—Joseph Kumar
When we think of WWE, most of us might remember an insane friend trying out wild wrestling moves on us after watching the show. With little curiosity, we can try asking a fascinating question: is WWE real or fake?
Is it real?
The truth is: WWE is not a pure sport. It is sports entertainment (a mix of athleticism, cinema, and storytelling). Wrestlers follow a script much like actors in a movie, with heroes (faces) and villains (heels). Every punch, slam, or promo (in-ring dialogue) is part of a very carefully crafted storyline. Yet, the risk is very real because the athletes train hard to make the action look brutal, all the while protecting each other from serious harm. This is so because any break in the fourth wall makes the storyline and the characters involved lose their legitimacy.
What makes WWE unique is the audience’s role. Unlike any other sport, the crowd doesn’t just watch, they shape the story. Their cheers, boos, and emotions decide the storyline, how characters evolve. Even the question of who becomes a superstar is decided. Despite immense talent, superstars who fail to appeal to the audience will not rise up to the top, as it is the crowd’s approval that determines who the main event of the show is.
Storylines often feel like cinema, as they involve rivalries, betrayals, and championship chases. Titles like the WWE Championship aren’t just belts. Rather, they symbolise who the company sees as its crown Jewel and the “face” of WWE. To reach that level, a wrestler must not only be strong in the ring but also be a great performer, a wordsmith on the mic, and someone fans truly connect with. So while the fights are scripted; the sweat, pain, emotion and passion are very real.
So yes, WWE is what the crowd seems to want. But the question is what does the crowd truly want? To answer that, let’s look at one of the greatest and most emotional journeys in modern wrestling—the story of Roman Reigns.
The Rejected Hero
Roman Reigns debuted in 2012 as part of The Shield, a trio of young wrestlers who shook up the WWE. Out of the three members, WWE quickly picked him as the “chosen one.” He was tall, powerful, and charismatic. Kids loved him because he looked like a superhero. To the company, he was perfect, especially from a business standpoint.
But to many fans, he wasn’t. Roman’s character, “The Big Dog,” was portrayed as this invincible, always-righteous hero who conquered everyone in his path. But unlike his Shield brothers Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, Roman’s personality often felt flat. Fans began to see him not as their hero, but as the company’s corporately created, mechanical, robot-like super star project being forced onto them.
The deafening boos grew louder every year. The breaking point came at WrestleMania 33, 2017, when Roman defeated the most respected WWE legend of all time—The Undertaker. It should have been a crowning moment, the passing of the torch. But the very next night, when Roman entered the ring, he was met with one of the loudest rejections in wrestling history. For 12 straight minutes, the crowd booed him and chanted “Roman, go away!” He stood silently, soaking it in. It was supposed to be his moment of triumph, but instead, it exposed the deep disconnect between WWE’s scripted vision and the crowd’s real emotions. Roman was the hero nobody wanted.
The Rise of the Tribal Chief
Then came the night that changed everything. On October 22, 2018, Roman Reigns walked to the ring, holding the Universal Championship.
But he wasn’t there to wrestle.
Nor was he there to cut another scripted promo.
That night, he was just Joe Anoa’i, the real man behind the character. With the entire arena watching, his voice cracked as he said the words that broke millions of hearts: My real name is Joe, and I’ve been living with leukemia for 11 years. Unfortunately, it’s back.”
In an instant, the boos stopped. The jeers vanished. The crowd that once rejected him now sat in stunned silence, many with tears in their eyes. Roman put down the belt, apologised for not being able to fulfil his duties as champion, and promised he would fight this battle with the same strength he showed in the ring.
For the first time, the WWE audience saw Roman Reigns as more than a character. They saw husband, a father, a son and a man vulnerable in the face of a life-threatening illness. In that moment, all the fourth walls of “unreality” shattered. When Roman left the ring that night, he didn’t leave as the booed hero. He left as someone loved, admired, and supported by everyone.
Roman stood by his words as he fought his illness and returned, beating leukemia into remission. His comeback was emotional, and fans welcomed him with cheers. But soon after, COVID-19 forced him to step away again for his health. And then, in 2020, he returned one more time (this time as a completely new character).
Gone was the smiling, naive, one-dimensional “Big Dog.” In his place stood the Tribal Chief, a darker, ruthless villain who demanded acknowledgement from everyone. Backed by Paul Heyman, who has now become the Wise Man and manager of Roman on TV, and the story of his real-life wrestling family, Roman transformed into a character that finally felt truly authentic.
And the fans? They loved it.
Ironically, by becoming a villain, Roman achieved what he never could as a hero: respect. His matches against Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, and Cody Rhodes became cinematic as there is always a moment in the match that reminds Roman of his past and the way he had overcome it. Every promo, every match, every victory carried emotional weight for the burden that WWE’s think tank and its fans made Roman carry for a decade.
He was undefeated for more than 4 years, for over 1,316 days, Roman reigned as champion, the longest modern run in WWE history. He didn’t just hold a title, he held the company on his shoulders, proving he was more than worthy of being the face of WWE.
Roman Reigns’ storyline is proof of what makes WWE unlike anything else. The matches may be scripted. The outcomes may be predetermined. But the emotions are as real as they come.
WWE is often called “fake,” but characters like Roman show us the deeper truth: the reality behind this unreality lies in the emotions it creates. And that is why WWE isn’t just about fighting but stories, their characters, and the way those stories connect with people’s hearts.
—Edited by Lakshmi Yazhini | Design by Garima Satpuri
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