WWE fans are waiting for the next Stone Cold Steve Austin. The problem is, there is no next Stone Cold Steve Austin. The formula which made The Texas Rattlesnake work and work on a high level, cannot be duplicated. It was once in a lifetime, and his success may have forever changed WWE, but it can’t be repeated.
So perhaps it’s time for fans, as well as WWE, to move on. Roman Reigns is not the man that the company believes him to be, and the longer everyone is waiting for him to get there, the more time is being wasted. Austin’s rise was like capturing lightning in a bottle, and to believe that Reigns is any position to be that kind of breakout star, is foolhardy at this point.
The company has tried; over and over again, it’s tried. But no matter how much work has been done on Roman’s behalf, he simply cannot do what WWE creative apparently wants him to do. Vince McMahon may still believe, but he’s likely the only one.
But it’s not out of the realm of possibility to get Roman over. The catch is he has to turn heel. It’s the only way fans are going to accept him, and it’s really the only way he can succeed. The elements are in place for him to get to the top, but it can’t happen unless he changes colors.
Fans are waiting for the next megastar, when they should be waiting for the next mega heel; Roman is that heel.
#5 The Wellness Policy violation
As if Roman wasn’t already behind the eight ball in terms of connecting with fans; he made a major mistake when he recently failed a drug test. Now the man that many fans have been supporting for so long has let them down. In fact, he let down the whole company.
Reigns is only human of course, and he should not be condemned for the rest of his days. People make mistakes, they make errors in judgment, and when they do, the only solution is to learn and hopefully grow from it. Roman surely wants to do just that.
But why let it go? WWE has proven in the past that it’s not afraid to exploit reality for the sake of a storyline, so why not use this to their advantage? Seth Rollins has already aired Roman’s dirty laundry on live TV, so why not take it one step further?
Imagine Roman cutting a promo on the Monday Night Raw after Battleground, in which he proclaims that his Wellness Policy Violation was not his fault. He retracts his statement from Twitter, and shocks everyone by blaming the WWE Universe.
The stress that fans have put on him by constantly booing him, made him screw up. They’re to blame, not him. By the way; it’s none of anyone’s business what he does outside of the wrestling ring. This is his life, and he can do what he wants, when he wants to do it.
That moment would provide all the reason Roman would ever need to turn his back on the fans. It’s a great jumping off point, and one that would lay the foundation for his career as WWE’s newest top heel.
#4 Plan A did not work
WWE spent well over a year trying to get Roman Reigns over. Countless hours of TV time were used spotlighting him as a good guy. Endless promos, backstage vignettes, and WWE Network time, was devoted to Roman and his supposed amazingly charismatic persona that everyone should love.
But none of it worked. Not one single moment of it. In fact, every time he seemed to turn the corner, WWE did something to push him a step back. His hottest point was perhaps the night he beat Sheamus on Raw to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The crowd popped. He was cheered. All was well.
However, he soon self-destructed. Brock Lesnar came back and immediately attacked him. Fans cheered the move, and suddenly forgot all about their newfound love for Roman. The company had seemingly sabotaged him. His attitude and his promos didn’t help matters, as he continued to be the semi-funny goofy character that fans had despised for so long.
It all went to pieces, and Roman was left in the exact same spot he was in before the title win. But instead of hearing the crowd response and realizing Reigns had lost some serious ground, WWE pursued the matter even more.
Roman’s rise continued, beyond belief, and eventually culminated at WrestleMania 32, where he beat Triple H to once again become the champ. But the moment felt forced, the fans didn’t want it, yet it was thrust upon the wrestling world anyway. Roman was the new top guy whether anyone wanted it or not.
Roman was not the answer, and his ascension only left fans with more questions. This was WWE’s plan A and it just did not work. So maybe it’s time to move on to plan B.
#3 He will instantly get over
WWE, more than anything, wants Roman Reigns to get over. It’s been the driving motivation behind so many of the company’s storylines for so long now, that it’s difficult to remember a time when it wasn’t happening. Roman was supposed to be the next top guy, but he can’t do that without being over.
No matter how hard WWE worked to make it happen, and no matter how hard Roman himself wanted it, he is just unable to get over. The primary mission has not been accomplished, and while many would likely rather see WWE give up, the fact is that’s probably not happening.
But a heel turn would get Roman over instantly. He would finally be accepting the hate that fans have been generating toward him, and he could finally become the character that he was meant to be. He would be embracing the emotion, and that would allow him to redirect it as rage back at the fan base that genuinely hates him.
The pressure to be perfect would be off for the first time since The Shield disbanded. Roman could breathe easy, and just have fun with his role in the company. WWE would finally have the top heel it deserves, as Roman could be the most hated antagonist since Triple H in his prime.
More importantly, Roman would finally be over. The mission would be fulfilled, even if it didn’t happen exactly the way WWE wanted.
#2 It’s a logical move
Simply put, turning Roman heel is the most logical move WWE can make. Elevating him to the top as a babyface has not worked, and continuing down that path will just lead to more failure. Every time fans believe the company has perhaps realized this, something else happens to prove otherwise.
The latest example of this is the upcoming WWE Network event, Roman Reigns: The Road to Redemption. The special is set to air the night after he returns to the company, and if the title is any indication, WWE is evidently going to keep pursuing the road leading to nowhere.
This is the definition of illogical, as nothing WWE has tried thus far has worked. So much time and money has been spent in an attempt to elevate Roman, and highlighting his embarrassing misstep is not the way to make it work now.
This is not the time to highlight Roman’s mistake, and the move reeks of desperation. All else has failed, and now WWE is grasping at straws to somehow salvage the whole experiment. This is the absolute worst move the company can make here, and it ultimately will not work.
It’s time for cooler heads to prevail. Giving Roman’s character a new lease on life, and a new reason for being, is the smartest thing WWE can do here. It’s time for logic to finally be inserted in the equation, and the heel turn is the way to go.
#1 He can make it work
As much heat as Roman has received for his lack of ability to rise to the occasion, the fact is he’s not the only one to blame. WWE has forced the issue, and that cannot be denied. But at this point, Reigns must be given a new opportunity to do his job.
Reigns is not a waste of time, incapable of performing. It’s in his blood, it’s what he was born to do, and he wants this life. He did extremely well with The Shield, and that can happen for him again. Working with the right direction and the right character, will make all the difference.
Roman can do this. Being able to relax and work with what’s been given to him will be exactly what he needs, and he should excel in this new spot. Reigns is a prime candidate to become a future leader in WWE, and though he’s not the right choice to be the top guy, that does not mean he can’t be the top heel.
If enough time passes and he does well enough, then perhaps the day will come when he could turn babyface once again and this time, he could possibly elevate the way WWE wants him to. But none of that will happen until he’s allowed to turn heel first.
This is something that WWE must do, if Roman is to succeed. He must be the bad guy, before he could ever become the guy.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
