10 Ways WWE Can Fix Their Broken Face/Heel Alignment System
3. Stop Forcing It
WWE's refusal to listen and adapt to their audience is a common criticism, but one with merit. Vince McMahon & co. are stubborn beyond belief. They're going to do things their way whether you like it or not, because they can. An unassailable market position means they can do whatever they want without consequence, safe in the knowledge that their audience has nowhere else to go.
The company's habit of forcing their chosen narrative down their fans' throats regardless of whether they like it or not is endlessly frustrating. This is particularly relevant when it comes to alignments. Rather than looking at how crowds are responding to specific wrestlers and plotting their course accordingly, WWE generally stick to their path no matter how badly the push goes down, as proven by Roman Reigns' lengthy face run.
Braun Strowman's ongoing push shows the other approach's power. He's technically a heel, but WWE are content to let the audience respond to 'The Monster Among Men' whatever way they please, rather than forcing him towards stereotypical 'bad guy' behaviour. It has turned Braun into a de facto babyface in his feud with Brock Lesnar, and while WWE shouldn't pollute their roster with too many 'shades of grey' characters, they'd benefit immensely from letting the fans, not their convoluted writing, push the wrestlers' alignments more often.