Triple H has a message for the fans who are begging for the WWE to turn Roman Reigns heel: We kind of already did.
His point is that "the failed attempt" at pushing Roman as a babyface has turned fans reaction against him to such a degree that he's basically a heel by default at this point.
"People can look at Roman Reigns and say, 'The failed attempt that is Roman Reigns,' but Roman Reigns sells tickets," Triple H told Sports Illustrated, repeating the company line. "Roman Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions every night, whether that reaction is a boo or whether that reaction is a cheer. The fans who say, 'I don't understand why they don't turn Roman Reigns heel!' Isn't he already?
"If you believe what you believe, and you're saying, 'How can they not turn him heel? There is 70 percent of the crowd booing him out of the building!' If that's your belief, then isn't he already the biggest heel we have? If 70 percent of that crowd is booing him, then he's a heel. We're just presenting him to you in a different way that makes you hate him."
Hunter has a point. If you hate him, he's a heel. And for the 10 year old kid who loves him, he's a babyface. You're buying a ticket to Raw and you're booing him. That 10 year old kid has 6 different t-shirts, all the action figures and a room plastered with Roman posters. Either way, the WWE is making money.
Still, it's almost refreshing to hear someone as high up in the organization as Triple H admit that he understands that the presentation of Roman Reigns is making a large portion of their fanbase hate the guy. That's very different from the standard "Sometimes Fans Like To Boo The Popular Guy Just Because They're Being Wacky."
During the build to WrestleMania 33 and the big match between Reigns and The Undertaker, it's been interesting to see Reigns exhibiting intentionally heelish qualities, showing blatant disrespect for a venerable fan-favorite like The Dead Man. It remains to be seen what will be done during the Mania match and its aftermath.
