Triple H Shares His Thoughts On Roman Reigns Turning Heel
After claiming what was rightfully his this past Sunday at WWE's Clash Of Champions: Gold Rush, The "Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns proved to the world once again why he deserves to be on top of the food chain as the WWE Universal Champion. For many, his heel gimmick is something fans have wanted to see for a long time. Now that it's here, he has been the talk of the town.
In an effort to understand his new turn, WWE Superstars from past and present have to experience something similar to Reigns. For Triple H, he knows exactly what it's like to complete a full circle change as a sports entertainer. While he was interviewed on WWE's The Bump, Hunter and the panel watched a past clip of Reigns' heel persona when it first began in NXT. Triple was astounded at how far Reigns has come as a competitor, and shares his thoughts on it in his interview.
"I think what you're seeing now is the full finished product," Triple H declared. "Everybody goes through some sort of evolution of who they are, what they want to be, what they want to accomplish with their life and their career. For Roman, I think it's been different because of his family background and all of the Samoan Dynasty, so to speak. When you step into that arena with that pressure on you, including The Rock, it's heavy on what you can accomplish and what you can do.
"When you look at Roman, it's hard not to think this guy has everything possible to not only be a star in WWE but, you know, in anything he wants to do. He looks like a movie star, he's one of the most athletic guys on the roster, he's smart, he's articulate, he's composed. What we see now is the finished article."
It's evident that 2020 has been a rocky year for everyone. For wrestling companies like WWE, it's been the most challenging era yet. While some have learned how to adapt to this drastic change, many like Triple H find themselves shell shocked on how performers can maintain an entertaining presence to those watching at home. As we've seen throughout his career, Triple H has always maintained relevancy with the WWE Universe. He believes if he were an in-ring performer now, it would be very hard to continue his bold persona with no audiences in the crowd.
"You know, it has been an extremely difficult time," he admits. "You know, it's funny, Shawn [Micheals] and I were just talking about this the other day. I don't know how I would have done as a performer in an empty arena; it's just not what we do. They have done an incredible job of doing it – all of the talent.
"I think NXT has been able to consistently put on excellent programming. Make no mistake about it, the fans are why we do what we do. Without them there, this has been a different job... I can't wait for the day when we can open up our doors and let everybody back in."
You can watch Triple H's full interview above. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE's The Bump with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.