The negative fan reaction for Roman Reigns has been one of the biggest topics of conversation heading into WrestleMania 32. Roman Reigns vs Triple H for the WWE Heavyweight Championship will be the main event of WrestleMania 32. It will be interesting to see the fan reaction to both guys. In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Triple H spoke about his WrestleMania 32 opponent and the negative crowd reaction that he has been getting.
Triple H praises Roman Reigns for dealing with his success so well:
“He’s a great kid, and I’m really happy for his success and how well he’s done. But it’s a tough road and a long road. That success has come fast. Sometimes that can be a blessing and sometimes it can be a curse. So I think he’s done the best that he can with it.”
Triple H on the negative fan reaction to Roman Reigns:
“You know, the hardest thing in this business to do now is, as a character, to either make everyone love you or everyone hate you. The world is a divided place in politics, in music and everything. Choices now, and people’s opinions, are front and center more than ever. The Internet makes that readily available to everybody. They know all of the machinations of everything and the behind-the-scenes of everything, you know It used to be that the good guy was the guy that didn’t cheat, you know what I mean? It was just very simple. The world has changed. I think [Reigns has] done a phenomenal job.”
On Roman Reigns backstage and as a person outside his character:
“He’s, you know, from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, a great human being. I’m really happy for his success, as I am for all of them.”
Source: Full Interview at CBS Sports
I do agree with Triple H that the world has changed and the internet allows us to pick apart every single thing a guy like Reigns does. I just think the WWE needs to adapt their booking and roll with the times If they continue to book him poorly he is just going to keep getting crapped on by fans. Something needs to change and it is not Reigns work ethic, it is his booking.
I think HHH wants so badly to just come out and say …. its vince. its all vince. I believe HHH would have turned him heel long ago. back in the day when someone got heat, you’d just flip him and give the fans what they want. but w/ this guy (roman reigns) … vince will have no part of it. is he so worried or enamored w/ making him the new face of the company that it has to come at the cost of alienating the product and the fans I truly feel fans would embrace roman if he was booked properly. but this stoic, awkward, not funny, sometimes cheeseball character isn’t going to stick.
and if its true that vince is only interested in the kids and the families, then he risks losing some of his loyal fans. now some may read that and say, ‘well, you’re already hooked, you’re not going anywhere regardless.’ because ive already witnessed several guys who were WWE loyalists tune out. never mind that these kids and families vince is trying to appeal to, never mind they’ll probably flake out of wrestling over time. because if WWE kept everyone who ever watched the program… then it’d be the biggest show of all time. it’d make the NFL look like a re-run of he golden girls. I just goes to show you that wrestling gets you for a while, but it ultimately losses you. that’s why I think the business model should be to appeal to the loyal fans, because if you can get loyal fans to talk about the show, I feel the casual fans will embrace it because it will be that much more interesting if you managed to excite the loyalists.
He has to turn heel at Wrestlemania. . He just has to. There is no other way.