Roman Reigns Should Take Loss vs. AJ Styles at WWE Payback 2016

Thanks to a possible Bullet Club reformation, Roman Reigns should have the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ripped away from him by AJ Styles at the 2016 edition of Payback.

The formation of a WWE version of the Bullet Club with Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows may be an outlandish idea to some, but it is utterly necessary due to the WWE Universe's reaction to Reigns, who is booked to be the top face in the company.

Reigns may have a large contingent of fans, but they are not nearly as vocal as the detractors, who have booed him out of the building at WrestleMania 32 and at every taping of Raw over the last several months. And justifiably so, as Reigns has no defined character and has struggled with his promos despite being given ample opportunities.

While a top star like Reigns can easily get by without being the best in-ring worker, the ability to cut convincing promos is a necessity. Since Reigns struggles on the mic and WWE Creative refuses to book him as a silent destroyer, the company will now be dependent on a heel to carry a feud on the mic.

That's why the Bullet Club—and more specifically Anderson—fits for this situation.

Styles may not be the best talker in the business, but he will have the support of Anderson in the new Bullet Club, who carried the bulk of the workload on the mic for the stable during its rise to prominence in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

As a quintessential heel who will verbalize the complaints of the fans about Reigns, Anderson will become the perfect antagonist to get fans to choose sides in the battle. While many would back the new Bullet Club, there would undoubtedly be many people who side with Reigns and the good guys, which is exactly what WWE wants from the fanbase.

Just as the battle between WCW and the nWo forced fans to choose sides, the Bullet Club's attacks on Reigns and the WWE locker room—and the subsequent hunt for revenge—would polarize the modern wrestling fanbase in a similar fashion.

As much as taking the title off Reigns quickly again goes against the idea of building him as a long-term champion, it would draw even more sympathy from the fans who already support him and polarize people on the fence about his character. As Reigns begins his quest to get his title back from the dastardly heel stable, protecting and fighting alongside other faces along the way, fans will be able to build support for the story and organically begin to enjoy Reigns' character.

WWE Creative has shown an unwavering support for Reigns, and putting him up against a powerful heel stable would make him the quintessential WWE babyface. With the hardcore fans who boo Reigns now also cheering and fiscally supporting his challengers, the new Bullet Club, the company could be capitalizing on the crowd reactions in multiple ways.

Bringing the WWE version of the Bullet Club in will make for incredible moments, but letting Styles turn heel to join the group and steal the belt from Reigns would be monumental in today's Internet-savvy wrestling landscape.

Add in Reigns possibly being positioned as the ultimate underdog face who must overcome the odds to defeat the menacing heel stable, and both hardcore and casual wrestling fans would have something interesting to latch on to in the company's main storyline moving forward.

To be a true top face, Reigns needs an antagonist who can bring out his best. Combined, Styles, Anderson and Gallows as a heel trio could take over the WWE until Reigns ultimately defeats them and takes back the company—in true John Cena fashion.

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