Surely they aren't preparing Reigns for a heel turn?

[TheRev]

After last nights announcement as well as Bryan's win, could the plan from the beginning have been to turn Reigns into a bigger heel than Rollins? I know it may not seem likely but after recent decisions, I can't help but wonder if that was or is being discussed.

Here's why I wonder this:

1. You insert Bryan in the Rumble. Fans get upset when he is eliminated and get even more agitated when Reigns wins. Did not help build up Reigns at all.

2. Bryan comes out and makes his case for a title shot. Made Reigns look bad again because that appears to be what more fans want when the other choice is Reigns. Makes Reigns look bad again. Made him look weak and then he lost his own match (who cares if there was interference, he lost).

3. Bryan beats Rollins so he can face Reigns at Fast Lane. If Bryan loses, Reigns will likely get booed again. It's not building up his like-ability with the fans.

4. If Bryan beats Reigns at Fast Lane, Reigns would have every reason to be ticked. Would he take his anger out on the Authority or Bryan?

5. What if there is some double DQ finish at Fast Lane and they let Bryan in the main event again? If Reigns wins, it doesn't make him look any better at all. Could this be a setup for Bryan to cause Reigns to inadvertently lose, cause Brock to win and potentially let Rollins cash in, further making Reigns feel cheated?

Again this is just speculation why stack the cards against a Reigns if you want him to be your face?

Unless they are doing the unthinkable...and preparing Bryan to turn and join the Authority....but that's another topic for another day.

 

[Navi]

After the happenings of last night I have no idea what they are up too, or if they even know themselves. Asked myself the same questions you did just now.

If they are planning on making Reigns the next face, taking over Cena's spot, then you would think that putting him against the most over guy on the roster wouldn't help. It's a proven fact that having one big face isn't the way to go, as we saw last year with all the injuries to Bryan and Reigns.

Seriously thought they would try to build up both guys, so that if Reigns fails, then they have Bryan in reserve, along with Ziggler and Ambrose. The way it's looking right now, is they are splitting the fanbase. If Bryan wins at Fastlane, which I don't think he will, then all the Reigns fans will be against him. Ditto for the Bryan fans, which I think there is more of.

You also have to figure that since Lesner is presumably leaving after Mania, that only leaves Seth Rollins as the main heel. He can't have a feud with everyone, especially if Orton returns as a face. So yea don't know what's going on right now, and really hope they don't paint themselves into another corner like they did before.

 

[WimpyKid4Life]

People thought Fast Lane was going to be a "throwaway" PPV! Daniel Bryan vs Roman Reigns has a "big fight" feel to it and it looks to be an experience unlike any other. It reminds me if the Batman v Superman scenario. You have two passionate fanbases rooting for their respective favorite to beat the other top star and after/before the match you discuss and debate it with your friends and family! Bryan vs Reigns is going to be ELECTRIC!!! I'm a fan of both Superstars and I'm just excited to see an instant classic! Both have great stories to tell should they go on to face THE BEAST INCARNATE. Roman Reigns was destined for greatness as he's part of a rich wrestling family. He wants to fulfill his destiny and prove his critics wrong by slaying the beast and becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champ. Not only that, but BROCK himself was in the same position as he was destined for greatness and he accomplished his goal by beating The Rock, who is Roman's cousin. It's come full circle. Daniel Bryan is the quintessence of a fighting champion. He is the bearded underdog who we all like to cheer for. Not only that, but he's a wrestling genius and overall affable guy. He had the biggest win in his career when he beat 3 legends in one night to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champ. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be a Daniel Bryan story without a setback and he had to be stripped of the title after suffering an injury. Now DB is fighting to win back the title he never lost and once again he has to deal with tough obstacles infront of him. Should Daniel Bryan win, he'll go up against the most dominate beast in history to provide the biggest David vs Goliath story ever told.The bad-a$$ Samoan will look to Superman Punch the People's Yes! Man out of his way onto the main event of WrestleMania. The Yes Movement will look to dethrone the Roman Empire and continue the dream. Who's side are you on? #DanielBryanVsRomanReigns

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

A little confused right now as to what the plan is. I think that they are trying to appease us fans by making it look like Daniel Bryan seriously has a shot at the title at WM. The way that they are going about it.....hmmmmmm.

Is Roman Reigns turning heel? But, isn't Brock Lesnar a heel? Are we going to have a heel/heel main event at Mania? Of course not. Brock is turning face then? They will have a month to turn him face with limited tv appearances, can't say I see that turn happening. Ok so Reigns turns heel and Bryan wins? The "fans" get their way 2 years in a row and get Bryan in the Main Event at Mania? Does Ziggler face Reigns? So many questions. I am confused , but intrigued. Welcome to the Road to Wrestlemania

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

If anyone is going to turn heel my money's on Bryan, they weren't deafening but I heard some boos when he mentioned beating Roman Reigns. If the two of them enter into a long program in the future I imagine Daniel Bryan will be the one turning heel.

