Austin Explains Why WWE Should Turn Reigns Heel

[Farese12]

From NODQ.com

On the latest episode of The Steve Austin Show, the WWE Hall of Famer said he feels Vince is sticking with Reigns' currently face push for too long.

“I predicted this all along. The kid has got to have a heel run before he’s going to be universally loved because that’s just the way that I see it," Austin explained, "I’ve always said that I think the guy needs to be a heel first, but, nonetheless, that’s not my call. That’s the booking committee’s call or Vince [McMahon]’s call….That’s what’s going to make it fun again because everybody is going to be so onboard with booing him! I’m telling you, once he goes through that process, whether that takes one year, two years, [or] whatever, then, they’re going to end up loving the guy.

“To me, it’s like Vince chose this guy and he’s sticking with him. Whatever the fans think, whether it’s the smart marks, or the casual fans, or the fervent fans, I don’t know. He’s sticking with this guy and I don’t know. He’s not going to pick another guy because he has so much invested in this guy, so he [has] got to keep riding him, but he could ride him in a different direction, but you can’t back off the gas pedal. Babyface or heel, you’ve got to keep the pedal to the metal with this guy because if you don’t, he will become an also-ran immediately.”



Austin said that he thinks Reigns is a "good dude" and has the support of the locker room. Austin explained that he doesn't think the fans' negative reactions are Reigns' fault.

“I talk to Roman Reigns every time I go to do a podcast [for the WWE Network]. [The] dude’s a great guy. Everybody on the roster supports that guy because he’s a good dude, so everybody loves him," said The Texas Rattlesnake. "So whatever’s happening ain’t his fault. It’s just his personality, his looks, [and] the way he [has] been pushed. He’s a tremendous cat but sometimes these things, [in] the business of pro wrestling, you’ve got to walk through that fire first and I still think that’s what he’s going to have to do. But, hey, if Vince can get that kid over as a monster baby, more power to him and swig of beer to Roman Reigns for doing so, but that remains to be seen.”

Now this is just further proof that Vince is a knucklehead these days, and needs to quit being so stubborn, or hand it over to someone else, creative wise. If someone like SCSA is saying something like this, don't you think it holds a little weight? Thoughts?

 

[Navi]

Whatever Austin says it's not going to change anything, the WWE have invested a lot of time and effort into Roman Reigns, and Vince is going balls to the walls to get him over.

It doesn't matter whether you're a fan of Reigns, or whether you agree with Vince or not, he's in charge and is the one to make the final call. I don't know Vince McMahon personally, but he just comes across as the type of person that once a decision is made he's going to stick with it, sink or swim. No one can predict the future but Reigns even if he turns heel will never be universally accepted by the fans.

Like I've said in other posts, the WWE has used almost every weapon in their arsenal to-date and it's two steps forward one step back. I can't remember any wrestler in recent history that they've stuck with for so long so they obviously feel he's worth it. Barely even remember Lex Lugar and can't remember how long that experiment went on before it was ended, but they've spend two years on Reigns and it shows no sign of letting up. He's their next top guy and if what happened at the Rumble two years in a row didn't tell them anything, nothing will.

Personally I don't think Reigns would make a great heel. He was a heel with the Shield, but Rollins and Ambrose both outshone him. The fans will grumble but they will still watch, even though this week's RAW numbers showed a market decrease of over 700k for the last hour. It would take a mass exodus of fans to change McMahon's mind, and that's just not going to happen.

 

[grantedisme]

I agree with Austin here, but you have to be careful if you put added weight on his opinion. He has proven that he can be just as wrong as any of us (See: Ken Kennedy).

I have seen Reigns show improvement in the ring and on the mic, and he seems to garner only positive reactions from anyone who interacts with him. He was getting ridiculously over with the SHIELD before they separated, and then it all went wrong. Fans turned on him, and it only really takes one or two arenas booing him on live TV before fans all over the country just start bandwagoning in on it. Something drastic needs to happen to get fans back on his side, and I can pretty easily see this being it.

If he had taken Seth Rollins' spot during the initial split of the SHIELD, except being booked in a way closer to Brock Lesnar (monster heel rather than cowardly heel), they could have built up a slow anticipation for him and Triple H to turn on each other. That way, they could have ended up booking this exact same match on this Wrestlemania, just with more hype. Then again, that's tough to say, since Seth probably would have floundered as a babyface, and we would have missed out on his great run as champ (which I personally could not have anticipated based on how he was before).

