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As for the #BROKEN stuff getting more over than Roman, it's simple: it got over on its own terms.
People who are fans of it, legitimate or ironically, bought into it completely in all of its hokey pleasure. It is what it is. Meanwhile, Roman is hand-picked to be in the mold of a highly marketable superstar, and it is super obvious that he's hand-picked to be in the mold of a superstar, but the majority of the fans aren't buying into it whatsoever.
Goes back to my "franchise quarterback" analogy I made about something else (though I can't remember what). Matt is that QB who has been around the league, rode pine behind several starters, including his brother, then found his squad to become the leader of by doing his own thing with no pressure behind. Didn't happen overnight. Reigns was groomed from day one* to specifically pick up the mantle from Cena; and anything else in the world be damned. Ask Tim Tebow how well that works.
Matt developed this character. Developed this character. Developed character. Developed. Character. Developed this character; a persona OF a persona. Changed the perception of his brother from attention hog into his lackey/heavy, incorporated his wife, his son, his "gardener", a drone, and A GODDAMN BOAT into a mythos that has taken a life of its own. Add in the Sharknado level of camp and production value to their backstage stuff specifically that it's better/worse that Lucha Underground at the same time. All of this clicks. Especially with developed characters.
Then there's Roman. He's "The Guy" don't you know. Bray hated him for reasons. He barely survived a Lesnar onslaught... aaaaand... uhhh... he was a dick to Rusev and his wife...? So, in about two years, he went from silent heavy to... a dick? And not a dick in any memorable, despicable, or redeeming way. Just a dick.
And he wears a chest protector. Not as well as D'Lo, who made an angle out of it. Hell, D'Lo had more character in midcard hell (chest protector frog splashes *maybe* should be banned, Euro-Continental Champion, cocky head bobble/smirk, was Mark Henry's friend to help him "get in shape") than this guy we are supposed to just fellate as a main event level talent. I literally just remembered more about D'Lo did as a character than this dude that WWE currently wants to be their figurehad. That's a problem.
The Roman Empire is what WWE thinks fans want. #BROKEN is what fans want. I mean that more figuratively than literally.
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