Roman Reigns is the best example yet of the idea WWE fans might know what they want and that the promotion should probably do a better job of making that happen. 

That such an idea even needs stressed is silly, of course. But more often than not, WWE seems to forge its own path regardless of what fans want. 

Just look at Reigns. 

For years, fans clamored for the heel turn. It made perfect sense the good guy would ultimately go bad and slot naturally into the role. The idea was simple enough, as he'd shake free of the shackles holding him back and lash out at fans who never "backed" him as top guy. It would instantly make him better on the mic, and he could expand on the Cena-esque "five moves" in the ring. 

Instead, WWE gave fans a cookie-cutter Big Dog, the sufferin’ succotash good guy who could clearly be so much more. He flirted with the brutality of a heel at times, but it wasn't even close to enough after the company shoved him down the collective throat of fans, including multiple WrestleMania main events. 

All the while, Reigns' role kept him unnecessarily tied to The Shield. He couldn't get new music as a solo star and couldn't shake the silly-looking vest, which didn't make a ton of sense. He was getting reactions, of course, and undoubtedly selling merchandise, but the vocal portion of the fanbase had made it clear for years that change needed to happen. 

And look at where things are now. 

WWE sought for years to have him be that iconic Superstar every fan accepted—and now he is. He's free of the vest, he's got amazing work on the mic (not even counting Paul Heyman), and he's free to tell interesting stories. 

Just like that, Reigns is a must-see draw for all segments of the crowd. Even better, all of his past feuds now have a totally refreshing take that means WWE can work through them again with a different angle without annoying fans. 

Similarly, babyface Reigns wasn't going to help build up the next generation of Superstars. If a vocal portion of the fanbase can't stand the guy, hoping he loses doesn't build a new star—look how many times fans wanted to see part-timers like Goldberg go away, only for the winners to not receive a big boost. 

That changes now. Reigns, and even more so with Heyman at his side, can be the big bad Brock Lesnar-type villain the roster hasn't really had. When a rising star like a Big E eventually takes him down, it's going to make the winner's career. Heck, The Usos have suddenly gone from tag team purgatory to interesting solo characters just for brushing shoulders with The Tribal Chief. 

This doesn't mean fans will always have the right ideas, and WWE constantly listening would ruin the element of surprise. But on a somewhat-lesser scale compared to Reigns, there were plenty of fans who wanted to see Drew McIntyre booked like an absolute monster instead of getting stuck in the midcard—fast forward to now, he took down Lesnar and is top dog. 

Simply put, the product, as odd as it might sound, should be a more collaborative effort.

When the company stunned all onlookers with the quality of its cinematic matches and fans said "Great, let's do Sting vs. Undertaker," an idea once thought an impossibility but revived again via those match types, WWE should have been all over it. Now Sting is in All Elite Wrestling and Undertaker is retired (again). 

Endless examples abound, but that feels like a prominent one. It's a lesson WWE should have learned long ago during the Daniel Bryan movement when entire shows were being derailed until fans got what they wanted. It led to timeless classics and a legendary run. 

With Reigns, fans get the credit for pointing it out a long, long time ago. Reigns the star is making it work, but it's fans who clamored for it. Maybe this is a sign of things to come, though—WWE never listened to these pleas with John Cena. 

But it has with Reigns, and the company will benefit greatly from it. Rather than jamming through its version of Roman, WWE listened and it feels like we're on the cusp of a legendary era that is only just beginning.