10 Ways to Keep Roman Reigns a Baby Face

The WWE Universe loves to love, and loves to hate. Right now, the WWE Universe is on the fence about the seemingly, "Chosen One," Roman Reigns. He's a Face with Heel-like tendencies and a look the ladies love. He's young and raw, but he possesses a lot of talent. It's easy to see why Vince McMahon is so high on the guy, but that's not enough to get him over with the Universe. Fans feel like a Heel turn is the only way he can get and stay over, but I have a few ideas that can keep his merchandise sells up, the kiddos on his side, and a Baby Face smile on his face. Believe...That!

Roman Reigns isn’t the only culprit guilty of winning too often with his finishing move *cough cough the entire main roster excluding the Divas*. It’s become an epidemic in the WWE. Although the Spear is great, it has become an end all be all. Too many times we’ve seen Reigns take multiple finishers, kick out, and end the match with one Spear. This isn’t the late 90s and no one is chanting, “Gold-berg!” Even Goldberg had a legit finisher, The Jackhammer. Charlotte uses the Spear as a setup as well. Guys like Big Show and Batista have used the Spear mid-match. So why is Roman different? If Roman were to finesse a win or two every now and again, it would show that he could think on the fly. Maybe it’s time to incorporate a submission hold. Either way, spare me a Spear or two.

Over the past year, we’ve seen Roman’s mic skills greatly improve. He still has a way to go, but he’s on the right track. Now days, he spends more time talking about his opponent then he does addressing the Universe. As much as people hate John Cena, he has a way with the crowd that no one can deny. A lot of this has to do with charisma. Reigns seems too worked up with the production value and making sure he says his lines exactly as creative has written them. He doesn’t have the experience his Shield brothers have working in other promotions and really honing his skills. The more relatable you are, the more you will be accepted by the Universe.

Maybe it’s time to stop taking that long walk. I mean, seriously. The only Superstar to do more cardio prior to getting in the ring for his match was the Ultimate Warrior. Do you remember his Wrestlemania 31 entrance? As cool as the Superman punch/firework combination was, it took about five minutes of walking and fans booing to get to that point. Even with the title, it just doesn’t have the same impact it did when the Shield came out together. Look at a guy like Baron Corbin. The fans seem to hate him, but his entrance is one of the best in NXT. A little slow walk, some dim lights, and a slight pause is all he needs. And with the recent rash of incidents involving fans and flying objects, it’s starting to become a bit unsafe to walk through the crowd. How much would everyone freak if Reigns showed up on RAW with new music, walking down the ramp, and then went back and did number nine on our list? Epic.

Now most people would easily assume Dean Ambrose is the guy for this job. I don’t necessarily agree. Sure it could work but we’ve seen it a million times. In a perfect world, Reigns finds himself teaming up with Daniel Bryan or a returning CM Punk. Neither of those seem likely so based on the current healthy roster, why not team him up with a guy like Titus O’Neil? Both guys are big, strong, former tag team champions. They both hold Florida near and dear to their hearts and Titus could show him how to work the mic. When Reigns was white hot before his hernia surgery, he had a bounce to him. Kind of like his cousins, The Usos. Titus and Darren Young are known for their sway. Combining this and a few tag team power moves would be epic! Have them feud with the Usos and set up a triple threat TLC match with The New Day. Wouldn’t that get him over as a face?

The current set of heels just aren’t getting the job done. They aren’t winning and they aren’t dominant. Nobody will buy Roman Reigns losing to anybody in The League of Nations or the Wyatt family. We need some new heat. Someone believable and someone that the casual fan may not be so familiar with. I’d suggest Samoa Joe or Shinsuke Nakmura. These are guys that can really go and they might even be able to teach Roman a thing or two. It would liven up the main roster a bit as well as give fans a reason to cheer for Reigns again.

This one is simple. We have The Drive-By, the Samoan Drop, multiple clotheslines, the Superman Punch, and the Spear. Reigns needs another move that fans can get behind. He had that over the top rope leap that was pretty cool but also pretty sketchy. I err on the side of a submission hold here. Attach a stealthy taunt and finish guys like Heath Slater and Bo Dallas. For a guy with so much power, he doesn’t use it all that often. Oh yeah, that 2-count Powerbomb that he used to do. Give him something he can get the crowd behind. If he wants to be a striker, he can do something like a 5 Knuckle Shuffle or People’s Elbow. He could use a body slam as a setup.

Isn’t it always nice to see clips like The Rock returning to RAW in Miami? Talking to The Miz, Big Show, and Lana. The 90s were full of promos and vignettes and that art seems to be almost extinct in the WWE. Seeing Reigns goof around in the back or accepting candid challenges without a very well dressed interviewer shoving a mic in his face would be a breath of fresh air in and of itself.

This would catch everyone off guard. Reigns could show up, talk about how much he has to prove, and how he’s in Florida for some unfinished business. He could hone his skills and face all the top talent in NXT because who wouldn’t love seeing Apollo Crews face off against Roman Reigns? Run through the gauntlet starting with Tye Dillinger and ending with capturing the NXT title from Finn Balor. He would then vacate the title and there would be a tournament to decide the new champion. Exciting television for all, and it would put more eyes on NXT. That would be a great few months of learning and fun, but with injuries plaguing the main roster, this scenario is highly unlikely.

Remove Reigns from the title hunt completely. Tie him up in a feud and maybe strap him with another title. Somehow he becomes the United States champion and he’s more concerned with defending that. The WWE Universe needs a break from seeing the same few names always in the main event/WWE World Heavyweight title picture. There are a bevy of talented Superstars who just need more exposure and a little more push but entirely deserve to be in the title picture. Let’s give Reigns a break. Take the spotlight off of him and let him find himself WITHOUT turning Heel.

The best way to get a good Face pop for Roman Reigns would be to have him battle his Shield brother, Dean Ambrose. If Ambrose turns Heel by pulling a Seth Rollins and attacking Roman Reigns, the entire WWE Universe would flip! If you throw in the IC title you could see the WWE World Heavyweight title play second fiddle for a couple months. Dean would still have his fair share of cheers, but a few cheap Ws for the Lunatic Fringe would push more fans behind Reigns. The two had a great match at Survivor Series and I’m positive that a legit feud between the two would be must see TV.

This has been my list of ideas, what are some of your own? Can Roman Reigns BE a successful Baby Face or has that ship sailed? Tell me what you think in the comments.