3 mistakes WWE must not make with Roman Reigns following his return on RAW

WWE Monday Night RAW last night was a fantastic show. In some ways, it felt like a continuation of Evolution thanks to the women performers receiving the bulk of the program, especially in the initial hours of the show.

There was just one match involving the male talents, but it was a doozy. Bron Breakker, Penta, LA Knight, Jey Uso, and CM Punk battled it out in a Gauntlet Match that lasted over 40 minutes. In the end, Punk won, but he was subsequently jumped by Breakker and Bronson Reed. This led to an epic return.

Roman Reigns was back, and the crowd blew the roof off the arena. The OTC showed up and laid waste to Breakker and Reed, causing the duo and Paul Heyman to scramble. He then stood tall alongside an angry CM Punk and Jey Uso.

Reigns being back is great news, as he's a massive draw and a big star. Still, World Wrestling Entertainment and Triple H need to be careful with the OTC. There are a few key mistakes that must not be made with him, and this article will look at several of those avoidable missteps.

Below are three mistakes WWE must not make with Roman Reigns following his return on RAW:

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#3. His long absences don't help with storytelling

Roman Reigns is a legend in WWE. He has been part of the main roster for around a dozen years now, and his accomplishments cannot be overstated. He has held several World Titles and also headlined numerous WrestleMania events.

There is no doubt that the OTC will one day go into the WWE Hall of Fame. He will be up there with greats from the past like Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Bruno Sammartino, Steve Austin, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan, among various others. This likely won't happen until after his career ends, which possibly isn't happening any time soon.

With that being said, it is clear that Reigns is slowing down. Like The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar before him, Reigns rarely appears on television now and only wrestles a handful of matches each year. This is a big problem, as it dramatically impacts Triple H's ability to tell a story.

For Roman Reigns' return to work, the company must have him involved in angles and promos on a more regular basis. Even if he doesn't wrestle on television, he needs to be present in the building a lot more to effectively play out storylines. This is the bare minimum for his return to truly work.

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#2. Roman Reigns can't just destroy everybody, as it hurts the roster

Roman Reigns has long been one of WWE's most dominant performers. As noted, he is a multi-time World Champion. He has also held mid-card and tag team golds, and defeated some of the biggest stars in wrestling history.

Unfortunately, some of that dominance has also had its negative impact, as it has had positive ones. When Roman Reigns destroyed WWE stars as a babyface in the past, it caused fans to turn on him.

For example, The Big Dog battled The League of Nations, a stable that comprised Wade Barrett, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev, and Sheamus. There were times when Reigns overcame the odds and survived over all four wrestlers, two of whom were former World Champions.

Roman cannot do the same thing with Seth Rollins' stable. With The Visionary out of action, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker are holding down the fort. They are too powerful and too valuable to be squashed in the same manner as past names. Plus, the crowd might turn on such a storyline.

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#1. The OTC needs to show growth as a character in WWE

Roman Reigns spent years as a babyface fans didn't like, but once he turned heel, his character became far more entertaining. The Tribal Chief gimmick excited WWE audiences, and while, at times, it drew a lot of heat, it also led to him turning babyface eventually.

He was betrayed by Solo Sikoa, who took it upon himself to revamp The Bloodline. This led to Roman Reigns returning to WWE television at SummerSlam last year as a babyface, after which he reunited with The Usos and Sami Zayn, and even briefly allied with CM Punk to take on Sikoa's stable at Survivor Series: WarGames 2024.

While all of this was highly entertaining, one thing was notable. The OTC's character never really evolved much. He didn't acknowledge any of his past heel actions, nor was his ego ever checked. He remained a heel of sorts, just battling villains fans genuinely disliked. This was a mistake, and WWE needs to make sure that his character evolves.

With that being said, Roman helping Jey Uso up was a good start. The normally selfish star showing love towards his cousin was a positive step forward. However, he needs to show accountability for his past actions, or else his character will remain stagnant.

Edited by Sayantan Niyogi