It's been quite a year for Roman Reigns in the WWE.

The Big Dog has gone from being crowned Universal Champion at SummerSlam, to announcing that he'll be taking some time off due to his leukaemia diagnosis, to returning to the WWE with his leukaemia in remission.

In that time as well, Reigns has transitioned from being a superstar many WWE fans loved to hate despite being booked as a babyface, to a superstar who fans now cheer for due to an emotional connection.

When the former Universal Champion returned to WWE before WrestleMania, the vast majority of fans welcomed him back with open arms.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Reigns acknowledged the support fans have given him before, during, and after his public battle with leukaemia.

He said: “The first time, I was only 22, it felt like a death sentence. This time around, it was nerve-wracking to let people know so much of my personal life, but the response and the support has given me a whole new perspective.

"My character can be polarizing, but everyone has dropped their opinion on Roman Reigns and supported Joe during this rough patch. That’s been a key part of my comeback.”

The question now is how much time has to pass before some fans flip back to booing or jeering against The Big Dog due to the booking he receives from WWE?

Reigns is yet to be booked in a title match since his return to the WWE following his cancer battle, but many fans likely expect this title match drought to end before the year closes.

Right now, Roman is involved in a feud with Elias and Shane McMahon on SmackDown and he is scheduled to face The Drifter at Money in the Bank later this month.

If WWE starts to book the former Universal Champion the way they did before he took some time off to battle against cancer then his support will fade fast.

However, if WWE decides to show more of a human side to Reigns, rather than going hard down the anti-establishment route like they have done in the past, his support should stay strong.