Two Great Nights for WWE Result in Roman Reigns becoming WWE Champion

Well then, the past two WWE events have been extremely entertaining. With tremendous pressure on the company after losing their marketing star Seth Rollins, WWE decided to exceed expectations and give fans a few legendary moments to last a lifetime. The TLC PPV and Raw was the first time in a while I was emotionally invested, and I am sure I was not the only one. Roman Reigns finally fulfilled his dream (again) and won the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

httpss://twitter.com/WWE/status/676616090353463296

Let’s get down to business. A few moments from The PPV and Raw will be discussed before we get to the main event. A few appetizers before the main course. Patience is a virtue and all that.

TLC was a pretty solid PPV, starting with the ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championships. As expected, The New Day won, but not without some cringe worthy moments. It was truly a demolition derby as the three teams involved literally put their bodies on the line. The Lucha Dragons held their own, but the team MVP has to be Kalisto for this SICK spot:

httpss://twitter.com/WWE/status/676211209075494912/photo/1

New Day still rocks.

It was great to see the Wyatt Family finally get the upper hand on a feud. Building them up and keeping them strong is helping fans care. Facing the veterans of Team ECW did benefit the family, as they defeated legends in the industry. I believe the Extreme Rules match on Raw was better than the tables elimination match at TLC. Because WWE was in Philly, the birthplace of ECW, it was very fitting the ECW originals laid it more on the line there. Where the Wyatt’s go from here is anyone’s guess.

As I hoped, Charlotte and Paige did have a better match than their Survivor Series bout. Ric Flair helped Charlotte retain her title as expected, but it didn’t derail the match. The only problem is that the face/heel dynamics aren’t quite clear in the case of Charlotte and Paige. Becky Lynch has been getting involved, but doesn’t quite know what to make of Charlotte’s new ways. An eventual feud between the Lass Kicker and the champion could potentially produce great matches.

Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens had a great match for the Intercontinental Title. The crowd was really hot for this, and for good reason; they were getting their money’s worth. With a surprise ending, Dean Ambrose ended up winning the title. My reaction was just like his.

On Raw, Owens attacked Ambrose, and was more aggressive than I’ve ever seen him on the main roster in quite some time. Motivation is good for these two to be invested in, and making the Intercontinental Title seem important is key to selling the fight. An extended program between these two, passionately fighting over the title, would truly be best for business.

And now, we have arrived at the steak dinner, the real reason we are here.

At TLC, Roman Reigns and Sheamus had a brutal match. Normally that would be a bad thing, but in this case, it was best kind of brutal. Both of these men are stiff fighters, and that makes the fight more believable. Just look at Sheamus after the match:

httpss://twitter.com/WWESheamus/status/676264230887301120

Even though Roman lost, something happened Sunday night. Roman Reigns got support from the crowd, even from some die-hard WWE fans. It could have been due to the hard-fought battle he had. Or maybe because he showed some aggressive behavior we have not seen before. He beat Sheamus and the League of Nations down after the match, and then he demolished Triple H. There were no cute insults; just Roman being the badass everyone wants him to be. What Roman should be is a guy who kicks ass and takes names, not someone who says tater tots jokes to refer to someone’s manhood.

Reigns may have received some support at the TLC PPV, but last night on Raw (in Philly no less), was the apex of his journey. To start the show, he was cold and relaxed against Stephanie McMahon; he was getting comfortable and cocky. When she couldn’t get through to him, she called upon the boss of WWE: Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

For the first time in a year, Mr. McMahon was on Raw getting involved in a storyline. Going toe to toe with the COO, Roman held his ground, and when all was said and done, Roman got his rematch last night. The condition he would be fired if he didn’t win might make people groan with the obvious, but at this point in the “Daniel Bryan push”, nobody thought it was possible. Later that night, the impossible happened, and it was a damn good moment.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPxdnFJKTlw

What a surreal moment, and a fantastic night for WWE. Several people were as elated as Roman last night…

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httpss://twitter.com/RealJoshReddick/status/676616225120587776

httpss://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/676617639536558080

…while others (one specific person), are waiting for their moment to shine again, and take it all away from Roman.

httpss://twitter.com/WWERollins/status/676625120207638528

Last year, the Royal Rumble was in Philly and Roman Reigns was getting booed out of the building. Nobody supported him because fans weren’t invested in him. In two nights, culminating in a win in the same building in Philly last night, WWE were able to get that very same crowd going nuts for Reigns. Like many last night, I was emotionally invested. Maybe it was because of the surprise appearance of Mr. McMahon or the fact that Roman Reigns bleeding (a very rare site) made it something to look forward to.

What I do know is that WWE did the right thing. They told the story of Roman Reigns overcoming the odds, winning the title, and still looking like a beast the entire time. Moments like this are what makes WWE great; a surprise can garner interest and open the door for various possibilities. I’ve stated this time and time again, but Seth Rollins’ injury resulted in a cornucopia of outcomes. Could Brock Lesnar come back to challenge Roman at WrestleMania, in a reverse from last year’s match? Will Roman even get a lengthy title reign? Can Dean Ambrose and Roman form the new Two-Man Power Trip? Whoa.

With a surprise appearance by Vince McMahon and a WWE Championship title change, there is a big possibility that Raw’s ratings will rebound heading into the Royal Rumble. It is up to WWE to keep that momentum going. For now, it’s Roman’s moment; we are just living in it. Believe that.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6yCxrwyzVQ