Roman Reigns

[Jimmy Redman]

Pushed consistently sure, but the same as like, Orton and Edge and Hunter and Batista were pushed consistently too. But he was clearly on a level above all those guys.

[Matt D]

I guess I was just saying he would have had opportunities, ten years of opportunities (and in that regard, we ought to look at Hogan from 82-99 or so, right? Not just from 84-93). Then it comes down to this: Would Cena have become just another guy eventually if he had turned or is there something innately special about him that would have allowed him to be able to make the most of that opportunity, and come out of it with even a broader appeal?

[Jimmy Redman]

This is what I'm saying, honestly, I don't know.

 

I think there is definitely something special about Cena and he would have been a big star either way, except for the most hideous of mismanaging. The question is whether he'd be quite AS big as he was in reality.

 

I suppose it also depends on when exactly he turns and what they do with it.

 

On the subject of Roman, I think he has much more potential for a turn to work simply because he doesn't have that special connection to a generation of kids the way that Cena did, and kids are the ones you're pissing off the most with a heel turn. You're not risking as much merch/kid money with Roman so the risk/reward ratio seems much more conducive to a turn with him. Like, worst case, you have a new top heel who doesn't sell as much merch as he did as a face.

[goc]

You're not risking as much merch money with Roman as you are with Cena but Roman is still the biggest merchandise seller on the active roster. Who exactly is a good enough babyface to match up against Roman if he turns heel? The people who are booing him now would almost immediately start cheering him in the absence of a really over babyface to cheer for and Seth Rollins is definitely not that guy and I don't think Finn Balor is either.

 

If Roman is a babyface getting booed and we're supposed to believe that's a Very Bad Thing why would a heel Roman getting cheered be some massive upgrade? Do you really think the people booing him now that have been saying for like 2 years "Roman would be a great heel, why won't they turn him!?" wouldn't immediately cheer him because they got their way?

[Matt D]

He should be a heel for less than a year. He should be dominant. He should steamroll people.

[goc]

He should be a heel for less than a year. He should be dominant. He should steamroll people.

How exactly does that work when you already have Braun and Brock doing that?

[Jimmy Redman]

They would cheer him. Then he would finally be cheered. That's the whole point. This is a possible solution to the problem of Roman being hated.

 

And I think Finn Balor actually could go up against heel Roman. They could have done a double turn with Braun and Roman. There's also Nak and AJ but that's a brand issue.

[goc]

But why is a heel being cheered better than a face being booed? And why would we automatically assume this caries over when he turns back babyface again? This is what makes no sense to me.

 

I don't get the idea of making Braun a face either. That's like 2003 babyface Brock level bad idea.

[Jimmy Redman]

But why is a heel being cheered better than a face being booed? And why would we automatically assume this caries over when he turns back babyface again? This is what makes no sense to me.

 

I don't get the idea of making Braun a face either. That's like 2003 babyface Brock level bad idea.

 

A heel being cheered is better than a face being booed in this case because then hopefully the idiot brigade is assuaged by it and they start loving him again, and hopefully when he turns back he retains enough of an edge to keep at least most of the cheers.

 

Like I said, worst case, he gets booed as a heel and you have a new top heel. Best case, he goes on a tear as a heel and gets the crowd on board, allowing him to become what he was supposed to be all along - a popular ace.

 

Braun already gets cheered wildly every week for beating up Roman. If there was no commentary you could watch this feud and assume he was the face and Roman the heel. So it wouldn't be much of a stretch. This is only in relation to potential opponents for a heel Roman run, and I'm certainly not advocating for him to be a babyface beyond that.

[stro]

But why is a heel being cheered better than a face being booed? And why would we automatically assume this caries over when he turns back babyface again? This is what makes no sense to me.

 

I don't get the idea of making Braun a face either. That's like 2003 babyface Brock level bad idea.

 

Braun will eventually turn face and replace Big Show as the new Andre/friendly giant who can get mad and kill you, because that's his real personality and will absolutely work. But there's no need for that for a long time. Like, years.

[Mrzfn]

Just for the sake of argument, I would say a heel that gets cheered is better than a face that gets booed, because people who are cheering are at least having a good time. I know there's an argument that people have a good time booing faces as well but I feel like it's not as good an indicator.

[goc]

I don't see a disconnect between them they are two sides of the same coin. If a heel is getting cheered it makes it far more likely that his babyface opponent will get booed. See: AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose at Backlash.

[Cap]

I have always liked the idea of Reigns as the central force on a brand who they feud with the bevy of "indy darling" guys who are - for the most part - smaller than him, but present unique matchups. Reigns is really good and he can clearly put on classics, especially with the right opponents. I am generally uninterested in him being "heel" or "face". I think they have kind of committed him to being something in between that is more face when the chips are down, but perfectly hatable and that is ok. But working him on top with a rotation of guys that he can really excel with could help run the gamut of emotions. Fans are going to be fickle with him because they like being fickle with him, but I see really letting him focus on putting on big matches with popular guys that people associate with "work-rate" (whatever that means to them) as a way of getting the fans who hate those guys behind reigns, developing good stories and matches on the backs of those who reject him and/or remain obsessed with the "indy-guys" and if it is done right it could cultivate an appreciation for an all time run and everything he put into a big title reign. That could give them options once the dust settles to turn him legit face if they wanted or run down the path they are on. I just think they need to commit to him doing what he is doing, but highlight it more with the belt, especially if he is the guy to go over Brock clean (with out catching him off guard).