Bully Ray Assesses Roman Reigns' Standing With WWE Fans

After years of holding the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Roman Reigns was toppled this past Sunday by Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 40. The following night on "WWE Raw," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson showed up to have an awkward confrontation with Rhodes. The segment included a moment when the crowd showed respect for the absent Reigns, and on a recent "Busted Open Radio," Bully Ray shared his belief that the reaction bodes well for Reigns' future.

"Roman Reigns, as of right now, in my eyes — babyface," Bully said. "The whole place was chanting, 'Thank you, Roman,' just because Cody suggested it."

The WWE Hall of Famer predicted that the next time Reigns appears onscreen, he'll receive a noticeable ovation from the audience. While people wanted to see Reigns lose over the weekend, there is still a strong level of respect for the former champion.

"Especially after the documentary and what we learned about him, I think they're setting Roman Reigns up for a nice babyface run," Bully continued.

Several weeks ahead of WrestleMania 40, WWE and A&E released an episode of "Biography," directed by Paul Heyman, centered on Reigns. In the show, the WWE star provided a rare glimpse at his real life, including conversations about Reigns' cancer treatment as well as the future of his wrestling career.

The match Sunday night was the first time Reigns had been pinned in a singles match since losing to Baron Corbin at WWE TLC 2019. Reigns has suffered tag team losses and a DQ loss in the interim, but the match against Rhodes undoubtedly marks a turning point for this stage of Reigns' career.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.