Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that the reactions to Roman Reigns is mixed at best. The superstar is just not getting over as much as management would like despite their head in the sand mentality and random stats thrown at fans to try to persuade them to like the Big Dog. Countless forums and authors are clamoring for Reigns to turn heel, so today we put our hat in the ring and give the reasons why WWE should turn the Roman Empire into a force of evil.
5. New Character
Since being broken apart from the Shield, Roman is the only one to not find his own voice, his own identity. Dean Ambrose became the Lunatic Fringe, the man insane for wrestling in jeans each week, thriving in extreme spots and never saying die. Seth Rollins became the top heel in the company in 2015 before a freak knee injury took him out in November. What has changed about Reigns since the break up? Nothing. His move set, gear, music and until recently, his entrance are exactly the same from his Shield days.
I don’t care how are you try but it’s hard to invest in someone if we are constantly reminded of something they did in the past while they are trying to move on. It would be like if WWE kept bringing up Team Hell No when Daniel Bryan was on his journey to Wrestlemania 30. Roman needs something new to show he can be on the same level as his two Shield brothers. Keep the name but change his attitude and make him the villain. And change his gear while you’re at it.
4. The Company Needs A Heel
With the loss of Seth Rollins in November just before Survivor Series, the company was left without its top heel. Say what you want about Seth’s reign as champ not being all it could have but there’s no denying he was a fantastic heel. With him gone, the company lost a major main event heel. The company really doesn’t have a main event villain except for maybe Kevin Owens if management so wished. All the heels on the roster are mid-level at best and turning Reigns heel would give faces a legit threat to square off with. I’m not saying he sides with the Authority, but he needs to be heel so that Vince can have it his way of keeping Reigns in the spotlight while filling the void left by Rollins’ injury.
3. Mic Work
Roman Reigns can’t talk on the mic, that’s just how it is. Whether it is the cheesy and bland lines he is told to say, a lack of freedom in his promos, overall delivery, or a combination of the three, Reigns can’t really talk. It just never seems genuine, so maybe turning him heel would allow him some creative freedom in his promos, Rock anyone?
Reigns is in a tough spot as an employee of being told to do something and being repeatedly hated for it. So, like his cousin, Reigns needs a shoot promo to just air out his grievances and to really go off on the fans and management for screwing him over. This would effectively turn him heel and from there WWE could give him a mouthpiece. Paul Heyman perhaps? Which in turn could set up a great feud between him and Brock Lesnar. Roman has the look Vince so desperately loves but has no words.
Because Roman is the type of big guy Vince loves so much, hence why Ryback is still with the company, his move set isn’t as well rounded as some of his contemporaries. Reigns often receives flack for his shorter matches which usually involve him getting in some big hits early then rest for most of the match until he magically pops up and wins with a spear. Off that description alone, he sounds more like a heel. He’s a ground and pound fighter that has more in common with Ryback or Sheamus than he does with faces on the roster.
Apart from a decent spear, Roman has no real moves that pop the crowd in a way a face typically does. Turning him heel would allow more vicious attacks that could be cover up his relative greenness in the ring. Also turning him heel would allow for great matches with faces on the roster who could walk him through each fight and make him look as good as possible. Dolph Ziggler anyone?
1. The Crowd Already Hates Him
The crowd already boo’s him like there is no tomorrow, despite the company turning down the crowd mics to tell you otherwise. At Wrestlemania 32, the crowd had already designated Reigns as the heel of the match against Triple H and booed everything Roman did. If WWE want Reigns to be the face of the company fine but at this point it cannot be as a good guy. The crowd continually tells Vince and company that this is not the guy they are interested in yet they persist. If crowds are booing someone so mercilessly, wouldn’t it be better to make that individual a villain so as to maximize the usage out of that performer.
The company has a plethora of talented guys at their disposal yet they go with a guy no fans want? If done correctly, there’s a story right there with life imitating art. There would be a hand-picked guy that jumped his place in line that the fans resent and eventually a plucky underdog (Ambrose?) defeats the entitled star. That could be money for the company when they desperately need it. Reigns is just not getting over with the crowd and turning him heel could potentially salvage his reputation.
Would you rather have a face with a lukewarm reception at best or a heel with explosive heat?