Triple H Gives His Thoughts On A Roman Reigns Heel Turn

Barely a day goes by without gripes about Roman Reigns, his failed babyface push or WWE's reluctance to accept their own fate and turn him heel.

It's hard to call him polarizing in the same sense as John Cena, because the negative responses toward Cena took years to develop, and still remain split much more evenly than his detractors care to admit. Factor in the absurd amount of merchandise that the 16-time champion moves and one can understand - even if only begrudgingly - WWE's unwillingness to give him the villain treatment.

Reigns, on the other hand, didn't take long to draw the ire of the fanbase. Once it became obvious he was the company's chosen one, they viciously rebelled against him in an act of defiance not seen since WCW crowds rejected Hulk Hogan. That in itself is worth noting since it prompted a heel turn that sparked the biggest angle in the history of wrestling, but then again "those who choose to ignore history..."

Sadly for anyone still holding out hope, Triple H has been talking about turning Reigns in an interview with Sports Illustrated, and his response to the question won't win him many fans:

“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.

Honestly this answer comes across as a bit of a cop out, albeit one from someone who is at least fully in-touch with the audience's feelings on the matter. It's hard to imagine that a savvy worker with the vast amount of knowledge and experience of Triple H would believe that not turning Reigns makes the most business sense. This entire "We're changing the way heels and faces are written" doesn't fly.

WWE would love nothing more than for Reigns to get Austin/Rock/Hogan-type pops, but it's not happening, so instead they're stubbornly forging ahead hoping fans will eventually catch on or just collapse from fatigue and join the Roman Empire.

For those of you who were hoping that Triple H could be the voice of reason in Vince McMahon's ear regarding Roman Reigns as "the guy", you can put an end to that pipe dream.