Welcome to the back-off-track-schedule-wise 21st (I think) episode of Like a House Afire, a frequent video-cast that runs down some hot topics in the world of pro wrestling with opinion and analysis from yours truly.
Everybody has an opinion, or an opinion about someone else's opinion, about Roman Reigns. Is he being pushed too fast? Does he deserve the "brass ring"? Is he being judged too harshly by so-called "smart" fans? Is the backlash against him nothing more than the hivemind phenomena from the internet wrestling community (IWC)?
We'll ring in the new year by trying to address all of those questions. See what kind of circles I talk myself into while trying to make sense of why it's such an interesting topic, and chime in with your thoughts on Reigns, WWE and the reaction cycle for pop culture in the digital age.
Here's some background on the buzz that drove this episode:
Reigns' Cageside Evaluation from Dec. 2013
Hulk Holland criticizes WWE for diminishing returns on Reigns
Crowd response rumors, and debate about Reigns in the comments
A Cagesider notices some improvement
On the Cena comparisons (and a chance to watch him talk naturally, without a WWE script)
Hope you enjoy the show, and please hit us up in the comments with your thoughts, feedback, questions or suggestions.
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