Is Ted Cruz The GOP’s Roman Reigns?

Both men have likability issues, but both men may be the only way out of a nightmare plaguing their respective organizations

Note: Apologies for the poor photo shop jobs

This is something I've played around with for some time. It’s a strange comparison for non-wrestling fans but i’ll try my best to lay out my case while explaining things non-wrestling fans may not be familiar with. Ready? Here we go…

So non-wrestling fans know the situation with Ted Cruz. The Republican party is trying to rid of itself of the nightmare known as Donald Trump, and the only man who is mathematically still in it to stop him is Cruz. Problem is Cruz has an incredible ability of making folks dislike him by about the same margins they don’t like Hillary. He isn’t the most photogenic man, his inter-personal skills need sharpening, his campaigning style isn’t for everyone, and polls show he may have trouble in November (Though not nearly as badly as Trump). So a good chunk of Republicans, save for Cruz’s rabid internet fans, have to hold their stomachs and back a guy they can’t stand because it’s him or someone plenty of them wouldn’t even hold their nose for in November.

In the WWE, there’s a similar situation going on. Before I explain, I need to clear things up for non-wrestling fans. Yes, it’s “fake”…somewhat. The feuds the wrestlers take part in are scripted, the promos they cut are scripted, the matches they have are mostly scripted, and the outcomes are certainly scripted. But wrestlers need to be fit not, just for the spectacle aspect of what they do, but to be healthy enough for the cardio it takes to be in matches that can go as long as half an hour - if not every now and then a full hour plus. Injuries can happen while performing in the ring, and some rare times death has occurred. These performers have to climb the ladder to success by going through different promotions that span the globe. The better in the ring you get, the more popular you get with fans, the more likely you are to one day be performing among 75-100K+ people in a football stadium for the WWE, the “majors” of the wrestling promotions. To get there, an ability to sell your character’s merchandise is critical, just like politicians raising money. Fan support is also critical, just as much as voters are to politicians. And like the parties getting behind a presidential candidate, the company you work for seeing you as someone they can “push” to the top is critical. There’s a reason “backstage politics” is a term used when talking wrestling.

For years wrestling fans have felt the product is getting stale. They’ve grown tired of the same old wrestlers and the same old matches. Like after eight years of losing the “big one” with Presidential elections, Republicans have also grown tired of disappointment.

Wrestling fans have gotten glimpses of what could be. In 2014 they saw a very popular wrestler, Daniel Bryan, become the main event performer even though it was well known the WWE didn’t feel as strong about him as the fans did. Unfortunately, Bryan later went on to retire early because of concussion issues. Similarly, the GOP watched the party get massive victories down the ballot these last eight years, including two historic midterm landslides. They’ve gotten a taste of what they crave for like wrestling fans did. Yet victory in the bigger race eludes them like a fresher product eludes wrestling fans.

Enter Roman Reigns. The WWE, knowing its fans wanted a new “hero”, decided to “push” this performer to be their main event selling point. Similarly Cruz has positioned himself as the avenger of the frustrated GOP electorate and talk radio decided to “push” him as just that.

Problem is both men have a problem selling themselves. Roman and Cruz both enjoy a loyal following among some that help carry them to where they are now. However their appeal is limited. Like with Republicans (such as me) that don’t find much to like about Cruz and push back against talk radio’s support of him, Reigns has gotten backlash from a big chunk of the wrestling fanbase (including me as a wrestling fan myself) who don’t like who the company has chosen.

If Perry and Rubio were the popular guys that didn’t work out and their fans aren’t too happy about Cruz being their option as talk radio demands they get behind him; then Reigns is the option wrestling fans are dealing with even though they’ve made it clear they prefer other performers like Dean Ambrose and Cesaro as the company demands they get behind him.

But each may be the only option left, for now, to help each of their own organizations. Reigns was the current only path to seeing some new stars in the main event for the upcoming future as most performers of late have been injured and the championship was given to Triple H, who’s been main eventing shows since 1999. So with new talent coming up and many injured, Reigns may have been the only option left for the short term to help the company long term. Even though 101,000 booed him at WrestleMania, he could be the transition between what has been a stale product for the last couple years to a new and exciting product with new performers and new matches to enjoy.

Similarly, Cruz is the short term cure to a better future for the GOP. Cruz has big electability issues to overcome November, but he is an actual conservative who would do less damage in his worst defeat then Trump would. Where as Trump would be much more damaging to the GOP this November, and could set up a situation where it takes decades to recover from the damage he left in his wake. So even though Cruz can’t appeal to people who don’t take their orders from talk radio, he can stop Trump which is an even bigger worry for us.

If the same old stale wrestling product in the midst of an injury bug is Trump’s current damaging efforts towards the GOP, then a transition to help heal the damage by going with a less electorally challenged candidate like Cruz is Roman Reigns being the transition to a future with a better product with new talents. There’s speculation Reigns could surprise everyone and turn “heel” (a “bad guy”) to become a more enjoyable performer to watch down the line for WWE fans. There’s also speculation Cruz may surprise us and have a solid ground game that may even help him win in November. Both are better than what each’s organization is dealing with now.

Now can each fall on their face? Yes. Cruz could continue on and fall short at the convention or in November. Reigns could continue to be pushed on fans with the same old stale stuff that wrestling fans have grown tired of. But like Reigns being better than some guy we’ve seen in this position a million times in the same old storylines, Cruz is better than what Trump brings to the table.

I hope I explained myself well, I know this subject is foreign to maybe 95%+ of Buckley Club/Lounge readers. To the few wrestling fans who read this I hope I explained myself without incurring your wrath for trying to defend Roman Reigns, but trust me it’s hard for me to defend either guy. I’m just saying with little options left, Cruz (like Reigns) is the only short term one we have right now. It’s about thinking ahead to the long term repercussions and holding your nose for a less than stellar choice to avoid long term disaster.

PS - If I didn’t convince you either way, I don’t blame you. Man, these choices stink.