Bruce Prichard addressed the historical instances of WWE pushing forward with top babyfaces despite vocal fan opposition during the latest episode of Something to Wrestle With. Focusing on the 2006 Royal Rumble era, Prichard explained that Vince McMahon was unwilling to turn John Cena heel because the financial metrics—merchandise sales and support from families—contradicted the live crowd’s boos.
“You had to ignore it because that was not someplace Vince was willing to go,” Prichard stated. He drew a direct parallel to Roman Reigns’ initial babyface push, noting, “I told you from day one, never wavered, Roman Reigns is the biggest star they have and will be the biggest star.”
Prichard also mentioned Randy Orton as fitting this category. The conversation mirrors a recent report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter regarding Cody Rhodes. Meltzer noted that WWE has no plans to turn Rhodes heel, citing strong merchandise numbers that the company is unwilling to tinker with, similar to their stance on Cena during the height of his backlash.