10 Wrestlers Who Improved At Something They Were Terrible At
2. Roman Reigns - Commanding An Audience
A crowd chanting "You can't wrestle!" at Roman Reigns in 2022 is borderline unthinkable, given his universal popularity amongst WWE's ticket-buying fanbase, but this was his fate on Raw's 20 June 2016 episode. Stood opposite his more popular, cooler, and (in the audience's eyes) better Shield brother Dean Ambrose, the lagging babyface project's skills were condemned by a consumer base that had long since rejected him.
It was unquestionably a harsh assessment of a green-but-gifted prospect who had already delivered with opponents as diverse as AJ Styles, Big Show, and Bray Wyatt. Nonetheless, Reigns had failed to live up to Vince McMahon's vision of him as a company-carrying Hogan-like - and nothing could sway the vitriol and bile thrown his way.
Little of which was his fault. Roman wasn't yet ready for the spotlight thrust upon him, though this was largely McMahon's doing. Nonetheless, his middling, unconvincing babyface performances were those of a man with no grasp of himself or how to command an audience.
In 2022, this may be his greatest strength.
An indomitable, imposing presence who demands attention from his entrance theme's sting, Reigns has now been in the form of his life for two calendar years. There isn't a person in the arena who isn't hanging by his every movement these days. It's to his credit, too, that even after such a long title run atypical of WWE, there's barely been a hint of fan backlash, despite the toxic swamp that almost drowned him between 2015 and 2020.
All it took was a heel turn and a character Reigns felt comfortable with to complete a stunning weakness-to-strength turnaround.