10 Most Hated WWE Champions

1. Roman Reigns

John Cena
WWE.com

During the height of the hatred hurled at John Cena, Vince McMahon presumably couldn't wait for a simpler time in the future where he yet again had unanimously beloved babyface. When he finally got one, his problems grew more complex.

The loathing Roman Reigns has endured is as much to do with the company's resolute failure to manage the unexpected uprising that came with the anti-push afforded to Daniel Bryan. At the 2014 Royal Rumble, part-timer Batista was showered in disdain as a recipient of a role fans considered unearned next to the 'Yes Man'. 'The Big Dog's spot in the catbird seat a year later tapped into a near-identical rage, and there was unfortunately no way back.

Kept away from the title until November 2015 then instantly robbed of it in an effort to mirror the sympathy Bryan had received years earlier, fans instead got drunk on Roman's tears. His WrestleMania 32 title clash with Triple H was one of the company's most noticeable experimentations with live sound-sweetening as a vuvuzela-like chorus threatened to derail the match entirely. Fans erupted at his unexpected title loss in June 2016, and still haven't looked remotely welcoming towards his impending return to the top of the tree.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett