“He’s not the baby kissing autograph signer,” WWE veteran discloses why Roman Reigns wasn’t successful as a babyface character like Cody Rhodes 

Roman Reigns was portrayed as the next John Cena for years before he successfully became The Tribal Chief.

“He’s not the baby kissing autograph signer,” WWE veteran discloses why Roman Reigns wasn’t successful as a babyface character like Cody Rhodes 

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes (via WWE)

For years, WWE tried its best to portray Roman Reigns as the ultimate babyface of the company. However, almost every attempt to do so failed miserably, as fans rejected the idea of the former Shield member being the #1 guy. Instead, the next John Cena ended up being Cody Rhodes, who took no time in his second run to establish that. Recently, Reigns’ wiseman, Paul Heyman, opined on why The Tribal Chief couldn’t find success initially.

In an interview with Forbes, the former advocate compared the two top stars’ babyface characters. Heyman explained how Rhodes’ mannerisms of staying after the show to sign autographs and take photos are something he’s always loved to do. Meanwhile, for Roman Reigns, it’s more of a job for him. Paul E emphasized that the Head of the Table prefers to look at wrestling as a way to feed his family.

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His job is to feed his family, and he feeds his family by being the best at what he does on the face of the planet now, if not ever, he's not the baby kissing autograph signer. It's just not him.
Paul Heyman on why Roman Reigns’ babyface run didn’t work

Paul Heyman claimed that the audience detected the difference and, hence, decided to reject him. As for Cody Rhodes, the WWE Universe knows that this was what he dreamed about his entire life. Therefore, the audience has no problem showing their support for him. Evidently, both Rhodes and Reigns are doing the best work in their respective careers.

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As a matter of fact, it is a reason why they will be headlining consecutive WrestleManias. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion will defend his title against Rhodes on Night 2. The match has been built as one of the most important clashes in the company’s history. Many fans expect this bout to be the official coronation of Cody Rhodes.

Is Roman Reigns’ lack of interest in the WrestleMania buildup storyline-driven?

As the 40th edition of WrestleMania draws closer, one would assume that Roman Reigns would be more involved in the buildup. After all, he will be competing in two huge matches during the weekend. However, it seems that Reigns has no issue with allowing his cousin, The Rock, to bear the burden. The Final Boss has done a tremendous job at making this year’s WrestleMania feel like the most important one. 

Roman Reigns and The Rock
Roman Reigns and The Rock (via WWE)

Over the past few weeks, The Great One has made it his mission to make Cody Rhodes’ life a living hell. This has led to fan speculation online on whether Reigns’ lack of interest is storyline-driven or not. On last night’s episode of SmackDown, Paul Heyman revealed that The Tribal Chief was the mastermind of The Rock’s attack on Raw.

Again, it adds another layer to the already-intriguing Bloodline saga. Irrespective of the result at WrestleMania, fans are aware that the ‘dream’ match between the cousins is an inevitability. Therefore, the ongoing power struggle can be considered a prelude to their future battle.

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