5 times WWE gave Superstars exactly what they requested for
In modern WWE, it's hard to find Superstars that still hold creative control or influence on the higher-ups. Even with top-tier stars, it's more of them being told what to do.
However, there have been instances throughout WWE history where Superstars made a specific request and got what they wanted. In this list, we limit that to WWE stars requesting title wins and heel turns - all of which were eventually granted.
How did it come about? And which superstars managed to convince WWE to put a title on them or change their character?
#5. Roman Reigns - Requested WWE officials to turn heel for his return in 2020
Roman Reigns' return in 2020 may not have happened in front of fans, but it kickstarted one of the most important WWE runs in the last decade. After 5-and-a-half years of fan clamoring, WWE finally decided to make the call and turn Roman Reigns heel.
Just as fans, wrestlers, and other experts had anticipated - it was an instant success. Roman Reigns was finally able to tap into another layer of his character, and there seems to be no argument that he is the biggest Superstar in WWE today.
Not long after his heel turn, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Roman Reigns specifically requested a heel turn from Vince McMahon.
At the time, it was only a rumor. However, in early 2021, Roman Reigns seemingly confirmed this to be true when speaking to Ryan Satin of FOX Sports. Roman Reigns said that he "always" wanted to turn heel and that he got Vince McMahon's blessing:
"So, it was one of those things where it was like, 'Man, I want to do this because I know I can tap into a different level of character work. I know I can create so many more layers as a performer if they allow me to do this, but the numbers just wouldn’t let me. When the opportunity came I jumped on it. It was kind of a team discussion. Obviously, you gotta have the big man involved and gotta have the blessing from him. But, it just all seemed to work out with perfect timing," said Roman Reigns.
It's interesting to note Roman Reigns' point about the "numbers" not allowing him to turn heel. Vince McMahon was adamant for years about keeping Roman Reigns as a babyface despite weekly fan rejection.
It was similar to how Vince McMahon turned down Hulk Hogan's heel-turn pitch for WrestleMania 6, and how he shot down the idea of John Cena turning heel for years.
In John Cena's case, a plan had reportedly been put in place, but given John Cena's PR image and incredible merchandise sales (among several other variables), Vince McMahon got cold feet and pulled out of it.
The circumstances surrounding Roman Reigns' character was a bit different. It was a pleasant surprise and as The Tribal Chief, he kickstarted a year-long reign as the Universal Champion and the best run of his entire WWE career.