So, I got thinking about Paige and Roman Reigns the other day. Just popped into my head. Two wrestlers, big impact, but man, what different roads they traveled. Felt like I needed to really look at it again, you know? Not just remember the highlights.
First thing I did, I went back to the network. Pulled up Paige’s NXT stuff, that shocking debut beating AJ Lee. Remember that? The crowd went nuts. Pure energy. Felt like something new, this ‘anti-Diva’ thing they pushed. Watched her early main roster run before things went sideways.
Then, I switched over to Roman. Started with The Shield days – they were undeniably cool, the three of them. Then his singles push started. And honestly? I went back through old forums, comment sections from back then. Man, people were not having it for a long time. Felt really forced, didn’t it? I remember watching WrestleManias where the sound of boos was deafening. It was rough.
Digging a bit deeper
It wasn’t enough to just watch the matches. I tried to get a feel for the whole narrative. What was the company trying to sell us, and what did we actually buy?
- Paige: Instant connection for a lot of fans. Felt organic. Then the injuries, the personal stuff hitting the news… her story became less about the ‘anti-Diva’ and more about real-life struggle. You gotta respect her coming back from it all, showing up in AEW now.
- Roman: Total opposite trajectory. They pushed him as the top good guy, hard. Didn’t work. It took years, then that heel turn, the whole ‘Tribal Chief’ thing. Now? He’s arguably the biggest star they have. That character work is something else, gotta admit.
Spent a good few hours just clicking around, watching promos, reading old articles. It’s fascinating. Paige had the groundswell support early on. Roman had the machine behind him, but it took a massive character shift to get the respect, not just the spot.
What I Reckon
It really hammered home something for me. Talent is one thing. Story is another. Presentation is key. Paige felt raw and real from the start. Her later story became about resilience, very personal.
Roman’s story became this massive, almost cinematic thing about power, family, corruption. It’s heavily produced, sure, but it works. He grew into that role, or maybe the role was finally the right fit. Took long enough.
You see how much is planned, how much is reaction, how much is just luck, good or bad. Injuries derailed Paige’s WWE career. Roman avoided that, mostly. It makes a huge difference.
Anyway, ended up spending way more time on this than I planned. Just watching old clips, thinking about the ‘what ifs’. It’s just entertainment, right? But sometimes you look closer and see how these narratives get built, and why some stick and others don’t. These two are prime examples. Just interesting stuff to chew on.
