What’s the story?
Sports Illustrated interviewed Triple H and asked him for his opinion on Roman Reigns being presented as a good guy, despite the fact that fans boo him. Triple H said Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions and that in some ways, he is a heel.
“People can look at Roman Reigns and say, ‘The failed attempt that is Roman Reigns,’ but Roman Reigns sells tickets. Roman Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions every night, whether that reaction is a boo or whether that reaction is a cheer. The fans who say, ‘I don’t understand why they don’t turn Roman Reigns heel!’ Isn’t he already?”
In case you didn’t know...
Reigns has received fan-hate since 2015 when he won what many considered one of the worst Royal Rumbles in WWE history. He would also continue to be presented as a dominant good guy with little to no WWE Superstars being on his level.
One of the best examples of that was when Reigns and Triple H wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania 32, where the Big Dog was booed while the Game was cheered.
The hatred for Reigns intensified when the WWE had him enter the 2017 Royal Rumble at the #30 spot to the extreme displeasure of both the fans in attendance and those watching at home.
Many have called for Reigns to turn heel multiple times since 2015, but it has yet to happen.
The heart of the matter
Triple H would comment further on Reigns already being a bad guy, by claiming the fans reactions to him dictate that he’s a heel already and doesn’t need to be changed at all.
“If you believe what you believe, and you’re saying, ‘How can they not turn him heel? There is 70 percent of the crowd booing him out of the building!’ If that’s your belief, then isn’t he already the biggest heel we have? If 70 percent of that crowd is booing him, then he’s a heel. We’re just presenting him to you in a different way that makes you hate him.”
Triple H would also go on to talk about how the internet has changed the way the WWE utilises their characters.
“The internet has changed the world. You can find someone who will agree with you no matter what you think. You just go on the internet and, if you look hard enough, you’ll find someone who agrees with you. Gone is the day that everybody loves this one character, gone is the day that everybody hates this character. If you make a bad guy, there will be a group of people who love that character. He’s Darth Vader, he’s the bad guy, and they’ll love every evil thing he does. If you [someone] make a good guy, there are people who will love him, but there is a group of people who will hate him.”
What’s next?
If Triple H’s opinion is shared by Vince McMahon and other officials, then fans may be disappointed at WrestleMania 33 as rumour has it that Reigns won’t be turning heel after his match with The Undertaker.
Author’s take
While it makes sense that the WWE would consider Reigns as a heel based on his crowd reaction, the fact remains that a full heel turn is needed to change up the character.
Whether Reigns is a bad guy or not, he exudes a heel persona while talking like a babyface. This contradiction in character probably won’t work for much longer as it is more likely that fans will only hate Reigns more for all of the wrong reasons.
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