{"id":6732,"date":"2015-12-24T14:36:51","date_gmt":"2015-12-24T20:36:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=6732"},"modified":"2015-12-24T14:49:33","modified_gmt":"2015-12-24T20:49:33","slug":"6732","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2015\/12\/24\/6732\/","title":{"rendered":"Report &#8211; Have WWE &#038; Reigns learned from 2015?, Reigns talks negativity &#038; criticism, becoming WWE Champ, monotony, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-589846869\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>At the end of the year, WWE and Roman Reigns have\u00a0shifted their narrative on Roman Reigns&#8217;s ascension to WWE champion.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the year, it was denying and pushing away criticism of Reigns, whether for his basic moveset, sense of unwarranted corporate-backing from The Machine, or an inconsistent, unfulfilling title chase or journey to get to the top.<\/p>\n<p>Now that Reigns has become WWE champion, WWE is embracing some of the\u00a0negative reactions and criticism because it makes for a better story\u00a0of WWE and Reigns believing Reigns has conquered all of the critics\u00a0with two nights of booking starting at the TLC PPV.<\/p>\n<p>Almost anyone\u00a0else in Reigns&#8217;s position bombing in the infamous pre-TLC &#8220;tater tots&#8221; promo on Raw would have been thought of as &#8220;not having it&#8221; and sent back to the mid-card. Instead, WWE went the opposite direction and pushed the giant red button fully accelerating the rocket ship attacked to Reigns&#8217;s back\u00a0by cashing in the Triple H chip at TLC and Vince McMahon chip on post-TLC Raw on the way to Reigns winning the WWE Title. Thus, further reinforcing the long-standing criticism of Reigns being backed by a\u00a0Machine overlooking its flawed product.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, because the two-night booking of Reigns dismantling\u00a0Hunter and then giving McMahon his comeuppance produced\u00a0a positive reaction in Philadelphia, where Reigns&#8217;s journey began at the Royal Rumble in January, WWE&#8217;s approach to Reigns&#8217;s story has changed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wwe.com\/inside\/roman-reigns-2015-interview\" target=\"_blank\">On Thursday, WWE&#8217;s official website released an interview with Reigns reflecting on 2015<\/a>. Instead of shying away from the criticism, which has been the directive throughout the year, WWE&#8217;s website made that the centerpiece of Reigns&#8217;s story\u00a0to the top of WWE.<\/p>\n<p>Missing from the narrative, though, is a large piece of the story. Now at the end of the year looking back to the Rumble, the WWE version of the story is that\u00a0Reigns got a negative reaction at the Royal Rumble only because Daniel Bryan was eliminated early from the Rumble the year after D-Bryan was omitted from the 2014 Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>Like Batista in 2014, D-Bryan&#8217;s impact on Reigns winning is important, but only half of the story. The other half is the criticism of Reigns&#8217;s in-ring skills, corporate-backing, even the way he carried himself and spoke, and many vocal fans believing Reigns&#8217;s position was unwarranted\u00a0based on the idea that\u00a0WWE was overlooking\u00a0Reigns&#8217;s flaws.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1809974022\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Both aspects\u00a0of the story\u00a0weave together in the sense that Bryan was an underdog, and Reigns was not; Bryan was fighting uphill to get a main event spot that many fans felt he deserved, while Reigns was seen as being handed the key to the city\u00a0without merit.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I wasn\u2019t concerned with D.B. being out there. If anything, I was happy he was out there, because he was coming off his injury, too. To have two guys coming back that can both contribute every single day, I never think that\u2019s a bad thing. In hindsight, seeing how the reactions went, it didn\u2019t help. But it is what it is, and everything happens for a reason. For me, it was an important part of the process,&#8221; Reigns said.<\/p>\n<p>In the interview, Reigns loosely referred to improving in the ring and in his presentation over the course of 2015, but the questions focused more on the negative reaction at the Rumble &#8211; stopping at just the D-Bryan aspect &#8211; and not examining the other half of what produced the criticism.<\/p>\n<p>Asked what process he underwent after the Rumble, Reigns replied, &#8220;Getting better. Getting more experience, dealing with a hostile crowd. Learning. And that\u2019s what spurred most of the progression, I think, is being in that situation and being able to learn from that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reigns noted that the Rumble\u00a0leading into WrestleMania &#8220;took a lot out of me that night and for the weeks to come.&#8221;\u00a0However, he decided to &#8220;continue to push and learn and continue to grind and get to this point.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reigns famously did not win the WWE Title at WrestleMania when WWE decided to go with Seth Rollins as WWE champion. It took 11 months for Reigns to finally win and hold onto the WWE Title, which he acknowledged was difficult along the way, especially trying to stay focused on the task at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Part of that is the grind of the WWE schedule, which he talked about in context of WWE switching up the post-Royal Rumble format of Raw because the building\u00a0was snowed out.