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WWE Hall Of Famer Explains Why Roman Reigns Didn’t Work As A Babyface

Roman Reigns Article Pic 10 WrestleFeed App

• WWE Hall Of Famer Explains Why Roman Reigns Didn’t Work As A Babyface

During a recent episode of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson talked about current Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ babyface run over the years.

While Reigns was (and still is) the #1 merchandize seller in WWE as a babyface, the reaction to him at events was very mixed and most of the adult audience used to boo him.

Arn said Vince McMahon taught him to never shove a babyface down fans’ throats back in the day, but Vince stopped following that and it hurt Reigns’ push as the company’s #1 babyface.

Here’s what Arn said:

“The 100% faith (that Vince McMahon had) in himself that he can make any idea he has a reality and everybody will accept it. That Roman Reigns was going to be the lead guy as a babyface for the company, instead of seeing way back when, years before that, that that’s not what they wanted Roman to be.

Roman doesn’t have to say anything, all Roman has to do is come through the curtain and be an a$$ kicking machine.

They don’t want him to be a nice guy, they don’t want him to be clever, they don’t want him to be entertaining and they certainly don’t want to see him spear 5 or 6 heels in a given time.

One of the things I did learn from Vince early on is, don’t shove a babyface down the people’s necks, they’re not going to accept it because they’ll regurgitate it.

We got away from that theory and we quit listening to our audience because they will absolutely tell you what they want.

I used Kevin Owens as an example. When he beat Cena, the first show he was on, the audience was 90% behind Kevin Owens. That week, creative should’ve sat down and went, ‘I don’t care what you have written down for the next week or month, this guy is a babyface next week.’

Doesn’t mean we change his style of work, just means that we put him in a position to be the favourite in the match. It was so crystal clear that was what they wanted, give it to them.

The fact that Roman goes out there and spears 5 guys does not make Roman more of a babyface. It makes him a God, and he’s not earning his position or push.

He’s just out there running through guys and the audience smells it and they don’t like it.”

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• ON THIS DAY IN WWF HISTORY (April 18, 1987) – WWF Superstars of Wrestling

On this day in 1987, the World Wrestling Federation aired an episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWF Superstars of Wrestling’.

This episode was pre-taped at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and included matches & storyline segments featuring the 1987 WWF Superstars.

Here is the match-card:

1. Rick Martel & Tom Zenk vs. Barry O. & Dusty Wolfe

2. Ron Bass vs. Alex Knight

3. Jim Duggan vs. Tiger Chung Lee

4. Sika & Kamala vs. Jerry Allen & Jesse Cortez

5. Jake Roberts vs. Joe Mirto

6. Harley Race vs. Billy Anderson


        
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