In either case, I think most people agree that SOMETHING needs to change with the Roman Reigns character to get the fans back on his side. At this point, a good start might be getting different ring attire, since that vest looks stupid.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Austin is preaching to the choir, as many others have echoed the exact same sentiments. And as we all know, none of it matters until Vince himself is convinced.

If there was ever a great time to turn Roman, Survivor Series was that time. Ambrose should have won the title in a shocker, sending Roman over the edge in frustration at coming up short again and attacking his friend because he wants to be champion that bad. He could have won the belt from Dean the following month at TLC, and ridden into Wrestlemania has a monster heel champion defending against a mega face in Ambrose or whoever else.

Reigns could make a solid heel. For one, much of the heat is already there so he's got a head start. He could just play up the things that his haters already think of him: that he's only in this spot because of his looks and family. Have him agree and say he DESERVES to be on top because of those factors. And like many major heels, the fans would eventually embrace him again and he'd be in a far better spot than he is now in terms of crowd support.

But like I said, Vince doesn't seem to see things that way so it's pretty much moot.

 

[louchratis]

With all due respect for Austin, the problem is not the fact that Reigns is a babyface instead of a heel. The problem is with the fact that he still has not developed a character unique to him that actually makes sense. For example, he's booked like an underdog in the Punk/Bryan mold but definitely doesn't look like an underdog and has been give chance after chance storyline-wise. He also hasn't developed his own character since he is the only member of the Shield who still wears the Kevlar and comes out to their song. Last, he presents as a meathead. I'm not a Cena fan but I'll admit that Cena is a smart guy. He can speak multiple languages, is extremely comfortable on the mic, and knows how to adapt mid-promo and work a crowd. Reigns just goes out and delivers his lines exactly as they are written. Then, when people boo, he has a hopeless deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. His inability to adapt will continue to haunt him regardless of whether he is a heel or a face.

 

[achromat666]

With all due respect for Austin, the problem is not the fact that Reigns is a babyface instead of a heel. The problem is with the fact that he still has not developed a character unique to him that actually makes sense. For example, he's booked like an underdog in the Punk/Bryan mold but definitely doesn't look like an underdog and has been give chance after chance storyline-wise. He also hasn't developed his own character since he is the only member of the Shield who still wears the Kevlar and comes out to their song. Last, he presents as a meathead. I'm not a Cena fan but I'll admit that Cena is a smart guy. He can speak multiple languages, is extremely comfortable on the mic, and knows how to adapt mid-promo and work a crowd. Reigns just goes out and delivers his lines exactly as they are written. Then, when people boo, he has a hopeless deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. His inability to adapt will continue to haunt him regardless of whether he is a heel or a face.

Exactly this, in my view. Roman has no experience actually working a crowd on the mic. He seldom ever engages them directly and seems incapable of working them to any real degree. Hell, this whole build up to WM for most of the year has been pretty much guided by Vince and the Authority in that they have tried to put him over rather than making him get himself over.

This is honestly the most I've seen this happen as well. They don't give him a mouthpiece, they don't let him say anything that doesn't either sound scripted, inept or both and they simply don't let him fly or fail on his own. Being able to work a good match is not the same as being able to work the crowd with words. And in the WWE, people with far more talent have been looked over for lacking mic skills.

I've said before they made a huge mistake in not pushing him with a second tier title to test the waters on how he can be a champion. How he works a crowd, how he plays off his opponents and how he sells a match. Roman can barely sell himself and doesn't put anyone else over.

There is a difference between being given the chance to be the man and actually being the man. Roman is getting all the chances in the world, but lacks fundamental mic skills and crowd control. Those two things made every other top star and they're pushing him to the moon without either.

Until that changes, expect more disappointment.

 

[OYDK]

Austin says a lot, sometimes he's right and sometimes he's wrong. I saw a headline a couple of days ago saying "Stone Cold Says this Mania is Make or Break for Reigns!" and I swear on everything that he said the EXACT same thing last year. In this case though, it's almost common sense at this point. Everybody from Stone Cold to his dog can see that Roman Reigns needs to be a heel before he has any chance of being the babyface that they want him to be. Who knows, maybe Reigns will even excel to the point of becoming the company's top heel of the future, but nobody's ever going to know unless they "go there".

Reigns as a heel would be huge and a turn would change the entire dynamics of the way he operates, which is what he desperately needs... an overhaul. Sooner or later, I have to believe it will happen. There's only so long you can try to break through a brick wall with your head.

