What's the story?
Rumours had surfaced about Roman Reigns moving from Raw to SmackDown as part of the Superstar Shake-Up, just a few weeks ago. However, the plans were shelved at the last minute, according to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, leaving Reigns on Raw.
In case you didn't know...
Vince McMahon announced a Superstar Shake-Up at the Raw after Wrestlemania 33. It was rumoured that Roman Reigns would move from Raw to SmackDown as a result of the same.
However, Reigns got into an altercation with Braun Strowman during an interview and was mercilessly beaten up during the course of the same, on Raw. He did not appear on SmackDown, the next day either, even though various Superstars from Raw did so.
The heart of the matter
The Wrestling Observer noted that moving Roman Reigns to SmackDown would also involve moving Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar, two men with whom Reigns will have long-term feuds.
The Observer stated that storylines for the summer revolve around Reigns vs. Strowman, leading up to Lesnar vs. Strowman and eventually Reigns vs. Lesnar at Wrestlemania 33. Because shifting Roman Reigns would cause a disruption in these plans, he stayed on Raw.
What's next?
It is expected that Roman Reigns will stay off television for a few weeks in the aftermath of the vicious (kayfabe) attack. He will still remain a mainstay on Raw, and feud with Braun Strowman for the entire duration of the summer months.
Author’s take
Love him or hate him (we know the latter is likelier than the former), Roman Reigns is one of the most integral characters on Raw, at this moment. The main storylines of the brand revolve around him right now, and if WWE is indeed building to a Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar clash at Wrestlemania 33; the need of the hour would be to build both these men as credible main event stars across the course of the following year. As a result, Roman Reigns remaining on Raw is not such a bad idea.
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