Roman Reigns has delivered a blunt critique of WWE’s creative direction, a message that Triple H should take seriously. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Royal Rumble, where he confirmed his involvement in the men’s Rumble match, Reigns expressed his frustrations about the current state of the company’s storytelling.
Since losing the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, Reigns has taken a part-time role and hasn’t pursued a world title. Over the past year, he has worked with many of today’s emerging talents, such as Bronson Reed, whom he confronted at Crown Jewel in September. Reed is part of a group called the Visionaries, a collective of wrestlers expected to shine both now and in the future. Despite this, Reigns voiced serious concerns about WWE’s ongoing creative problems during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
He stated, “I’m a generous tribal leader. I give people enough time. These young talents say we’re hogging TV time. They complain about that, but I’ve offered them plenty of chances and space to build their own superstardom. They should stop complaining.” He further added, “We’re in our second year here. We’re not advancing, we’re not evolving. We have strong leadership — Nick Khan is incredible, a real genius businessman — but creativity must remain a priority. That’s why I, as someone aspiring to be the greatest of all time, can’t stand by and watch mediocrity. I’m not saying this just to criticize anyone.”
Reigns pointed out that while WWE is doing well as a business, its creative storytelling is lacking. Interestingly, he did not mention Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, the figure responsible for the company’s creative vision.
During Reigns’ historic 1,316-day reign as Undisputed WWE Champion, WWE enjoyed a golden era of compelling storytelling, especially with the “Bloodlines” storyline that elevated stars like Sami Zayn and Jey Uso. However, last year’s WWE programming disappointed many fans, with John Cena’s retirement and heel run falling short of expectations, and Jey’s tenure as world champion ending in setbacks. It often seemed like instant moments were prioritized over sustained story development.
Reigns’ remarks on WWE’s failure to nurture new stars during his absence sparked debate. Wrestlers like Bron Breakker, Oba Femi, and Dominik Mysterio are viewed as future main event contenders. Yet Reigns has a point, as none of them have yet matched his level during the two years he took a significant break. Breakker’s push has been inconsistent, with his world title opportunity possibly expedited due to Seth Rollins’ injury.
Oba Femi has now officially joined WWE’s main roster and is poised to make a notable impact, potentially debuting at tomorrow night’s Rumble. WWE desperately needs fresh stars to rise, especially as Reigns appears to be approaching the twilight of his career.
Fan Take: Roman Reigns’ bold critique highlights a crucial turning point for WWE creative, signaling a need for fresh ideas and star development to keep the product dynamic. For fans, this could mean upcoming shifts in WWE storytelling and an opportunity for new talents to emerge and shape the future of the sport.
