Triple H Explains Why WWE Won't Turn Roman Reigns Heel: According To The Game, He Already Is
As Roman Reigns continues to be soundly booed out of every building he sets foot in, Triple H offers an explanation (of sorts) as to why WWE don't simply make the guy someone fans want to boo.
It would not be fair or accurate to say Roman Reigns doesn't have his share of fans, but the overall negative reaction he receives 99% of the time is undeniable. This is something that been debated back and forth by fans and insiders ever since it became clear that WWE wanted him as their new "top guy", and as Reigns heads into his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 this Sunday, it's become very clear that the company has no intentions of making his character a bad guy.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Triple H, AKA Paul Levesque, was asked about this and responded by stating that because of the reaction he gets, Reigns already is a heel:
“People can look at Roman Reigns and say, ‘The failed attempt that is Roman Reigns,’ but Roman Reigns sells tickets. Roman Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions every night, whether that reaction is a boo or whether that reaction is a cheer. The fans who say, ‘I don’t understand why they don’t turn Roman Reigns heel!’ Isn’t he already?
If you believe what you believe, and you’re saying, ‘How can they not turn him heel? There is 70 percent of the crowd booing him out of the building!’ If that’s your belief, then isn’t he already the biggest heel we have? If 70 percent of that crowd is booing him, then he’s a heel. We’re just presenting him to you in a different way that makes you hate him.”
And that last line says it all; Reigns being booed may technically make him a "villain" in the eyes of a lot of fans, but the point is, WWE is not presenting him as one. He's not cheating to win matches, he's not berating the crowd, and he's not belittling The Undertaker's legacy in a way many hoped he would leading into their Mania match.
WWE can and most likely will continue to try to shoehorn Reigns into the top babyface position in the company, but unless they do something to alter his character or, at least, the WWE Universe's perception of his character, those boos are only going to get louder.
Anyway, that's just my take on it. What do you guys make of Triple H's comments and the whole Reigns dilemma?