JBL has once again pushed back against the argument that Roman Reigns is overrated, comparing the reaction surrounding the WWE World Heavyweight Champion to a story from his days in the wrestling territories.
The debate began after Conrad Thompson told Eric Bischoff on 83 Weeks that he considers Roman Reigns the most overrated main event star in WWE history, a view Bischoff agreed with. Jim Ross subsequently disagreed, while JBL challenged Thompson’s argument on Something To Wrestle.
Returning to the subject, JBL recalled meeting a wrestling fan in Dallas who strongly disliked Killer Tim Brooks and criticised his ability and popularity.
“This reminds me of the very first time I met a smart mark who hated people, kind of describes you, in Dallas, Texas. He was telling me about Killer Tim Brooks, and he hated Killer Tim Brooks. He goes, I hate him. His work rate’s terrible. First time I’d ever heard that term.”
JBL then asked whether the fan would pay to see Brooks face Stan Hansen.
“I said, well, if they brought in Stan Hansen to work with Killer, would you pay to see that? He goes, oh my God, I’d pay double. Yeah, you’re right. He’s not over.”
JBL believes the same principle applies to Reigns. Whether fans want to see him win or lose, he argued that the strength of their reaction demonstrates his value as a major attraction.
“That’s the way this is with Roman Reigns. Whether they boo or jeer, people saying people don’t want to see him. If you want to see him get beat, you want to see him do something.”
JBL Compared Roman Reigns To John Cena
JBL compared the reaction Roman Reigns generates to John Cena, another WWE star who frequently divided audiences while remaining one of the company’s biggest draws.
“Roman Reigns gets a response very much like John Cena out of everybody in that building. Everybody has a feeling about Roman Reigns. Some want to see him get beat. Some want to see him win. Some just want to see the spectacle that is Roman Reigns, because he’s headlined so many WrestleManias.”
JBL acknowledged that Reigns cannot receive all the credit for WWE’s current business, pointing to the strength of the roster surrounding him. He also suggested Oba Femi could increasingly become one of the company’s major ticket sellers.
“If Oba Femi is selling the most tickets, then yeah, he would. It’ll be a hell of a match next year if that’s the match.”
Thompson has predicted that Reigns could face Femi at WrestleMania 43 if The Rock does not return for the event. However, JBL disputed the idea that Femi alone was responsible for the success of SummerSlam night one.
JBL highlighted Brock Lesnar competing in Minnesota in what ultimately became his retirement match as another significant attraction.
“It’s not just Oba Femi. Oba Femi is a great draw, I believe. I believe that guy’s going to sell a massive amount of tickets. But you also have Brock Lesnar in what was probably his last match, in his home state.”
Femi defeated Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell in the SummerSlam night one main event, with Lesnar raising his opponent’s hand afterwards before confirming his retirement days later.
Reigns retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins on night two and remains positioned among WWE’s leading attractions.
For JBL, the divided reactions Reigns generates do not support the argument that he is overrated. Instead, he believes the fact that audiences remain emotionally invested in seeing him win or lose demonstrates exactly why WWE continues to present him as one of its biggest stars.
