Staff Picks

HARRY BURKETT [SENIOR WRITER]

Brutality, vengeful pride, and misplaced loyalties brought to a boil a stew already simmering with selfishness and resentment. That was Roman Reigns’ contribution to WWE in 2020. His association with special counsel Paul Heyman and his Brock Lesnar-style dominance of Smackdown and the Universal championship was almost an afterthought. Relatives such as Jimmy Uso and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson criticized Reigns’ treatment of cousin Jey Uso, but mostly from the sidelines. And there’s one image that remains with me: Sika and Afa Anoa‘i presenting Roman with a lei, recognizing him as the “Tribal Chief” following his ruthless treatment of Jey inside Hell in a Cell. Families are complicated.

BRIAN SOLOMON [CONTRIBUTING WRITER]

Thirty years is a long time. In fact, it’s the longest any active competitor has been with WWE in the company’s history. And so, it was fitting that The Undertaker, the one and only “Phenom,” who debuted for Vince McMahon at the 4th annual Survivor Series in 1990, should receive an epic sendoff last November at the 34th annual edition. I would’ve preferred if the luminaries invited to the event, including Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Kane, and Kevin Nash, had been given