead of Rollins, despite taking the pin.

 

[Messiah1]

If main-eventing shows is punishment.. Good for Roman. He managed to fail a drug test and still be in a prominent role on the show.

 

[Prince Bálor]

He's being punished in a way, but not to an extreme degree, obviously. He isn't at the bottom of the card jobbing.

The dude will disappear from the ME scene for a while and then come back. Hopefully he continues heeling it up from here on out, though. That guy I saw in a match with Finn was so good. Keep it up, please and thank you.

 

[Snowman1]

I don't know the reason, I'm not backstage. But, if he keeps this path up it might turn him face and give him plenty of "feuding with the company" heat as a quality midcarder, if Meltzer was right in saying they've soured on him in the main event.

And the way Steph addressed Seth (say that three times fast) leads me to believe that the harpy humiliating Roman was just a heel line.

 

[Roadster]

I don't know the reason, I'm not backstage. But, if he keeps this path up it might turn him face and give him plenty of "feuding with the company" heat as a quality midcarder, if Meltzer was right in saying they've soured on him in the main event.

And the way Steph addressed Seth (say that three times fast) leads me to believe that the harpy humiliating Roman was just a heel line.

That's very believable. They've been pushing this guy, and people have nothing but disdain for him. Now he gets popped for drugs, so it's very hard to want the man to get back up, in the main event.