Villains being cheered, the hero being cussed - 4 recent times faces were rejected by the WWE Universe

WWE always tries to distinguish between their babyface and heel characters clearly. Mostly, the company tries to portray superstars as clear-cut good guys or villainous performers and hopes fans react to them accordingly.

However, the WWE Universe doesn't always comply with the promotion's wishes. Throughout history, we have seen them cheer for the performers they like, which is not equivalent to backing babyfaces.

Over the years, quite a few good guys have managed to bask in adverse reactions despite being virtuous characters. From The Rock getting 'Die, Rocky, die!' chants to John Cena being booed against every other heel, fans ultimately decide how to perceive a character.

On that note, we look at four recent times when faces were rejected by the WWE Universe and how said incidents happened.

#4. On our list of times faces have been rejected by the WWE Universe recently: Goldberg (2017)

Goldberg's first stint in WWE didn't end the way he wanted, and he left the company after his match at WrestleMania XX. Fans relentlessly booed and heckled him at the show, and no one thought they would ever see him again.

However, Goldberg returned to the company in 2016 to feud with Brock Lesnar. He initially received positive reactions during his Survivor Series and Royal Rumble runs. However, when he won the Universal Championship from Kevin Owens at Fastlane 2017, a section of the fanbase turned on him.

This sentiment carried on all the way to WrestleMania 33, where he was booed in favor of the heel in Brock Lesnar. The negative reactions were loud every time he performed a move. Meanwhile, fans cheered when Lesnar beat him and won the world title, despite the latter being the apparent bad guy in the storyline.

#3. Seth Rollins (2019)

Seth Rollins could do no wrong as a white-hot babyface in 2019. Having beaten Brock Lesnar twice in the same year, fans were wholly behind him. However, the end of the year saw the entire situation do a 180, with the same audience rejecting his feuds and matches.

Rollins' babyface run saw him cross paths with superstars like Baron Corbin and 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt, two feuds the WWE Universe seemingly did not appreciate. The Architect made the situation worse by doing things like taking cheap shots at other wrestlers.

Following the negative reactions escalating, he took exception to them in interviews, which only made things worse for him. Take his statement on Ryan Satin's Out of Character podcast to see what we are talking about.

“When you’re a babyface in this era, it is hard to keep people liking you. It is difficult because I think people’s natural reaction is, for whatever reason, to dislike almost everything, and I don’t know why that is. That’s what entertainment has turned into."

The company had no choice but to turn him heel later that year. Following 2019's Survivor Series, he became The Monday Night Messiah and did some outstanding heel work in that role.

#2. Ronda Rousey (2018-19)

Ronda Rousey's WWE debut was a significant coup for the company, one that fans backed with delight. She was among the most over women on the roster when she debuted and won the RAW Women's Championship to much fanfare.

However, fans slowly began turning on Rousey as her title reign progressed. Becky Lynch's run as The Man saw the audience root for her and reject The Baddest Woman on the Planet's character. She was booed pretty much every week, forcing WWE to embrace the reactions and turn her heel.

The former UFC star probably imagined she would be the face of the company's women's division. However, Lynch's overwhelming popularity saw her receive that designation. The two and Charlotte Flair collided at WrestleMania 35, where Big Time Becks won and took home the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championship.

#1. Roman Reigns (2017)

This list might as well be a ranking of the times Roman Reigns received negative reactions as a face. However, there is one moment that is easily clear of the rest. It is one of the most iconic recent incidents on the product that summed up everything wrong with The Big Dog's babyface run.

We are talking about the opening segment of the RAW after WrestleMania 33. Reigns had beaten ultimate fan favorite The Undertaker at the show in arguably one of the most infuriating results in recent memory. The reception he received the next night on RAW showed just how much the WWE Universe despised him and the booking he was given at that point.

Those in attendance booed ferociously the minute his music hit and continued to do it throughout the segment. They constantly cut him off every time he tried to say something, with chants of "Delete!", "Go away!", "You suck!" and some expletives being thrown around. The Big Dog handled it like a champ and smiled throughout, ticking the fans off even more.

After what felt like ages, the current Tribal Chief said, "This is my yard now!" and walked away as the WWE Universe rained on him with boos and jeers. The others on this list should be glad they weren't rejected with this intensity. Indeed, it was the greatest heel promo in recent history, and it was a babyface delivering it.

What are some other times fans thoroughly rejected babyfaces? Sound off in the comments below.