5 Ways to make Roman Reigns a more viable champion

This would be a reality in the near futureDid you hear it? Did you hear what I think I just heard?In the middle of the match between Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt at Hell in a Cell, the fans in attendance in Los Angeles may have finally helped the former Shield member get over as the new face of WWE with six words everyone in wrestling has come to associate with John Cena.“Let’s go Roman, Roman sucks!”I sat there and watched in disbelief as the fans paid the superstar homage in a way I did not think was imaginable since he has been shoved down all of our throats since the beginning of the year as the next great thing to come through the gate in Stamford.Now that he has gotten over by defeating Wyatt – who helped to create Reigns in building the perfect beast – WWE now has the task of selling him as their company face. Thanks to John Cena, this becomes a little easier with eight weeks of “You Can’t See Me” out of action. Can it be done in two months before Everyone’s All-American comes back to the fray?Maybe.I see this as a golden opportunity for failure right now, but that’s the style and brand Vince McMahon likes – taking changes at every chance he gets. It’s not uncommon for the Chairman of WWE to get an idea in his head and lock onto it like it’s a vice grip. There have been worse things – remember he originally wanted Jimmy Snuka to lead the new revolution of wrestling if Hulk Hogan turned him down.Right now, the Reigns invasion is unsettling. Maybe it is because he is the same guy who came to the company from the development program in the same outfit, same monotone voice and same potential, which is growing into pay dirt.If the apocalypse is going to happen and Reigns is going to be offered up to us as the new face of this company and the new champion of the cause, then hopefully WWE can do something to change him up a bit. Not a character assassination, mind you, but a little better planning for the coming year. There have been worse things than taking a character, repackaging him and making him a star.See Stone Cold Steve Austin. See Batista. It worked for them.Here are a few ways the company could change Reigns a bit, without losing the aura of him being the big bad Samoan star who can change the direction of the company. It’s worth a shot.

#1 THE heel turn

Time turn evil?

If Reigns is going to get over even more so than he is right now, a heel turn would be dramatic and necessary.

He has been toiling with his buddy Dean Ambrose – who the company is turning into a major face star. Ambrose is over with the fans because of his style in the ring, his renegade attitude and his ability to conjure images of Brian Pillman in my head.

Reigns does nothing of the sort.

There has to be a position where Ambrose pushes Reigns and there is a confrontation. There is too much of the ‘Happy Days’ story line here. Make it stop!

I’m not sure if it can happen before Survivor Series or at TLC or it has to wait for 2016, but there has to be a divorce of all Shield members for WWE’s fanbase to be happy. Ambrose is the anti-hero. Reigns needs to be a lone wolf. Both need to confront each other, not work with each other.

#2 Face John Cena

Passing of the torch

The best way to get over quickly in this situation is to challenge the biggest dog in the yard.

That’s John Cena and John Cena is at home working on other projects. One of the rumors backstage for a while now has been about Cena facing Reigns with the WWE World Title on the line, the one that leads to Cena’s 16th title reign.

There is no pun intended there, just a fact fans will have to live with – if Reigns is going to become the new face of WWE, he needs to beat the old face. The old face wants to rewrite history, so this is a bit convoluted in my opinion.

Leave it to creative or Vince McMahon to swing and miss on this one. Cena isn’t going to go quietly into the darkness of night when he can still make money, hold titles and be the man in a company that has relied on him for so long.

Reigns is the bull in the China shop waiting to take down his prey. Something has to give. I think at Cena’s age and McMahon’s insistence, Reigns wins out here. It’s actually a great story. The only issue is whether Cena will do the honors for his successor.

#3 Paul Heyman to the rescue

Being a Paul Heyman guy would fix all of the loopholes

Given his inability to electrify the crowds with his voice, his monotone slogans and his chances to lead a campaign as a spokesperson, there has to be a way to get Reigns over outside the ring.

Enter a manager.

The schedule Brock Lesnar keeps and the fact WWE needs Paul Heyman on a full-time basis for ratings make this a match made in wrestling heaven. But it’s not as easy as you might think. The Heyman CM Punk connection was gold. The Heyman Curtis Axel angle was awful and painful to watch.

Heyman’s ability to make any situation look like it’s main event booking is golden. The fact we all would rather see Reigns wrestle than talk speaks volumes about how we like our champions.

Managers are supposed to be part of the program, talk for their clients and promote them to be the larger than life figures they are. You get that from Heyman and so much more. He, himself, is must-see television.

And with the champion of then promotion by his side, like with Lesnar and Punk, you had magic. Can WWE go to the well with this one again? It needs to because Lesnar’s schedule does not promote full-time wrestling and there is an opening with Heyman’s dance card.

#4 Change his appearance

Reigns should take a page or two from Ambrose and Rollins’s book

This might be the most obvious of them all. Don’t change the aggressive nature, just make it look a little better. I don’t need to tell anyone – but when you look good, you feel good.

Thank you, Billy Crystal.

Reigns is still walking through the crowds, taking his time getting to the ring, yucking it up with the fans, and climbing into the ring. He still wears the Kevlar and black and looks like he should be a member of SWAT with an AK-47 in his hands.

It’s a bit dark and it works to a fault. But if you noticed, both Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have walked away from the holiday kids table and look more adult in their new characters. How the company changes the appearance without changing the man is not of my concern; just make him more believable.

Deacon Batista did not work. Stunning Steve Austin would not have worked in WWE either. And I hated Dude Love, if anyone cares. Someone once thought it would be a good idea to cut Ric Flair’s hair, give him a gold earring and change his name. That’s a bit dramatic.

Reigns can have a subtle change that would work better in the long run – especially if there is a heel turn in his future.

#5 Family ties

The Samoan stable

I have been kicking this one around in my head for some time. One of the things I liked about Reigns and the transformation to singles star were the connections made to his Samoan heritage, to his connection to The Rock, to his association with his family, The Uso’s.

Why can’t this happen on the regular?

The Samoan Swat Team was such a highly successful tag team in the past. A new rendition of it would work wonders here. Oh, Afa and Sika would be so proud.

The Uso’s have been on the shelf for the better part of the year due to injury. A triumphant return to the ring and possibly a heel turn would get them over again in the tag team division and with a bad ass clique that would leave fans stunned and captivated. It also give Reigns more credibility as a heel champion with his family coming out from the back to help him every once in a while.

That’s Reigns for the win!