10 Most Shocking 2020 Wrestler Transformations

2. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns
WWE.com/WWE.com

For years, wrestling fans have been calling for Roman Reigns to turn heel. In 2020, those same fans finally got what they'd asked for - and it has been absolutely glorious!

Having opted to sit out for a good portion of 2020 due to the ongoing global pandemic, the WWE's resident Big Dog made his shocking return at the SummerSlam PPV. Not just was Roman back, but his overall package had undergone a huge change.

Physically, Reigns was in the best shape of his life. Aesthetically, he finally dropped that goddamn SWAT team vest and opted for a shirtless appearance. Attitude-wise, Roman morphed into the tough, demanding High Chief persona that he also used to corrupt his cousin Jey. And then, just as the cherry on the cake, the greaseball presence of Paul Heyman is now forever at Reigns' side.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.