WWE's Roman Reigns maintaining focus on road to WrestleMania (Philly.Com)
Dec. 14, 2015 is a night Roman Reigns will never forget.
That’s when he pinned Sheamus to win his second WWE World Heavyweight championship, but that somehow wasn’t his biggest accomplishment.
His biggest on that night was receiving universal praise from the usually hard-to-please fans of Philadelphia, who had jeered him out of the building at the Royal Rumble just 11 months prior.
The reaction he received at the Rumble served as a wake-up call for Reigns, who proceeded to go back to the drawing board and improve upon his entire skill set in and out of the ring.
After he won the title in December, he credited the Philadelphia fans for lighting a fire in him that was not lit before.
“I told the crowd that night that if I didn’t experience what I did at the Rumble the year prior, I don’t think I would have this type of year,” Reigns said. “I don’t think I would have made improvements. I don’t think I would have stepped my game up.”
“Sometimes, you have to feel that fire and let it be lit under your [butt],” he added.
Everything seemed finally to come together for Reigns. Not only was he the champion of the top wrestling promotion in the world, he also had finally won most fans — or so we thought.
A lot can change over three months and Reigns knows that, as the fans are once again indifferent toward him. And sometimes, fans are flat-out against him.
Unfortunately for Reigns, this is a position he has now become accustomed to, as he headed into the main event of last year’s WrestleMania with fans largely against him despite being positioned as the knight in shining armor attempting to slay the dragon known as Brock Lesnar.
This year, it’s a different opponent (Triple H) with slightly different circumstances, but the scrutiny surrounding Reigns remains the same.
To his credit, Reigns remains unflappable. He hears all the positive and negative reaction toward him. In his eyes, as long as there is some sort of reaction, he is fine with it.
“I think every great person has that little bit of a split, but for me, I’ll always have my supporters.” Reigns said. “I’ll always have the Roman empire. I don’t have anything to prove to anybody else other than myself and my supporters and my loved ones, so if my health is good, I’m going to go out there and kill it.
“If you like it, you like it,” he added. “If not, you’re just going to be mad … a lot.”
For Reigns, it is like when he played football at Georgia Tech. When the Yellow Jackets played at home, the fans were firmly behind him, but when they walked into hostile environments such as Florida State and Clemson, the fans were not all welcoming.
These days, there are no shoulder pads or helmet to shield him. Neither are there dozens of teammates going through the same ordeal.
“I’ve heard really loud cheers and I’ve heard really loud boos, but they’re typically never different from that. They’re always really loud,” Reigns said.
“When they’re not with you when you walk into that away game, you better believe I’m going to shut you real quick,” he added. “He might be your favorite wrestler, but I’m your favorite wrestler’s favorite wrestler.”
While that may sound as if Reigns carries quite a chip on his shoulder, he maintains that he is fine with the scrutiny and constant critiquing from fans and pundits. In his eyes, there are much worse things to get upset about than a few fans booing him.
Life can be harsh. It can even be unfair at times, but it can be even more so for people dealing with more serious issues. No matter the reaction, Reigns is still healthy, gainfully employed and providing a better life for his family.
“No one wants to be picked at,” he added. “At the end of the day, we’re all human beings with feelings and emotions. Nobody wants to be critiqued and picked apart, but it’s the nature of the business. It comes with the territory. For me, if they’re not talking about you, that’s where you can run into some trouble.
“Life is great,” he added. “As long as I’m healthy and as long as I’m able to do my thing and my family is happy, then I’m happy because I enjoy being in the ring.”
For Reigns, life really is great. No matter how anyone feels about him, people have to pay attention to him, and having such an ability can help him participate in many WrestleMania main events for years to come.
What the reaction will be at those WrestleManias, however, is anyone’s guess.
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