While the length and certain booking decisions of Roman Reigns' now 1,000-plus day reign as WWE Universal Champion has been polarizing to fans, few will deny that the Tribal Chief has been the top guy of the company and industry for the last three years. Hulk Hogan certainly wouldn't.
In fact, the legend is extremely grateful for what Reigns has done for wrestling and how, in his view, he is bringing it closer back to its heyday.
“He has kept the art form alive, Hogan told TMZ Sports. “He has stepped up and got {the WWE} away from this kind of like choreographed-looking, jumping, two guys doing the same thing and diving through the ropes. Roman Reigns took it back to where it should be. Big man. Big moves. Main event moves.”
You can already hear the online wrestling community groan over Hogan's endorsement of “powerhouses” instead of emphasizing high flyers more often. However, one can read between the lines and infer that the high praise goes well beyond the champ's physical appearance. Reigns has found his voice and character while creating a captivating aura.
First and foremost, wrestling is about evoking a strong reaction from the crowd. That is what allowed Hogan to ascend to the apex in the 1980s and is a big reason why Reigns is now accepted as the top guy after years of receiving negative and mixed reactions. The boos are deafening, but they are a resounding sign of approval that he is great at his job.
His own transformation has aided WWE through a time of change and uncertainty. There is much debate over what wrestling should look like. It is subjective, after all, but Hulk Hogan emphatically believes Roman Reigns has made it feel larger than life again.
Endeavor's recent billion-dollar acquisition of WWE will probably only reinforce his stance.
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