Roman Reigns Will Change WWE Career Narrative During Undertaker Feud

Roman Reigns and Undertaker both craned their necks to stare up at the WrestleMania sign above them on Monday's WWE Raw in Chicago, two titans wordlessly signaling a desire to collide at The Showcase of the Immortals.

The fans responded to this moment with the kind of derision Reigns has drawn dating back to his Royal Rumble win in 2015. Chants of "Roman sucks!" filled the Allstate Arena. The audience then exploded in elation as Undertaker chokeslammed The Big Dog to the canvas. 

This has become the norm for Reigns, crowds reveling in his downfall, refusing to treat him as the hero WWE tries to sell him as.

A feud with Undertaker culminating in a clash at WrestleMania 33 on April 2 is the perfect opportunity to change that. The Deadman's popularity will force Reigns to play the villain, a far more fitting role for him right now. Tangling with Undertaker will lead Reigns to one of the biggest moments of his career, a memorable bout and a transformation that will quell the backlash he's received.

It's hard not to be the heel when working against Undertaker right now.

The Phenom is an icon. He's a mythological figure that only enters the WWE realm a few times a year. Fans adore him.

There's no way Reigns can play the babyface opposite that. Philly.com columnist Vaughn Johnson nailed it in his comments on the Reigns-Undertaker dynamic ahead:

That could lead to Reigns morphing into a darker, more aggressive character. We saw a flash of that Monday night. The Big Dog dismissed and disrespected Undertaker, telling him, "This is my yard now."

There is hope that moving forward Reigns will finally morph into the smarmy, cocky, merciless predator he was born to play.    

And if the company wants to embrace the audience's distaste for Reigns, there's no better way than having him throttle Undertaker at the event where he had 21 consecutive wins, perhaps handing The Deadman the final loss of his career. It's almost sacrilegious to beat The Phenom at WrestleMania at this point, especially if the man doing the honors is as controversial a figure as Reigns.

In this scenario, no longer would Reigns be the babyface who struggles to win over a resistant crowd. He would become the beast who welcomes boos.

That position would shift Reigns' story, allowing him to go from polarizing to flourishing. 

Leading up to the big bout at WrestleMania, Reigns will benefit from a focused narrative. He had previously been in a sputtering feud with universal titleholder Kevin Owens and fought in ill-advised handicap matches against tag team champs Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.  

Reigns looking to prove himself against the legendary Undertaker and oust Taker as WWE's alpha male will be far more entertaining. As Kyle Fowle of The A.V. Club wrote, "This feud is looking like exactly what [Reigns] needs after months of directionless, meaningless wins."

The match will be major fun, too.

At this stage in his career, Undertaker needs someone younger and more athletic to carry the load. Reigns, who critics have claimed is the one being carried when he succeeds, will prove doubters wrong with a tremendous performance. 

It will be a clash loaded with high-impact moments, one fueled by star power and the grandness of the WrestleMania stage. Independent wrestler Donovan Dijak certainly believes it will be excellent:

More valuable than a championship, Reigns will earn respect opposite Undertaker.

As Undertaker plays the gutsy gunslinger in one of his final duels, Reigns will find his true calling as a take-no-prisoners blackguard. And rather than the soundtrack of boos clashing with the story WWE is trying to tell, they will be a welcome sound for a man who proves to be a heel for the ages.