2015 is an interesting year to look back on in WWE. The company started the year off rocky, with many disappointed with the winner of the WWE Royal Rumble match, The Big Dog, Roman Reigns.
I don’t think WWE expected this mixed reaction. Evidently, their intention with Reigns then was to make him as big as he is now. Ultimately, his journey paid off, and he became the face of the WWE, but the journey wasn’t what they expected. Reigns became a superstar with one of the most complicated relationships with fans.
Why not take this time to reminisce about the 2015 Royal Rumble and that era of wrestling as it was ten years ago, acknowledging how the landscape has changed over the past decade?
Landscape of WWE in 2015
2014-2016 were great years for WWE regarding engaging storylines and a strong roster. They had some of the best heels and faces involved in these stories. Everyone loved the people facing them and hated those who were the heel, but now, many people like the bad guys.
But no matter what, the audience had strong reactions during this time. They typically supported the ones they loved, such as Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton, etc., and they had strong feelings towards heels such as Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Rusev, Kevin Owens, etc.
Some of the stories that evolved during this period are unforgettable, such as Rollins vs. Ambrose, Ambrose vs. Wyatt, Rollins vs. Orton, Lesnar vs. Reigns, and I could keep going with the list. The point is that this was an essential time for the company, whether they realized it or not, and the best thing they can do is listen to the fans. At the end of the day, they are those who run the show.
The Big Dog Debacle
2015 was a time when Reigns was popular among fans, which is why it threw them for a loop when fans were disappointed that he won.
It was obvious that they had been pushing Reigns to become the next face of WWE since The Shield broke up. However, their reaction at the WWE Royal Rumble was prompted by their failure to listen to what the fans wanted.
To start with, wrestling fans don’t like being told what to do. The way Reigns was being heavily pushed at this time made it feel like we had to pick him, even though he still had much growing to do as a character. The Roman Reigns we saw back in 2015 is not the same as the one we see in 2025, and that’s a good thing.
Fans were disappointed in this match once Daniel Bryan got eliminated. He entered at number ten and only lasted ten minutes in the match. Yes, he has always been a fan favorite, but fans hoped this would be his chance to get the championship back after relinquishing it to injury. Even if he at least made it to the final few and had longer than ten minutes in the match, there wouldn’t have been as much disappointment.
The fans could feel WWE Corporate’s hands around Roman Reigns, and they didn’t want it yet. They weren’t ready for Reigns to be the top guy, and from a fan perspective, he had a lot of character work to improve as a singles competitor.
Predictability
WWE struggles with predictability. However, predictability is not always insufficient because it can give fans what they want. Royal Rumble 2015 became painfully predictable.
The excitement of the Royal Rumble match lies in its unpredictability. That year, fans felt that fun had been stripped away.
Besides seeing Reigns get pushed every week, as more eliminations continued throughout the Rumble match, it became apparent he would win. By the time the match neared its end, only Kane and Big Show, aligned with the authority, were left in the ring with him. Seeing those three left, everyone knew who the winner would be. Rusev snuck back in before getting eliminated, and then Reigns won.
Multiple factors went into the way that fans reacted. This moment was a perfect example of how timing and execution are everything in professional wrestling. There could have been a different reaction if Ambrose had helped eliminate Kane and Big Show, leaving the best friends in the ring together to fight it out instead of making Reigns look superior to everyone.
2015 was a very interesting time for the WWE, but as much as they wanted Reigns to be on top, fans voiced their opinions. While WWE can be predictable at times, they couldn’t predict the fans’ reaction at this Royal Rumble event. Reigns said,
“You think of these moments, you dream about them,” said Reigns, “And the moment that it actually happens, it’s like they’re playing the worst soundtrack of all time over your moment, ruining your party. That’s how the Rumble in Philly felt.”
It is shocking to see how far he and the fans have come since that moment. Ten years later, it will be interesting to see what role Reigns plays in the Royal Rumble PLE.
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