Roman Reigns officially entered the 2018 Royal Rumble match.
After losing the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz on Raw 25, WWE's Twitter feed officially announced Reigns as a late entry in the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 as the polarizing babyface figures to have bigger fish to fry. Unfortunately, if Reigns wants to begin charting his course to a first-ever Universal Championship, he'll have to do so in an east coast shark tank prone to taking over pay-per-views.
Welcome to Philadelphia, the unofficial birthplace of outrage. And in WWE, no source of outrage is more powerful than Reigns, its premiere lightning rod.
Despite winning the 2015 event, Reigns was being consoled by WWE officials backstage like a little league pitcher who had allowed eight home runs. Following what should have been a milestone victory, here are some of the quotes, included in The True Story of the Royal Rumble DVD, by WWE brass to a seemingly despondent Reigns:
"It's okay. It's what it is." (Triple H)
"Way to keep your cool. It's not this city [that decides WWE's long-term plans], it's the world. You did a really good job, I'm proud of you." (Michael Hayes)
"..." (Vince McMahon)
Though Reigns was front and center for a bloodbath of backlash the last time WWE was in Philadelphia at the Royal Rumble, his headlining match against Brock Lesnar was hardly a deterrent to WrestleMania 31 grossing $12.6 million—a record for Levi's Stadium—while drawing a reported 76,976.
The 2018 Royal Rumble will inexplicably mark the third time the habitually riled-up state of Pennsylvania has hosted the event in five years. Both previous outings ended in downright disaster as rowdy fans rebelled when Daniel Bryan was left out of the event in 2014 and failed to win the following year.
In 2015, Reigns took the brunt of the #NerdRage as not even The Rock could act as a human pacifier to an arena that was reduced to adult babies in the face of a Roman Reigns victory.
2018's Royal Rumble storyline is eerily similar to that of 2015. Hardcore fans who follow the wrestling rumor mill are all but convinced that the penciled-in WrestleMania main event will pit Reigns against Brock Lesnar, just like in 2015.
As mentioned, the Royal Rumble will take place in the anti-Reigns hotbed of Philadelphia, Penn., just like in 2015.
Even worse for Reigns, fans have organically latched on to an underdog people's champion as Rusev Day continues to catch fire.
Just like the Yes Movement in 2015.
A Rusev elimination paired with a Roman Reigns win could be enough to break the city of brotherly love, which nearly rioted in the streets of Philadelphia following Reigns' aforementioned 2015 triumph.
Hopefully for Reigns, with the Eagles set to play in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2005, the city of Philadelphia will be a little friendlier this weekend. But for a sports city that has made a name for itself through hostility, I wouldn't bet on it.
Roman Reigns' 2015 Royal Rumble win was met with acrimony from an angry, partisan Philadelphia crowd.
With Roman Reigns and John Cena currently listed as two top favorites to win the Royal Rumble—and Rusev all but guaranteed to be eliminated—all the ingredients are in place for unabashed chaos in a city that redefined it.
Come the 2018 Royal Rumble, WWE may have no choice but to hold on for dear life.
">As the Royal Rumble field fills up, the event kicking off the road to WrestleMania couldn't have possibly happened in Roman Reigns' yard without the polarizing Big Dog himself.
Roman Reigns officially entered the 2018 Royal Rumble match.
After losing the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz on Raw 25, WWE's Twitter feed officially announced Reigns as a late entry in the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 as the polarizing babyface figures to have bigger fish to fry. Unfortunately, if Reigns wants to begin charting his course to a first-ever Universal Championship, he'll have to do so in an east coast shark tank prone to taking over pay-per-views.
Welcome to Philadelphia, the unofficial birthplace of outrage. And in WWE, no source of outrage is more powerful than Reigns, its premiere lightning rod.
Despite winning the 2015 event, Reigns was being consoled by WWE officials backstage like a little league pitcher who had allowed eight home runs. Following what should have been a milestone victory, here are some of the quotes, included in The True Story of the Royal Rumble DVD, by WWE brass to a seemingly despondent Reigns:
"It's okay. It's what it is." (Triple H)
"Way to keep your cool. It's not this city [that decides WWE's long-term plans], it's the world. You did a really good job, I'm proud of you." (Michael Hayes)
"..." (Vince McMahon)
Though Reigns was front and center for a bloodbath of backlash the last time WWE was in Philadelphia at the Royal Rumble, his headlining match against Brock Lesnar was hardly a deterrent to WrestleMania 31 grossing $12.6 million—a record for Levi's Stadium—while drawing a reported 76,976.
The 2018 Royal Rumble will inexplicably mark the third time the habitually riled-up state of Pennsylvania has hosted the event in five years. Both previous outings ended in downright disaster as rowdy fans rebelled when Daniel Bryan was left out of the event in 2014 and failed to win the following year.
In 2015, Reigns took the brunt of the #NerdRage as not even The Rock could act as a human pacifier to an arena that was reduced to adult babies in the face of a Roman Reigns victory.
2018's Royal Rumble storyline is eerily similar to that of 2015. Hardcore fans who follow the wrestling rumor mill are all but convinced that the penciled-in WrestleMania main event will pit Reigns against Brock Lesnar, just like in 2015.
As mentioned, the Royal Rumble will take place in the anti-Reigns hotbed of Philadelphia, Penn., just like in 2015.
Even worse for Reigns, fans have organically latched on to an underdog people's champion as Rusev Day continues to catch fire.
Just like the Yes Movement in 2015.
A Rusev elimination paired with a Roman Reigns win could be enough to break the city of brotherly love, which nearly rioted in the streets of Philadelphia following Reigns' aforementioned 2015 triumph.
Hopefully for Reigns, with the Eagles set to play in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2005, the city of Philadelphia will be a little friendlier this weekend. But for a sports city that has made a name for itself through hostility, I wouldn't bet on it.
Roman Reigns' 2015 Royal Rumble win was met with acrimony from an angry, partisan Philadelphia crowd.
With Roman Reigns and John Cena currently listed as two top favorites to win the Royal Rumble—and Rusev all but guaranteed to be eliminated—all the ingredients are in place for unabashed chaos in a city that redefined it.
Come the 2018 Royal Rumble, WWE may have no choice but to hold on for dear life.
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