10 Ways WWE Can Fix Their Broken Face/Heel Alignment System
6. Let Wrestlers Be Themselves
WWE love forcing their wrestlers into roles they aren't comfortable with, and the performers' unease always comes through on camera. Roman Reigns reeks of villainy, yet he's often miscast as an underdog babyface, while Seth Rollins never sounded convincing as the oppressed employee to Triple H's evil boss. The performers' inability to buy into their own personas made it extremely difficult for the fans to do the same, and both suffered.
This insistence on forcing wrestlers into such strict character archetypes is as maddening as it is counterproductive. Today's wrestling fans are smarter than ever, and they know when somebody's faking it. This means it has never been so crucial that the company let wrestlers be themselves, building investment through the traits the audience already see in the performers, not those the company impose upon them.
TJ Perkins felt like the most natural babyface in the world after winning the Cruiserweight Classic, but a paper-thin gamer gimmick killed his popularity on 205 Live. This is what happens when you force a performer to be something they're not. Allowing performers like him, Reigns, and Rollins play their natural roles should see them soar along the alignment scale. Instead, they're stuck in the murky middle because WWE won't cede control.