One of the biggest criticisms fans had during the first push of Roman Reigns was the fact he didn’t connect with fans. Most of the audience wanted to boo him, and many called for a heel turn to salvage The Tribal Chief’s career before he had lost the interest of the audience in general. When he returned after an extended layoff at SummerSlam, Reigns received the much needed heel turn.
That wasn’t all he got though. His presentation began to change, from his ring attire to the fact he now has a new associate in the form of Paul Heyman. And if you ask Heyman, there was no time to do this but now.
Fans have loved Roman since the turn, and many people wondered why they couldn’t have given fans this version of Reigns sooner, but while speaking with the Sports Illustrated Media podcast, Heyman believes that Roman couldn’t pull off this transformation any sooner than now.
“I wanted it to happen for a long time, Roman Reigns wanted it to happen for a long time, Vince McMahon wanted it to happen for a long time, but the timing was never right,” Heyman said on the Sports Illustrated Media podcast when asked about why this version of Roman took so long. “Roman Reigns could not pull off this portrayal of the top star in the industry, even a year ago. He wasn’t weather or seasoned or experienced enough. He still worked too young. Now, you look at his face and see some seasoning and weathering. He was beating the crap out of his cousin inside Hell in a Cell and he says, ‘I did this to you when we were kids and here we are 35 years old doing this.’ He looks 35. He looks like a badass 35, but he looks 35. Before, he looked late 20s, early 30s and he was still too young. He wasn’t grizzled and didn’t have any scars. Now, you see the wars on his face. You see the pressure and obligation and responsibility and accountability and the sheer burden. That’s the core word when it comes to being the top star in WWE. The burden and the weight and what it’s done to Roman Reigns. Four WrestleMania main events, it would have been five if he appeared this year. It will be five when he appears at next year’s WrestleMania.”
Whatever the reason, Heyman makes a compelling argument and continues to know how to make the people he work with feel that special.
h/t to Fightful for the transcription.
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