Roman Reigns has provided the WWE with a constant source of controversy for the last month and a half. His match with the Undertaker was one of the most talked about matches headed into WrestleMania 33, but for mixed reasons.

A number of fans didn’t want to see The Big Dog be the one to retire The Deadman after it was revealed that this year’s event would likely be the last one for the legendary superstar. WWE writers did not flinch and went ahead with the match as planned.

Reigns emerged victorious and then went on RAW the following Monday to address the crowd directly. What met him as he entered the ring area was nothing short of absolute disdain as everyone seemed to be booing The Powerhouse as he walked out.

The company’s concerns grow more steadily by the day as their favoured star has been enduring harsher and harsher criticism from live crowd reactions since Mania. This isn’t just a couple of boos, the reaction is overwhelmingly negative.

People are paying more attention to this now because people associated with the WWE would consistently point to the live event crowd reactions as evidence for the success of pushing Reigns as a top-level talent.

Before this weekend, they were mostly positive due to the more family-facing nature of those live show audiences. RAW and pay-per-view crowds are more hostile because more hardcore fans seem to attend those shows on average.

The Big Dog is a huge draw for merchandise and consistently beats other stars that his critics are better workers than him. John Cena does in fact lead all sales, but he is part-time so Reigns gets the nod as the biggest moneymaker that consistently appears on programming.

That fact may end up being his saving grace as it is unlikely that the WWE will change course when it comes to promoting him as long as he keeps selling t-shirts and other merch. The rumoured plans for WrestleMania 34’s main event involve Lesnar facing The Powerhouse.

If fans think that they were mad about how that Undertaker match went down, trying to put the polarizing superstar over against one of the most dominant forces in company history might leave an even worse taste in their mouths.

A lot can change in a year’s time, but it is very doubtful that any changes to how they handle Reigns are coming any time soon.