WWE.comI ask, when the companys Executive Vice President of Creative and veteran ring performer receives roaring applause for pummeling the companys supposed top babyface, can we really say that WWE is blind to the fact that fans dont like Roman Reigns? Triple H is not an idiot. Thats too easy an answer. Something else is going on. WWE is trying to break down the traditional roles of face and heel, to let fans see between the lines and judge superstars as dynamic characters with intentions that vary beyond the moral limits of good and evil. Lets return to Raw in order to unpack that. Part of the reason the crowd was so jazzed up at Raws closing segment was because they were riding on the heels of Shane McMahons explosive and totally unexpected return. Shane-O-Mac revealed himself as a sort of power behind Stephanies throne. And like fans, he has had enough of the companys mismanagement. In an incredible fourth-wall-leaning bit of meta-commentary, Shane rubbed Stephanies face in WWEs poor performance in recent months:
You and your husband Triple H have been running this company into the ground. Lets take a few indicators. Lets look at the stock, lets look at ratings, lets look at the plethora of talent injuries all under your watch, all under your auspices, down into the ground. Great job."
WWE.comShane went on to demand that Vince give him control of Raw. Instantly, he became the hero the fans craved. But then Vince gave Shane his conditions: Shane would have to beat The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania in order to get his way. Much has already been written about the ambiguity surrounding the booking, and it is clear that this will not be an easy plot twist for fans to get behind. Fans want nothing more than for Shane to cease control of Raw. Even if it were only kayfabe, it would symbolize a shift away from the same-old, same-old. At the same time though, no one wants to see The Undertaker lose at WrestleMania again, especially since this could possibly be his last. In other words, there is no hero, and there is no villain. There is no face and heel, good and evil. What WWE does, then, is force fans to cheer or boo based on how they want the story to play out, rather than based on simple emotional reactions to hero and villain roles. And this isnt new. The split from the face/heel dichotomy is long underway.