And no, Bryan vs Reigns DOES NOT have a big fight feel. Reigns vs Lesnar does. Daniel Bryan has never looked smaller standing next to Reigns. Rollins already pointed this out in his promo last night. Daniel Bryan doesn't appear to be a threat.

 

[Olan]

I don't see either turning heel. Instead what I think they are doing is using DB to get Roman over. Reigns beats Bryan at FASTLINE and Bryan shows him respect after the match. Then on RAW, Bryan Bryan comes out and gives Reigns his endorsement. WWE used Rock to try to get the fans to support Reigns so why not use the YES Movement to get Reigns over

 

[wwe fan2009]

I think the Regins Bryan match is to actually setup Ziggler/Bryan with Ziggler heel turn. He will cost Bryan the match. On Raw he will come out and say Bryan you had your main even wrestlemaina match last year and you want it again? what makes you so special, what about me, when is it my turn to main event Wrestlemania? If Im not in the main event neiter are you, I want you at WM, Bryan accepts setting up a heel bitter Ziggler vs Bryan.

 

[OYDK]

I think it's basically to just shut everybody up. Reigns will go on to Fast Lane and defeat Daniel Bryan so the fans can't harbor on the fact that Bryan was "screwed" into not having a chance to go to Wrestlemania imo. If Bryan loses, what is there for everybody to bitch about? Sure the fans who think they're so smart (smarks if you will), will continue to berate Reigns because they "get it", but the casuals will look at it as Reigns beat Bryan and he deserves to go to Wrestlemania.

I mean, maybe they're setting up for a Reigns heel turn, but I think that's only what WWE wants you to think. It seems that there will be some sort of swerve at Fast Lane, but I think Dolph Ziggler may be that swerve.

 

[laodaron]

Lesnar has been creeping into face territory for a bit now, because people can't differentiate being able to appreciate a guys talents and still respecting the gimmick by booing to show your appreciation for heels. So, because of that, and because he's probably leaving for UFC/Bellator for at least a bit, they have to find a replacement heel for Monday Smark Raw the night after Wrestlemania.

The person that has been booed the most in the last year is Roman Reigns, and while unjustified, the WWE would be silly to at least not evaluate whether or not those boos could continue if he remained a heel at the top of the company. Honestly, the faces right now are pretty stacked, Bryan, Cena, Orton, Ziggler, Ryback, etc. It makes sense that at least one or two of them swing over to the other side.

And Ziggler as a heel just won't work. Too many fans that are cheering for Lesnar would continue cheering for Ziggler, making him at most a tweener.

 

[Wald]

I think the Regins Bryan match is to actually setup Ziggler/Bryan with Ziggler heel turn. He will cost Bryan the match. On Raw he will come out and say Bryan you had your main even wrestlemaina match last year and you want it again? what makes you so special, what about me, when is it my turn to main event Wrestlemania? If Im not in the main event neiter are you, I want you at WM, Bryan accepts setting up a heel bitter Ziggler vs Bryan.

That's what I figured as well and that's what I think probably will happen.

Not so sure it will work and I think it will be quite damaging to Reigns regardless. He shouldn't be put anywhere near Bryan because it will highlight how much more over Bryan is with the WWE Universe and not just with the IWC.

Reigns is getting booed at Wrestlemania regardless of what he does. He'd probably have to superman punch all of ISIS for him to get over with the Wrestlemania crowd. Two big matches and three PPVs in a row where your next Austin/Rock/Cena gets booed will be awful for his development and will kill his current main event push

 

[bioshock]

When the above thinks that DB will turn heel and so on. For one I think thats just WWE trying to tone down the YES chants. And as for the Reigns cheering on some booing DB on Raw. well some cities have different fans, and Raw and PPV crowds are a 100% different for the most part, as Raw has more casual fans and kids.

So with that said Reigns will get the cheers on Raw, but when it comes to Fastlane I expect Reigns to get booed out of the building, besides the women and kids screaming. But they will all be behind DB.

And even if DB turns heel, the fans will be behind him. Remember when he tried being a heel, fans were behind the NO movement just like the YES movement. DB being heel will work in some cities, and wont in others.

 

[LionheartY2J]

What it comes down to is their need for faces following Wrestlemania:

Cena will always be the top face. The boos of the adult fans will continue to be drowned out by the sales generated from the kiddies.

Bryan's perhaps the most over guy since Stone Cold, but who knows how long his body will hold out. The same can be said for Ziggler.

Orton's obviously returning as a face in the very near future, but while he's always generated major heel heat, he's received mixed reactions as a face, and like Batista before him, the face run could be abruptly shortened.

The last thing they want is to turn Reins heel, and be forced to cram someone like Ryback or Rowan into one of the top 3 face spots.

If Cena, Bryan, Orton, Ambrose, and Ziggler were all healthy, then yes, a Reins heel turn could happen.

 

[BeastFromTheEast]

I don't see either turning heel. Instead what I think they are doing is using DB to get Roman over. Reigns beats Bryan at FASTLINE and Bryan shows him respect after the match. Then on RAW, Bryan Bryan comes out and gives Reigns his endorsement. WWE used Rock to try to get the fans to support Reigns so why not use the YES Movement to get Reigns over

I agree that I don't see a turn from either one coming. However, rather than using Daniel Bryan to get Reigns over I see Rollins costing him the match and his WM spot at Fast Lane leading into a WM feud between Rollins and Reigns. At that point they could use Rollins to help get him over and prepare him for a future title shot maybe at Summerslam or something.

