Ever since Roman Reigns returned to WWE in 2020 following a hiatus, he has been on an upward trajectory. In the last three years, Reigns has established his own faction- The Bloodline, won both the WWE and Universal World championships, and defended his undisputed Universal Championship at successive WrestleManias. The Tribal Chief, however, did all these as a heel.
There are rumors doing the rounds of the WWE making special plans for Reigns, who recently celebrated 1000 days as the champion. The proposed plan has been rejected outrightly by fans, who reminded the promotion of a past mistake.
What is the WWE planning for Roman Reigns?
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Reigns, who recently turned 38, made his debut in 2012. While he has tasted success previously, nothing comes remotely close to his current run as a dominant heel. But now the Stamford-based promotion wants to turn him into a babyface. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the promotion is planning a superhero babyface run for their top star.
“The angle remains the focal point of the company and has plenty of twists and turns left. There is who Jey Uso sides with that can be dragged out, the inevitable Sikoa and Reigns feud, more with Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes way down the line, and in the end, the Reigns babyface turn in the role as the all-time legend, which it seems these past few years is grooming him to be, and the special attraction superhero babyface for the big shows,” Meltzer said.
WWE Plans On Turning Roman Reigns Into A ‘Superhero Babyface’ https://t.co/1RdxHF0vXQ
— Ringside News (@ringsidenews_) June 2, 2023
The news failed to excite fans. Reigns had earlier wrestled as a babyface in the company, with limited success and fanfare. In 2016, Reigns, while being a babyface, received the infamous ‘Most Hated Wrestler of the Year’ by Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, based on readers’ votes. According to reports, this was the first such award for a babyface since its inception in 1972.
Furthermore, Wrestling Observer Newsletter adjudged him the ‘Most Overrated’ wrestler that year. The WWE Universe reminded the promotion of those times.
Fans warn WWE against rumored move
There is no doubt that heel Roman Reigns is the best for business. And that is why the company has given him an extensive run. He’s one of the five wrestlers to have held on to the championship for over 1,000 days, dating back to the time of legendary Bruno Sammartino.
The Italian Strongman is the only wrestler to have two thousand-day reigns. His 2803 days as the champion still stands as the longest title run for a champion. Bob Buckland is second, with 2135 days. Hulk Hogan’s 1474-day championship reign is third on the list, followed by Sammartino’s 1237-day run. Reigns is likely to cross Pedro Morales’ 1027-day title run during his current reign.
However, fans weren’t happy with the rumored change for the 6x champion.
This fan said they sensed Vince McMahon’s involvement in the decision.
Now this is a bad idea I can see Vince all over this
— Mo Lucas 🇲🇦🇬🇧 (@Mighty1Lucas) June 2, 2023
Another chose sarcasm to drive home the point.
cos that worked so well last time
— Desmond Davies (@DesLivsForChaos) June 2, 2023
Let’s hope this one-word reaction would do the trick.
B o r i n g
— Ricardo (@cartagena_11) June 3, 2023
A blast from the past?
This failed already….
— Dom (@Underrated_Dom) June 2, 2023
This fan loves Reigns the way he is.
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No. The Tribal Chief is a certified heel ☝🏻
— Nabeel (@EnterTheHangman) June 2, 2023
There might be plans to turn Reigns face, but going by his current booking it may be a while before we see him returning to the good side again.
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So, what is your reaction to the news? Let us know in the comments.
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