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#2. Sami Zayn turned his WWE career upside down with a heel turn
Sami Zayn spent his first three years on the WWE main-roster trying to find a suitable role for himself. Considering his massive NXT success, people were sure that Zayn would be a top-level babyface on WWE RAW or Smackdown.
Unfortunately, things never really took off for the two-time Intercontinental Champion. His underdog persona wasn't working at all. Also, he did not show any significant improvement in his character work and promo ability.
In 2017, WWE tried to give a new direction to Zayn's career by turning him heel. Although people still loved Sami, they weren't sure if he would play that role to perfection.
After a couple of underwhelming years, heel Sami Zayn finally started to take flight. In the fall of 2019, Zayn formed the 'Artist Collective,' a heel faction consisting of Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, and Zayn himself.
Although he did not wrestle much during this time, it proved to be the most crucial period for the evolution of Zayn's heel persona. With his cocky mannerisms, the former NXT Champion turned himself into one of the despised heels on the roster.
Sami's hard work finally paid off in 2020, as he became one of the most entertaining upper mid-card acts on Smackdown. He defeated top stars like Daniel Bryan, Braun Strowman, AJ Styles, and Jeff Hardy. He also captured the Intercontinental title twice during this time.
In 2021, Sami Zayn upgraded his character to an even greater level. He now acts as a delusional heel who thinks that the whole world is conspiring against him. Fans absolutely love this 'Conspiracy Theorist' character.
#1. Roman Reigns' Tribal Chief Gimmick turned him into the No.1 superstar of the industry.
Roman Reigns' babyface run was full of ups and downs. He always received mixed reactions from the WWE Universe, with the majority of the audience wanting him to try a different character. However, Vince McMahon kept pushing him as a babyface, which annoyed the fans.
Although Roman Reigns won every possible title, he never earned the most important thing, the acceptance from the WWE Universe.
But Roman Reigns changed his destiny forever at WWE SummerSlam 2020. After spending five months away from wrestling, Roman Reigns finally made his WWE return with a bang. He had finally turned to his dark side.
The era of domination that started that day is still going on without interruption. Ever since Reigns donned his Tribal Chief gimmick, he has been unstoppable. His character work and promo skills have witnessed significant improvement. His heelish persona has made the world admire his true capabilities.
In the last eleven months, The Big Dog has changed the entire landscape of the WWE. Under Reigns' leadership, WWE Smackdown has become the No.1 show of the wrestling industry. It's been almost a year since Roman Reigns captured the Universal title, and fans are still clamoring for The Tribal Chief.
It shows how much the company was holding Roman Reigns back as a character. And now that he finally has the freedom, Roman Reigns is proving to the world why he deserves to be the face of WWE.
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