What’s the story?
Roman Reigns hears a lot more boos than cheers nowadays, but the people of Japan gave him a hero’s welcome.
WWE posted footage of final night in Asia that included Roman Reigns thanking the people of Tokyo, Japan for their hospitality. He received boisterous chants of “Thank you Roman” from the people.
"The hospitality that we have received from you, from the fans, from the city, it's unbelievable!" - @WWERomanReigns #WWETokyo pic.twitter.com/E2a0MYdsh2
— WWE (@WWE) July 3, 2017
In case you didn’t know...
Reigns was well-received by audiences worldwide during the start of his babyface run in 2014, but the 2015 Royal Rumble match was a major issue for many fans.
Since that time, Reigns has become a three-time WWE Champion and has main evented the past three WrestleManias, but his accomplishments have only seemed to garner mixed reactions more than positive.
The heart of the matter
Many fans have disliked Reigns for the strong push he has received after little time spent developing in the midcard and feel that the other members of The Shield – Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose – should’ve been pushed ahead of him.
However, the biggest, most recent issue fans have with Reigns has been him potentially retiring The Undertaker, one of the most beloved WWE superstars of all time.
While some fans were happy to see The Undertaker possibly hang up the boots after looking so worn down over the years, a lot of fans also resented Reigns for possibly being the one to end The Undertaker’s career.
What’s next?
Reigns claims that he isn’t interested in turning heel at the moment, so don’t expect the WWE to push him as a heel any time soon. Also, his reaction in Japan will probably not carry over to the USA. Thus, expect Reigns to receive a mixed reaction tonight on Monday Night Raw.
Author’s take
It must’ve been nice for Reigns to hear more positive chants during the latest WWE tour. As far as his reception in the United States, only time will tell if Reigns will be hated for the rest of his career.
