10 Wrestlers Who Drew REAL Heat In The Post-Kayfabe Age

5. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns - smug, entitled, overbearing - was such an effective heel that he was relied upon to get babyfaces over in time for their big WrestleMania moment.

At the 2017 Royal Rumble, he was positioned alongside Randy Orton in the final two. Orton, while on a very decent run, was a somewhat uninspiring choice to win what was traditionally a star-making vehicle - particularly since he was 15 years deep into his WWE career at that point. But Reigns was so despised that Orton got over just by tossing him out.

A year later, Roman's heel work proved so resoundingly effective that WWE went with him again. So over-powered and decorated was Roman that he proved the perfect contrast to the popular Shinsuke Nakamura, who had endured a middling run despite said support. WWE used Roman to realise - and manipulate - that anxiety.

The problem here is that Roman Reigns was actually a babyface.

Whom WWE positioned as a situational heel to get babyfaces over.

Before attempting to get him over as a babyface without altering his presentation.

Capital.