Sheamus Claims People Didn’t Care About Roman Reigns Before the Pandemic

WWE Superstar Sheamus commented on the transformation of Roman Reigns into his tribal chief character during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While speaking to The Daily Mail, Sheamus acknowledged that before Reigns went away due to Covid-19, the audience didn’t seem to be as invested in his character. He mentioned Reigns being positioned as a big babyface, wrestling Goldberg, but not receiving the level of attention he deserved.

Sheamus then discussed how the pandemic and wrestling in empty arenas at the ThunderDome allowed both him and Reigns to find their footing and embrace their characters more authentically. He expressed that the absence of a live crowd gave them more freedom to experiment and showcase different aspects of their personas. In Reigns’ case, the break from the spotlight gave him the opportunity to come back with a new and compelling character, the tribal chief.

Sheamus acknowledged that Roman Reigns has capitalized on the opportunities presented to him and made the most of his time in the spotlight. He praised Reigns, along with the help of Paul Heyman and the engaging family storyline, for making the character work and becoming one of the most dominant champions in recent memory.

“Let’s be honest, before he went away with Covid, people didn’t give a s**t about him. He was the big baby face who was wrestling Goldberg and nobody really cared. I think in the same way it benefited me to come back and wrestle in that empty arena at Thunderdome where people got to see how physical I really can be and allowed me to have that more freedom and settle into my own skin and just say: ‘screw it, I’m going to go out there and have fun, do what I’m gonna do.’ In the same sense it benefitted him, because he was at a point where it was forced down people’s throats and he got to go away and come back in this different character. Obviously there’s the luxury of getting all the storyline time and everything. I feel like he’s made the most of the opportunity he’s had, but I feel like there’s guys on the roster begging for that amount of time to tell their own stories and that’s one of the only things that’s going.“

However, Sheamus also raised a point about other WWE Superstars who are eager for more storytelling opportunities. He emphasized that several talents on the roster are also capable of delivering captivating storylines, and they too deserve time to shine and develop their characters.

The rest of the roster needs story time too. With MSG [Madison Square Garden] a couple of weeks ago, they went 20 minutes over. So me and Theory had two segs which ended up turning into three small segs on the floor, you know, so that’s tough as well to go out and do that. It’s definitely benefited him a lot and Heyman and the story they have to tell, all within that family and stuff, but as I said there’s plenty of other people on the roster that could do with story time as well. I’m not taking anything away from him, I’m just saying.”

Sheamus cited his recent match with Austin Theory at Madison Square Garden, which had to be condensed due to time constraints, as an example of the limited storytelling opportunities some Superstars face. While he commended Reigns’ success, Sheamus highlighted the importance of providing more story time to other talents, ensuring the entire roster has a chance to showcase their abilities and connect with the audience.

Do you agree with Sheamus’ views on Roman Reigns’ character evolution during the pandemic and the impact of wrestling in empty arenas? Leave us a comment.