Once again, Roman Reigns is facing accusations from fans that he faked having leukemia in 2018. Of course, Reigns also denied it in a statement that read in part, “In the media, what we like to talk about is very controversial. We don’t want to discuss the good moments or the ‘wins’.”
To be fair, he’s right. The media loves to focus on the darker side. Drama sells.
But…
For many, it makes perfect sense that it was part of a story line as the WWE had pushed him so hard that it turned fans off, and some stopped following the WWE altogether. It would’ve been a master stroke to bring the fans back onboard and sympathize with him, and his popularity since returning and announcing it was in remission have reached levels the WWE only dreamed about before.
Sounds slick and easy, doesn’t it?
On the other hand, as much as it would’ve been a genius move on WWE creative’s, it would’ve been equally or even more stupid. Imagine the public backlash if this storyline came out with Reigns or others in the know acknowledging it or showing proof. The WWE would face a doom of its own creation, and that doesn’t sound like Vince McMahon when he has everything to lose.
Vince McMahon is no stranger to controversy
Whether it was being pulled in before Congress about steroid abuse or severing relationships with his talent and friends over a dispute, Vince has always turned those events to his benefit. Through storylines, he attacked those he considered traitors or dove into issues that were considered taboo.
Some of the story lines include his daughter, Stephanie, being kidnapped, drugged, and married while drugged. Of course, this ended up being her and Triple H’s plan to thwart Vince, but still.
Or how when Vince faked his own death for story purposes?
Nothing is off limits when push came to shove, but the WWE wasn’t in danger from a rival WCW, TNA, or AEW at the time. They were losing fans because they shoved Reigns down our throats. They didn’t listen to what we had to say, and it hurt them.
Would Vince go to such an extreme — a risk it all — to make one superstar popular?
Maybe.
Vince has scrubbed the WWE archives of superstars for things they’ve said or done before, so if he viewed Reigns as the next big thing, it’s plausible.
The truth is, this rumor isn’t going anywhere. That’s a byproduct of Vince’s own doing following his controversial storylines and blurring the lines between scripted and reality. As fans, we’ll second guess the truth behind every claim, no matter how outlandish.
In the end, we’re the razor edge Vince McMahon honed so well.
