Roman Reigns' Feud with Big Show Will Be Better Than Expected
Ryan Dilbert@@ryandilbert
WWE Lead WriterDecember 16, 2014
Don't dismiss Roman Reigns and Big Show's feud before their first official collision. It's going to be a hard-hitting surprise.
A short, purposeful rivalry between these two will deliver better-than-expected matches and offer WWE fans something new. Big Show's history with brawlers and Reigns' skill set speak to that.
Reigns first angered Big Show at Tables, Ladders, Chairs...and Stairs. The giant looked to stomp John Cena during his match against Seth Rollins, but Reigns stood in his way, sending him backward with a Superman punch.
Monday's Raw signaled that this was no one-off meeting. Reigns and Big Show barked at each other before the former handed the latter another fist to the mug.
At that point, you could almost hear the collective groan from fans. Twitter was full of negative responses to the feud's genesis, like these from fans @StanlyCoobs and @MarkingforPunk:
This sentiment is understandable. Big Show is a plodder and not the kind of ring general Reigns needs to carry him at this point. Neither is an effective talker, nor the type of indy veteran that the Internet Wrestling Community pulls for.
Still, there's potential for this to be a fun prelude to the Royal Rumble and Reigns' expected rise to the WrestleMania marquee.
Big Show Thrives in SlugfestsĀ
The World's Largest Athlete is at his best oppositeĀ brawlers. When the match is heavy on punches and power moves, Big Show's skills are maximized.
Look back at his career highlights, and one sees that pattern play out.
| Big Show's Highest Rated WWE Singles Matches | |||
| Event | Opponent(s) | Star Rating (Out of 5) | Stipulation |
| Judgment Day 2003 | Brock Lesnar | 3.25 | Stretcher match |
| Vengeance 2003 | Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle | 3.75 | Triple Threat |
| No Mercy 2003 | The Undertaker | 3.5 | |
| Cyber Sunday 2008 | The Undertaker | 3.25 | Last Man Standing |
| WrestleMania XXV | Edge, John Cena | 3.25 | Triple Threat |
| Raw: June 15, 2009 | Randy Orton, Triple H, John Cena | 3.5 | Fatal 4-Way |
| Vengeance 2011 | Mark Henry | 3.25 | |
| Hell in a Cell 2012 | Sheamus | 3.5 | |
| TLC 2012 | Sheamus | 3.25 | Chairs match |
| Extreme Rules 2013 | Randy Orton | 3.25 | Extreme Rules |
| Star Ratings from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, h/t ProFightDB.com | |||
Notice that his work against Booker T or Cody Rhodes didn't appear on this list.
A trio of names pop up multiple times instead: Sheamus, Lesnar and Undertaker. Each time, brute force and intensity carried the bout.
Big Show's track record proves that he fares better with bigger opponents, ones he can help lead him to a slobberknocker. Reigns fits that description. He's fast enough to make sure this isn't like two dinosaurs pawing at each other.
Still, he's similar enough in style to Sheamus that it's a safe bet he and Big Show can produce similar results.
Focused Time Frame
This is not the kind of feud that WWE can stretch out for a year. Neither Reigns nor Big Show can carry a story for that long like Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels did in 2008.
That's not what the company is shooting for, though.
If Reigns is going to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Brock Lesnar as so many fans expect, he must first knock off a big star. Big Show is a good stepping stone for him.
He has a world title pedigree, is an impressive physical specimen and is a familiar, established name. That's going to make Reigns' victory over the big man that much more significant.Ā
Big Show's size allows Reigns to have a memorable moment a la Cesaro'sĀ flingingĀ the former out of the ring at WrestleMania 30.
WWE can give Reigns a few wins on Raw and create images of him standing over a giant all before January's pay-per-view arrives.
It's a feud that suits a small window. With neither man a wordsmith, there's no need to make this an exploration of each man's psyche, as Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt has become.
Physical battles and a taut narrative await instead.
Novelty Among the Mundane
Orton vs. Cena. Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler. Cena vs. Big Show. These are among the matchups WWE has beaten into the ground.
Should any of those rivals face off again, fans are sure to be bored before the opening bell. They have just seen those bouts too many times already.
Reigns vs. Big Show, on the other hand, is a refreshing combination.
In a year where we saw Los Matadores and 3MB square off again and again, where Lesnar wrestled Cena in two of his four matches and the tag team division has repeatedly featured the same small set of pairings, seeing two new rivals collide would be a welcome change.
An emerging star would face a long-tenuredĀ vet, as Reigns looks to prove himself worthy of all the focus WWE is showering on him. That's a story worth noticing.
Either WWE is right and Reigns is the next big thing, or his failure to rise to expectations becomes the headline.
Their matches won't be wrestling clinics, but this feud will be a brief meeting of powerhouses that will surpass the low expectations fans might have for it.