10 Biggest WWE Creative Mistakes Of 2016
2. Not Turning Roman Reigns Heel
Mast fans have long since given up on the idea of Roman Reigns turning heel. It was immediately apparently that this “top babyface” project would fail from the moment his hand was raised at the 2015 Royal Rumble, but WWE have stayed their course in the face of escalating negativity. This will likely be the norm for the rest of Reigns’ career with the company, and we might as well get used to it.
That being said, WWE missed an excellent opportunity to finally pull the trigger earlier this year. Reigns walked away from WrestleMania 32 as a reviled World Champion, and as he spoke the next night on Raw, he was dripping with smug arrogance. His “I’m not a good guy, I’m not a bad guy,” quip made for an excellent soundbite, and it looked like WWE were finally tapping into his naturally cocky persona.
But the turn didn’t happen, and Roman Reigns remains Raw’s preferred babyface. Not turning him is a horrendous creative decision that, had it gone the other way, would’ve immediately resolved one of Raw’s biggest problems. It would’ve established Reigns as the brand’s top heel, let Seth Rollins slide into a more natural face role than the one he plays today, and cleared much of the murk surrounding Raw’s current title scene. Unfortunately, this seems like too much to ask for at this point.