10 Reasons WWE Fans Will FINALLY Accept Roman Reigns

4. A Heel Turn Is Not Unthinkable

Roman Reigns Old School Title
WWE

Reigns doesn't grant wishes - if he did, he'd have turned heel already "am I right?" - and, moreover, Reigns is not the objective draw his supposed predecessor was. Cena was a merchandise-shifting revelation. His removal from live events forced WWE to refund audiences despite the 'card is subject to change' caveat. He exists now as the only "free agent" on the roster because he is the only talent on the roster with enough pull to pop a one-off TV rating.

Reigns is a merchandise draw, but elsewhere, his absence from WWE TV is barely appreciable. WWE couldn't allow themselves to turn Cena, even if the fiction suffered for years with his character at the forefront of it. The reality was that Cena's drawing power and PR-friendly persona resisted all temptation. Now, when the brand more than ever is the draw, the prospect of Reigns turning heel is a far likelier prospect. Theoretically, a turn allows Reigns to tap into and make sense of the palpable smugness so many find alienating - thus sparing fans the at-times irreconcilable and anachronistic SuperMan act. Wrestling history virtually guarantees that the route to fan acceptance is paved by bad behaviour - and imagine Reigns, as a smirking heel, ironically adopting "Sufferin' Succotash!" as a full-time catchphrase.

He is a heat magnet - and WWE is not entirely repelled by that idea.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!