The term 'golden boy' has been thrown around a lot in WWE, as a segment of fans believe favoritism has been meted out by Vince McMahon and his creative team to select athletes. They don't think it's like, say, the '90s, where the likes of Stone Cold, the Rock, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and Triple H all got their fair share in the limelight.
The person that comes to mind most is John Cena but, seeing as he was phased out over the last couple of years, most of the heat went to Roman Reigns. Naysayers felt he got opportunity after opportunity to win world titles, with incessant boos ringing out in arenas despite the Big Dog being pushed as a babyface. However, as the latest episode of RAW reveals, Reigns doesn't warrant this tag -- it's actually Seth Rollins.
Fans complained about Reigns being shoved down their throats time and time again. Whether it's programs with Brock Lesnar or Braun Strowman, it seems Reigns was always being pushed as "the guy" once he left The Shield. It's understandable, as from 2015 on he often found himself in the main event, especially at WrestleMania. He's won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship three times, the Universal belt once and the 2015 Royal Rumble. In fact, he's a Grand Slam champ, having won the tag team, U.S. and Intercontinental titles too.
But it's simply how quickly creative pushes him into the fray that ticked people off. When Goldberg took the Universal title off the Fiend and then feuded with Reigns, it was obvious writers were angling to give him the belt again, although he pulled out the last 'Mania. However, with Rollins attacking Drew McIntyre, the current WWE Champion, and Curbstomping him, clearly Rollins is getting the favorable treatment too. We know he's one of Triple H's prized assets and while McMahon loves pushing Reigns, you can't help but think this new title shot that's coming up is Rollins getting an unfair gift. After all, he lost to Kevin Owens at WrestleMania, so there's no reason for him to be in the title scene. Owens should be in contention or another superstar. If anything, Rollins should be working on refining his own gimmick, as his heel turn with AOP hasn't really hit memorable heights.
The fact of the matter is Rollins has been given preferential treatment lately more than Reigns. You can trace it back to him cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 31 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, starting the journey as a Grand Slam champ, having won the Universal title in 2019. In fact, that year he became the only superstar to defeat Brock Lesnar at both WrestleMania and SummerSlam, which is something not even Reigns could do. It goes to show the writers constantly have him in mind, not just as the Beast Slayer, but as a constant king.
Now, even after losing the belt to the Fiend, creative has found a way to shunt the Monday Night Messiah back in the spotlight. It proves not even an emphatic loss at the Show of Shows could keep him down. When you look back to his time as the inaugural NXT Champion in 2012, it's clear Rollins always had the road laid out for him. This isn't a knock on his work ethic or talent, however, as he's one of the best technical wrestlers ever in WWE, but he's clearly had doors opened for him time and time again. The same way Cena and Reigns buried talent, we can apply that formula to Rollins. After all, taking away title shots is indirect burial and he just doesn't deserve a run at the Scottish Psychopath. But once more, Rollins is in the mix, painting a picture that's very played out by now and one which feels like a creative rinse and repeat.