WWE: Is Roman Reigns another John Cena in the making?

John Cena is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of WWE in the last decade, Reigns is on the track to succeed the superstar, maybe on TLC against Sheamus.

Written by: Mayur Wadhwani

Published: December 6, 2015, 6:27 PM IST

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Dec 6: As the months pass by, audiences’ discontent about the lack of unique and fresh storylines in World , there are stark similarities between the two superstars: John Cena and Roman Reigns. The two wrestlers in fact have faced each other in the ring before. Currently, the company is throwing everything that it has to push superstar Reigns to become the face of the company. (ALSO READ: WWE: Proof that Sheamus is an excellent heel!)

John Cena is undoubtedly one of the biggest finds of WWE in the last decade. The superstar has done it all; he has been through the grind, emerged victorious in many a punishing battle. The star received huge push from the creative board and Cena took full advantage of it. This is not to say he did not work hard for it, he stuck with the company for a decade, appearing in every Pay-Per-View and even appeared in a couple of movies. The fans whole heartedly accepted him as a babyface. Cena’s action figure goodies are still the biggest revenue generator for the company.

Now, he is looked at as a spent force and is approaching his forties and it will not be long before he sets his sights on retirement. Even though he reinvented himself in the WWE United States Championship with his open challenges, there is only so much he can do. The current fifteen-time World Champion is on a hiatus from his wrestling career and is scheduled to return on TLC.

Just like John Cena, Roman Reigns is pushed, almost forcibly to claim the superstar bracket on WWE. This move backfired in this year’s Wrestlemania and after a lull, the idea is shoved down people’s throats. Reigns is scheduled for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Sheamus.

Reigns and Cena both started out as heels in the company. Cena’s first match was against Kurt Angle, post which he incorporated a Rapper gimmick in his repertoire. Eventually he turned into a good guy but had his own share of malevolent history. Reigns, with Dean Ambrose and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, started off as a part of ‘The Shield’, a three member faction which targeted the good guys, ambushing them midway into matches. Finally the faction dismantled and Rollins peeled away into playing the good guy.

Exactly like Cena’s career graph, Reigns after his face turn, is righteous and never afraid of a fight. He had squared off against many of the greats in the roster and went on to beat more than half of them. Cena was many a time was beat down and overpowered by the sheer numbers stacked against him but he climatically prevailed over time. Audiences can easily connect the dots here and a Reigns win may well be on the cards in TLC, which can ruin the show. Going by the muted response in the crowd, fans still don’t believe that the fledgling wrestler is ready for a championship match.

One thing is certain though: Just like Cena, Reigns is destined for a controversial career in the company. Other superstars have often complained that Cena did not give them a share of the spotlight and the same trend can be seen happening under the Reigns regime. Even Ambrose, a fan favourite and arguably a better wrestler than Reigns is not given the opportunities that his best friend is served with. What will happen in the coming weeks is anyone’s guess but WWE sure needs an Ace in the Hole, a precarious twist that will prove that the investment on Reigns is indeed worth it.