5 reasons why No Mercy may be the turning point in Roman Reigns' career

For quite a while now, two and a half years to be precise, the WWE has resisted crowning Roman Reigns and handing over to him the keys to the empire.

Now, why would a promotion that unyieldingly stuck with John Cena through all of the dissent from fans during the entirety of the PG era, put off Reigns' coronation just so that the people who boo can quieten down a little?

As long as their top guy can put bottoms on seats, push merchandise and serve as a stand-up ambassador for the company, the WWE has shown itself conveniently deaf to the way the audience reacts on numerous occasions.

Why change the way they operate all of a sudden?

If you recall correctly, Reigns was initially slated to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 and claim his proverbial throne before the WWE pulled a last minute swerve with Seth Rollins, having him cash in his MITB briefcase.

But we're creeping up on WrestleMania 34 now and the man is still no closer to winning over the fans than he was then.

And yet, rumours year-round seem to suggest that the WWE's wait is almost over. Vince McMahon wants Brock Lesnar to lose the WWE Universal Title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34.

Apparently, something seems to have given the powers-that-be a notion that this is indeed Reigns' time. Perhaps it was too early for him three years ago, but something about him seems to inspire confidence in them now.

What it is, as John Cena says, isn't entirely clear to the audience yet.

But it is in the hope that it will be that the Leader of Cenation has been booked opposite the Big Dog at No Mercy.

Borrowing from Christopher Nolan, when an irresistible force meets an immovable object... a storm is coming.

As far as Roman Reigns is concerned, however, it could be the perfect storm.

Here then, are five reasons why No Mercy will be the turning point in his WWE career.

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#1 It's a heel turn

Sometimes, you just have to embrace the hate

The WWE tried bringing the Rock on board to validate Roman Reigns, but it utterly flopped. They tried having him destroy Triple H and Vince McMahon, but it didn't stick.

Finally, they had him go over The Undertaker. And barring a sense of resentment, that didn't even matter.

To be honest, the WWE is running out of options as far as Reigns is concerned as the fans are just as unconvinced by his invulnerable persona as they are by his rocket-strapped push to the moon.

Really, the only card left for the WWE to play was the heel turn.

Yes, this isn't a full-fledged heel turn as per conventional wisdom but with the way John Cena rips into him on the microphone, it may as well be.

What we've witnessed the past couple of weeks hasn't been Roman Reigns, the unconquerable Big Dog. It's been the failure of Roman Reigns, the project -- laid bare for the world to see.

And while that seems to be a counterintuitive way of getting someone over, I've personally never looked forward to a Roman Reigns segment as much as I do in this feud with John Cena.

Cheer him or boo him, that is exactly what the WWE wants.

#2 Feels like a WrestleMania moment

Roman Reigns has been hand-fed historic opportunities...but none more so than this

The bigger the star you are, the bigger the moments you get to make.

There is no innocent concept of fairness or justice at play here. The ones in the WWE that get to make timeless moments are the ones that actually matter.

For instance, how many times have you been reminded of Mojo Rawley's WrestleMania moment since he won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal?

Case in point.

It's the big moments with the big stars that get reinforced into our psyche. That's just the way the WWE operates.

We still remember Shawn Michaels' matches against The Undertaker at WrestleMania, the roof-raising staredown between Hulk Hogan and the Rock, Brock Lesnar's shocking defeat of the Deadman's undefeated streak... I could go on.

Roman Reigns vs John Cena promises to deliver one such moment. Only, it's happening at No Mercy.

While that doesn't make for exalted reading on paper, it is a detail that could be looked back upon as a seminal moment in Reigns' career trajectory, especially if he goes on to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 from there.

#3 Credibility

It's safe to say defeating the Undertaker didn't give Roman the rub that the WWE hoped it would

One of the foremost issues that Roman Reigns is grappling with, as far as getting over with the fans is concerned, is credibility.

He looks the part of a top guy. He certainly works the part in the ring. But he doesn't feel the part as far as many of the fans are concerned.

The WWE may build him up to make him seem like the top guy all they want but if that doesn't translate to the audience, it's all wasted effort.

That's where an opponent like John Cena kicks in.

He's a bonafide, top-of-the-line Superstar that is teeming with legitimacy. And although Roman has been feuding with Strowman for most of the summer, the scalps of The Undertaker and John Cena do make fantastic additions to his resume.

Yes, The Undertaker was a washed-up veteran by the time he wrestled Reigns, but John Cena can still absolutely go in the ring.

And a victory against him comes stapled together with bucket loads of credibility. Even if it doesn't straight up get the fans cheering for Reigns, it still gives the WWE a powerful marketing thrust to build a convincing narrative around.

#4

It could bring out something extra in Reigns

Two weeks into the feud and already Reigns has cut his best ever WWE promo

We've seen it time and time again in the WWE -- greatness begets greatness.

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin turned it up a notch when they did battle. As did Hulk Hogan and Randy Macho Man Savage. And there is no doubt Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart brought out the best - and worst - in one another.

When two alpha males, two men co-inhabiting the rarified air at the top of the mountain come together in the WWE, sparks inevitably fly.

They end up pushing one another past the limits that even they didn't know existed within them and while John Cena's legacy is already as good as cemented, that could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Roman Reigns.

And if the promo segments thus far between them bear any indication, the ploy of matching them up seems to be working a treat.

#5 It could be a great match

A timeless classic for the ages?

Finally, we arrive at the most mundane, albeit concrete, point.

When John Cena takes on Roman Reigns at No Mercy, it isn't just a clash of generations or the passing of the proverbial torch.

It could legitimately be a great match too.

John Cena rubbished the notion that he couldn't wrestle when he reeled off one stellar match after another during the US Title Open Challenge and we all know that Roman Reigns is a firecracker between the ropes.

Apart from all the other strings attached that promise to make this a memorable encounter in the career of Roman Reigns, the fact that this may be one of his best matches ever would be the cherry on top of the cake, a feather on his cap.

God knows he needs it.