 

[stingray11214]

Vince will change his tune on Reigns if he gets only 70K for WM32. He won't have a choice as the shareholders will go bonkers at such an embarrassment. And, not coming close to a sellout will be an abject humiliation to Stamford. But, Austin is wrong on Reigns becoming a heel. Reigns does not have the moveset of a heel. What they SHOULD do is bring in Apollo Crews to unite with Ambrose and Reigns to create Shield 2.0. Reigns is a tag wrestler. No disgrace in that. But, the world is seeing that he just does NOT have that "It" factor to be the #1 Man in the E.

 

[sMark]

Let's be honest. Nobody wants another goofy John Cena to be on top for the next 5-10 years and Reigns isn't that good on the mic, i think Goldberg silent but nearly unbeaten character with Sting's vengence to all bad guys can work for Reigns very well. New attire and haircut is also a welcome change

 

[Boombaddaboom]

The problem is those looking at turning Reigns heel are wrestling fans....Vinny Mac is now a sports entertainer! The greatest heel turn ever was Hogan/NWO - how does he top that? Ideas?

 

[Dave]

Vince has always struck me as a man who will not change his mind at any cost. If it meant the difference between his company going down the the tubes and him being proved wrong, then it would be goodbye WWE. And this is the case with Roman Reigns unfortunately. I totally agree with Austin on this one. Roman Reigns could be a very good heel and, if history had taught us anything, the WWE fans love a heel more than they love a face. CM Punk executed that perfectly and became one of the biggest faces on the entire roster. Austin is another guy who executed it perfectly and he is now the authority on the matter.

Reigns is a good guy, Austin is right about that. But the fans are never going to accept another Vince McMahon guy after John Cena. Cena is the example of how Vince will never change his kind when he has it made up and Cena just sells too much. The fans know that if they begin to accept Reigns, then this is all over for Reigns. His develoment will come to a complete halt and he will remain the same character for his entire WWE career. That's not TV and that's not the way wrestling should be anymore. Vince can't grasp that. And poor Roman is going to be stuck in the middle of that for the foreseeable future unfortunately.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

At this point even a heel turn may not help because of many of the points made in this thread. The initial night of the turn and a couple weeks afterward are easy. Nuclear heat. Fresh new programming. It would go over HUGE.

But then after two mid-year shit PPVs and Roman becoming stale AGAIN because he can't work a room to save his life...then what? Oh Oh Oh now we turn him back face!!!!!

Now you have Randy Orton 2.0 with neither the in-ring talent or promo abilities.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Roman Reigns isn't connecting with the majority of the audience in ANY capacity. Having him turn heel wouldn't change a whole lot of that reaction, and also it sucks that HHH could potentially be seeking out a babyface reaction for him. None of the story make sense, seeing as the fans don't really care what happens to Reigns.

It's one of those things that has to happen organically and at this point, there's really no way to do this other than taking him out of the main event against HHH or add someone like Ambrose into the main event with Reigns and HHH to give Reigns an opportunity to turn heel in the best way possible...

...by turning on Ambrose similar to what Stone Cold did against The Rock with Vince McMahon.

Have Reigns and HHH collaborate together and get the belt on Reigns at Wrestlemania and have Ambrose get the major push he deserves until Rollins comes back. Other than that, there's really nothing that'll save the main event.

 

[Azane]

As long as they insist on giving Roman a Microphone, there's no hope for him.

Make him a silent Bad-ass killer heel, and he's fine, hand him a mic and "LOL TATER TOTS!" all over again.

Give him some program where he works for what he earns also, the current gimmick where he lays around for 70% of his matches then makes the miraculous comeback is too Cenaesque and it's what makes his matches entirely boring, I can tell you right now, Wrestlemania will end with a Superman Punch out of nowhere and a Spear out of nowhere after Triple H does something with a sledgehammer and somebody interferes. I could have told you this is how it played out at Summerslam (although I would of bet Roman was walking in with the belt and HHH was challenging).

WWE has every single opportunity to turn Roman and save on their investment that they put into building him as a face, by using that as fuel for the heat. Ambrose vs Reigns by Summerslam would be fantastic, and I couldn't predict who comes out of that on top if Reigns is heel. If he's face, LOLROMANWINS. 50/50 booking everywhere, except when your ME is 95/5

 

[mkw1962]

Turning Roman a heel is a great start, get him a mouthpiece and a new outfit to go with the heel turn and we got something.

 

[kadroan]

WWE is just going to have to ride it out. A double turn would have been nice where HHH could be more like himself in real life where he favors the new age of wrestling vs. on TV where he seems to favor's Vince's vision.

Vince sides with Reigns and Taker and HHH and Steph are aligned with Shane.