What’s the story?
On a recent episode of his podcast, Conversation With The Big Guy, former WWE Superstar Ryback tried to explain why Roman Reigns has not been turned ‘heel’ despite him constantly receiving negative reception from fans.
In case you didn’t know…
While Roman Reigns was cheered by crowds as long as he was part of The Shield, his failure to leave the group’s shadow after it disbanded, brought about a decline in his popularity. Despite the WWE’s efforts to establish Reigns as the biggest name in the business, the fan reaction towards him has been largely hostile.
He even went on to be named the ‘Most Hated Wrestler of the Year’ by Pro Wrestling Illustrated last year.
The heart of the matter
According to Ryback, the WWE must acknowledge the fans’ hatred towards Roman Reigns and turn him ‘heel’. However, he added that the promotion is holding back on it because the WWE fears that his strong merchandise numbers may come down because of the change. This is what ‘The Big Guy’ had to say about Reigns:
“So here's another theory, and like, fans though… the more successful you are, the more people hate you. But, I do feel you have to acknowledge them on a certain level. But the reason, if they haven't done it yet, it's probably because of the merchandise numbers that he's pulling in [are] probably very, very strong.”
Ryback feels that turning ‘The Big Dog’ villainous at the right time may actually help him become a bigger ‘babyface’. In his opinion, taking a step back may end up changing the attitude of fans towards the three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion and make him a likeable character. He explained:
“[The way] I look at it though, if you did acknowledge them and turn him heel at the right time, you could make him an even bigger babyface. You could get those people to actually really like him if you did that and took a step back, which they might do. You never know.”
What next?
Although pitting Roman Reigns against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 may not have done his image among fans any favours, the WWE certainly have an opportunity to provide ‘The Guy’ with a much-needed heel turn this Sunday.
Author’s take
With all of WWE’s attempts to put Roman Reigns in the same league as John Cena or Stone Cold Steve Austin or even The Rock having failed, making him a ‘heel’ could well be a final roll of dice in terms of getting the 31-year-old where they want him to be.
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