WWE tried its hardest to push Roman Reigns as the company's top babyface, but the former Shield member was rejected by fans time and time again.
Through multiple WrestleMania main events and title wins, many refused to embrace The Big Dog, though much of that can be blamed on bad booking and awful (Vince McMahon) WWE creative.
After returning to the company as a heel in 2020, Reigns became the Tribal Chief and Head of the Table. Now, he's WWE's biggest draw and, when the time is right, he'll be the top babyface the company always wanted.
Paul Heyman has been by Reigns' side from the start, and in a recent interview with Tetragrammaton, he shed some light on what the breaking point was for the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and why he ultimately demanded that heel turn.
"The feud-rivalry-story with Baron Corbin over dog food, and the infamous 'suffering succotash' promo, had weighed on him enough to where he said, 'I've had enough. I've reached the cap. I can't go any further as the Big Dog,'" Heyman recalled before sharing more insights into Reigns' thinking.
"'I've peaked, [but] as an athlete I haven't peaked. As a performer, I've barely scratched the surface. I have so much more to offer, and since I'm taking time off, I'm not coming back as the same person. This is where I make my move.'"
"'This is where I do, for me, what Lesnar did for himself when he conquered the streak. Something has to become my defining moment, and then propel forward from there — the catalyst to something completely different.'"
That catalyst was the aforementioned heel turn, a decision which has led to years of compelling storytelling which continues to this day. With Triple H now in charge of creative, things have only gotten better, and we're sure Reigns isn't mourning the awful creative imposed on him by McMahon.
Find out what he'll likely be up to at Money in the Bank by clicking here.