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That night was cool for me. I enjoy switching things up and going through different processes,&#8221; Reigns said.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2495911869\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of times it can be monotonous doing what we do, week in and week out. It\u2019s a new town, but it\u2019s a similar building and the same routines can go down. So for us to switch that up and for me to have that one-on-one time and be able to talk to Paul Heyman with only a few players in that studio, it felt a lot more focused.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reigns added that he&#8217;s had to adjust to the WWE way of life, but he has a &#8220;great support system and a family that loves me&#8221; helping him along the way.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I first started, they said this is 24\/7. It\u2019s not a job, it\u2019s a life. When all is said and done, I\u2019ve only been in this business for five-and-a-half-years. I\u2019m still just scratching at the surface. I haven\u2019t even gotten to the big stuff yet. I feel like I\u2019m growing in front of the crowd\u2019s eyes, and that\u2019s something to be a part of. If God keeps me healthy, I\u2019ll continue to do that and run into this wall head-first until I break it down.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The repetitiveness\u00a0of the WWE schedule seemed to affect Reigns in\u00a0the\u00a0&#8220;tater tots&#8221; promo on the final Raw before TLC. At the end of a three-hour Raw, Reigns had\u00a0to recite a monologue standing on top of a ladder and then exchange lines with Sheamus to promote their WWE Title match at TLC. During the middle of the exchange,\u00a0Reigns seemed disengaged from what he was saying, losing a tired crowd. So, in the interview, WWE asked the\u00a0natural question of\u00a0whether he is &#8220;more comfortable when you just fight people.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That\u2019s just what I want to do: Create a path that\u2019s unknown,&#8221; Reigns replied. &#8220;It\u2019s hard in this business and this world we live in to trail-blaze. To create something different and do your own thing is hard nowadays. That\u2019s what I want to do. I want to take these matches to a whole new level and break that bar. That\u2019s what I said ever since I got here: I just want to leave this place better than I found it, continue to raise that bar for my family and continue to push our legacy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reigns is now solidified as WWE champion, barring a setback like his hernia injury in 2014. Looking back on the year, Reigns said winning the WWE Title was &#8220;the icing on the cake&#8221; for him after &#8220;a full year of work and focusing in and keeping my head down, doing what I had to do and not letting anybody tell me differently.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Along the way, he learned how to deal with criticism and negativity from fans.\u00a0&#8220;It\u2019s something I\u2019ve had to teach myself over the past few years, because I am a person that cares. I do. I wouldn\u2019t be in this business and do what we have to do and go through all the stuff we have to put up with if I didn\u2019t care,&#8221; Reigns said. &#8220;Sometimes I have to pull myself back [and remind myself] the world is a big place. Don\u2019t focus on the negativity. Focus on the positivity and the people that want you to do well, then, do it for them and for yourself.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Now, 11 months later, Reigns says he can sit back and laugh about what happened at the Royal Rumble when the high of winning the Rumble was offset by the low of being booed out of the building. It&#8217;s just unclear if Reigns and WWE are willing to embrace the full narrative of why the boos came down on Rumble Sunday in Philadelphia, which could still hurt Reigns&#8217;s status as a top star going forward.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s just about me staying with my process, knowing I have a great support system. I surround myself with the right people, I believe in myself and I think it shows that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything you want &#8211; even if it\u2019s dealing with thousands of crazy Philly fans. <em>[Laughs.]<\/em> Anything is possible,&#8221; Reigns said in conclusion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2070341646\"><div id=\"pwtor-3939780495\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>At the end of the year, WWE and Roman Reigns have\u00a0shifted their narrative on Roman Reigns&#8217;s ascension to WWE champion. Throughout the year, it was denying and pushing away criticism of Reigns, whether for his <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2015\/12\/24\/6732\/\" title=\"Report &#8211; Have WWE &#038; Reigns learned from 2015?, Reigns talks negativity &#038; criticism, becoming WWE Champ, monotony, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,3],"tags":[74,693,328,1100,229,184,71],"class_list":["post-6732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-news_wwe","tag-roman-reigns","tag-royal-rumble","tag-sheamus","tag-tlc","tag-triple-h","tag-vince-mcmahon","tag-wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Reigns_3x2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6732"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6738,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6732\/revisions\/6738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}