5 Reasons why Roman Reigns should turn heel in WWE

Roman Reigns is one of the most popular WWE Superstar's and has been established as the face of the company in the last few years. He has had an interesting run as the top guy of the promotion that has fetched him both love and criticism.

Reigns has been a babyface for a very long time and that has had its effects on his character and its overall perception. Turning him heel would be a bold move but it is an experiment that WWE must try with his gimmick. His Shield days might remind you of his work as a heel and he can surely pull that off as an individual.

At WrestleMania 36, Reigns was set to face Goldberg for the Universal Championship match but he pulled out of the show as a precaution amidst the COVID-19 crisis. He is likely to return to SmackDown once the pandemic is over and when he does, he must come back as a heel. It seems impossible but it will be the right decision for his gimmick.

In this article, we will take a look at the five biggest reasons why Roman Reigns should turn heel in WWE. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

#5 Roman Reigns’ babyface run has been monotonous

Some things don't change but that shouldn't be the case with the 'Big Dog'

Except for his initial days on the main roster as a member of The Shield, Roman Reigns has always been a babyface in WWE. The fact that he has been dubbed as the face of the company for the latter part of the decade explains why the creatives are hesitant to make any changes in his character. Unfortunately for Reigns, that has resulted in a long, monotonous run as the ultimate ‘good guy’ of the company.

WWE have tried hard to establish his character as the benchmark in the promotion but that idea has backfired on more than one occasion. The ‘Big Dog’ is often engaged in similar feuds where he is called out by a heel, they feud for a few months, and then Reigns gets his huge win at one of the big four PPVs.

The repetition of similar storylines involving the former Universal Champion over the last few years has made his character predictable. He has definitely earned some credibility inside the ring but a heel turn might just be the thing that will help him explore his potential. Given his gimmick and a small portion of his past, it is fair to assume that Reigns will make for a good heel.

#4 Roman Reigns gets heat naturally

WWE have had Roman Reigns headlining WrestleMania on several occasions. This has highlighted the amount of trust that Vince McMahon has in his Superstar. Despite everything he does for the company, one can’t deny that a considerable portion of the WWE fanbase won’t waste a second in showing their displeasure with him.

One of the reasons behind this organic heat from the fans towards Reigns can be traced back to a few years when he was being billed as the top guy of the company – something that hasn’t changed much.

At the time, many felt that his counterparts deserved the spotlight instead of him but WWE were adamant about pushing him towards the top. This ultimately resulted in a negative reaction towards the ‘Big Dog’, which has now reduced considerably owing to his dedication and hard work towards honing his craft.

Yet, there are instances when it seems like he will gain heat even if he is the babyface in the given storyline. He needs heels like Baron Corbin to put him over. On the contrary, if he goes up against someone like ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt or AJ Styles, he will again be perceived as the heel. The best way to deal with this would be to make him the heel which will then allow the creatives to book him strongly without hurting his gimmick.

#3 Will make for a huge surprise

Reigns would make for a shockingly good heel

As mentioned earlier, Reigns has been a heel for a very short period of time. Today, everyone sees him as the babyface and it is widely expected that he will forever be the guy on the top, no matter what. It would be difficult to find someone who can say that WWE will be keen on making a villain out of their biggest hero.

But that’s exactly what they should do. Turning Reigns into a heel will be one of the biggest surprises that WWE can pull off with his character. It will also help them create a more relatable version of his character that might just do the trick when it comes to establishing a connection with the fans. After all, there isn't anyone who doesn’t have a flaw.

WWE have several examples to look at if they need convincing when it comes to making such a shocking change in their top Superstars’ character. The likes of Finn Balor and Seth Rollins had started to grow stale in their babyface run but they both turned heel on NXT and RAW respectively which helped them gain attention from the fans. The same could happen for Reigns if his heel turn is booked well.

#2 Best way to get him over with the crowd

After succeeding in his battle against Leukemia, Reigns returned to WWE and was welcomed by the fans with open arms. He also started looking better inside the squared circle and delivered more interesting promos.

Reigns’ feud with King Corbin also saw the WWE Universe backing the ‘Big Dog’. However, the moment he stepped up to challenge Goldberg for the Universal Championship, he immediately started facing a bit of heat from the fans.

Although he missed WrestleMania 36, he will eventually return and could face Braun Strowman for the Championship or ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt, depending upon the result of the feud between the two. It is inevitable that the fans would prefer his opponents in both bookings which won’t sit well with his babyface persona.

Some may even believe that he will go over anyway and might refrain from being invested in the storyline.

Hence, WWE must try to make the best use of the situation and make Reigns turn heel which will keep the fans interested. It will also ensure that he is not heavily criticized by the WWE Universe even if he becomes the Champion. This, in turn, will allow the creatives to use his title reign to show how good he can be as a Champion.

On one of the episodes of WWE Backstage, CM Punk was quoted saying, “If you are a good enough bad guy then the crowd eventually starts loving you.”

Maybe things will work out for Reigns in the same way and if he gets over with the crowd as a heel. They will have his back when he eventually turns face.

#1 Fresh rivalries

Roman Reigns can find new opponents as a heel

One of the biggest drawbacks of Roman Reigns’ run as the babyface is the limited set of opponents whom he can face in WWE. Time and again, he has squared off against other good guys but those names are a handful.

With a heel turn, there will be a whole new world of opportunities to have the ‘Big Dog’ square against some of the best in-ring workers in WWE.

As previously stated, Reigns has improved inside the ring and now he needs opponents who can help bring attention to his skill-set. For that, he needs someone like Daniel Bryan to share the ring. If he moves to RAW, he can feud with Kevin Owens or Aleister Black and they will help create engaging rivalries.

He can even feud with Braun Strowman upon his return as the latter won the Universal Championship only after the ‘Big Dog’ backed out from the match. They also have history but this time, things could be different with Reigns being on the wrong side of the story.

Do you remember the SmackDown episode after WrestleMania 33 where he beat The Undertaker? Reigns walking into an arena echoing with boos and that went on for over 10 minutes. In the end, he just said ‘This is my Yard’ before leaving the ring. That was the best time for Reigns to make a heel turn. The second-best time is now.

The question remains, will WWE take their chances?