 

[MCMG]

If teasing it promotes more interest then they should absolutely do just that. I reckon at this point Reigns fans will be loyal. Especially after the Rumble. It's like with Cena fans. The louder fans chant Cena sucks the more likely his fans will go out and buy a t-shirt - too support him. Anyway, Reigns being more realistic can't hurt. It shouldn't really matter if a wrestler is "good" or "bad"; Roman should want to take them out if those people are preventing them from reaching his goals. See Lesnar, Brock.

Ultimately, I think Reigns is going to be their next big babyface. It's as simple as that so they need to figure out how to get him there. Facing Bryan at Fast Lane (or in a triple threat) will help him gain credibility. A good match wins back some fans that are doubting him. Indeed, better promos will do the same. Turning him heel is there as an emergency but it very unlikely.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I think that they are trying to appease us fans by making it look like Daniel Bryan seriously has a shot at the title at WM.

Getting the answer to that question is, imo, a good enough reason in itself to watch Fast Lane. If WWE really plans to have Daniel beat Roman and take over his title shot at WM31, then any-damn-thing can happen in WWE.

I keep going back and forth as to whether the company would actually bow to the apparent wishes of the fans by taking Roman out of the equation and inserting Daniel. Wouldn't that involve changing the long-term plan at the very top of the main event scene?

So yes, if they truly are going to do this, an immediate heel change could be in store for Roman Reigns. Obviously, it's no stretch of the imagination to see this, right? We've already known him as a man-of-few-words bad guy ....and it works.

It will all be resolved at Fast Lane. If Roman wins, WWE's strategy stays intact. If Daniel wins, it seems they'll be giving the fans what lots of 'em are clamoring for.

I swear, the questions of plot development are more interesting than the match itself.

 

[Thejock83]

The smartest business man will be clambering to turn heel - and that should be Reigns or Ziggler. There are only 2 real 100% main event heels right now - Rollins and Rusev where as there is Bryan, Cena, Ambrose, Ziggler, Reigns, Orton on the face side with Wyatt and Lesnar straddling the tweener fence. So somebody has to turn heel, I'd turn both Ziggler and Reigns. There needs to be more top level heels who aren't Authority

 

[kadroan]

I think he's still a face. I just think they're not going to make him into that Cena/Sheamus type of face. I think over the past few weeks they've been experimenting to see what they think works for Reigns.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

As some of you have already stated I think what they are setting up for is Rollins vs. Reigns program that starts at Mania and could carry throughout the entire year leading up to the inevitable Shield triple threat for the title match at WM32. The only way it works is if none of those guys holds the gold until then.

Here is how i see it playing out:
Rollins costs Reigns his title shot at Fast Lane. Bryan wins because of interference.
Reigns and Rollins feud up till Mania and steal the show in San Fran.
After Daniel Bryan somehow overcomes Lesnar to win the belt Rollins cashes in. The cash in is official and after a short match Rollins is set to pin the demolished Bryan but Reigns runs in to cost Seth the belt! This builds Reigns as a face which is something they desperately want apparently.

Everyone gets what they want. Another 80k doing the YES! Chant after another major underdog victory by D. Bryan. Rollins and Reigns with a meaningful bout at Mania. And most importantly will help solidify The Shield as major players moving into 2015 and beyond.

 

[theblasterkid]

The Rollins/Reigns scenario could happen. It was Reigns who costed Rollins the match against Bryan after all. I see no matter who wins at Mania that Rollins will cash-in successfully. It would be cool to see Ambrose and Orton come out to stop him only to get jumped in the end by Authority goons for hire.

 

[The Warlord]

Turning Reigns heel at Wrestlemania would be awesome...but only if they did a double turn and Brock becomming face. If they can somehow get Brock to resign...then I think Lesnar should go over and just further build him as an unstoppable monster.

Reigns could pull off the modern "Deadly Games"...but he doesnt have the charisma that the Rock did. Heyman could help him out..

If the fans continue to boo him...then its all the more reason for him to turn...plus giving him a reason why (ie. Die Rocky Die)

 

[TheRev]

Based on how Raw and Smackdown went, it looks like my thoughts on Reigns turning heel could very well happen.
I still see Lesnar winning at Mania but I could totally see them allowing Reigns to win now so he could go over as a hated heel.

 

[Reflection]

I don't think a heel turn is coming for Reigns. When he speared Daniel on RAW, I didn't see him as the bad guy, I saw him as someone who was provoked. Stealing the win was a bad guy's thing to do, but apart from that, he is still fighting against the evil Authority. Moreover, Reigns can't become a bigger heel than Brock in one and a half months, so why even try? Reigns will remain this tit-for-tat, don't-mess-with-me guy heading into Wrestlemania. Don't want to get speared? Don't shove him.