A record-breaking World Champion, a mainstream star and the most successful wrestler in the current era, Roman Reigns finally overcame the constant fan backlash to establish himself as The Head of the Table.
- Date of Birth: 25 May 1985
- Date of WWE debut: 18 November at Survivor Series
- Finishing moves: Spear, Guillotine choke
- Signature move: Superman Punch
Born Leati Joseph Anoaʻi and the son of Sika of The Wild Samoans, wrestling was not always the plan for the future WWE star. Much like fellow Anoa’i Family member The Rock, Reigns first looked to football as a potential career choice. Drafted to the Minnesota Vikings in 2007, Reigns was released shortly after due to being diagnosed with leukaemia.
Retiring from football, Reigns signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2010 and was a part of the Florida Championship Wrestling roster. Given the name Roman Leakee, Reigns first competed in a 15-man battle royal before continuing to compete on the FCW brand and having his name shortened to Leakee in 2011.
Following a series of dark matches on the main roster, Leakee was repackaged as Roman Reigns on the September 20 2012, episode of NXT. However, Reigns would not be a part of the black and gold brand for long, as he, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose made their impactful debut at Survivor Series that year as The Shield, helping CM Punk retain the WWE Championship in the process.
Following the impactful debut, The Shield ran roughshod over the WWE roster. The first of many championship runs for Reigns came at Extreme Rules 2013, when he and Rollins defeated Daniel Bryan and Kane to win the Tag Team Championships, holding onto them for 148 days. With each of the 3 men having clearly defined roles in the group, it became apparent very quickly that powerhouse Reigns was going to be the breakout star.
Continuing their dominant run, The Shield entered into a feud with Triple H and Evolution in 2014, which led to Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose picking up two massive victories over the Ruthless Aggression Era faction. However, things would come crashing down on June 2 when Rollins betrayed the group by attacking Reigns and Ambrose with a steel chair, forcing the group to break up.
While Rollins and Ambrose each underwent character changes, Reigns kept the Shield tactical gear and music, leading to fans beginning to sour on The Big Dog. Despite the fact that fans wanted to see the likes of Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt or Dolph Ziggler given a push during that time, it became very clear that the Reigns’ coronation was inevitable.
Things got worse for Reigns in early 2015 when he emerged the victor at the Royal Rumble. In what was supposed to be a career highlight turned into a disaster as the Philadelphia fans booed Reigns out of the arena to the point that even a cameo appearance from The Rock could not save things. One decade on, this Royal Rumble is still regarded as one of the worst in history.
Much like the Royal Rumble, fans were not happy with the Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns main event at WrestleMania 31. In what looked to be the inevitable crowning moment, fans waited for the Reigns win. However, in what saved the main event from disaster, Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, pinned Reigns and escaped with the title in what was dubbed the heist of the century.
With Rollins suffering an injury later that year, Reigns finally won the title at Survivor Series when he emerged the victor in a tournament to crown a new champion. However, the Money in the Bank contract would once again be his downfall as Sheamus spoiled the party. Winning the championship a few weeks later, Reigns lost the title in the 2016 Royal Rumble after being eliminated by Triple H. Much like in 1992, the 2016 Rumble saw the winner emerge as the new World Champion as opposed to earning their WrestleMania match. Meeting Triple H in the main event of WrestleMania 32, one of the worst in the event’s history, Reigns finally got his big win as he pinned The Game at The Show of Shows.
Following a brief feud with a returning Seth Rollins, which led to the only Shield triple threat at Battleground 2016, Reigns found himself contesting for the Universal Championship, which was held by Kevin Owens. After losing to Owens at the 2017 Royal Rumble, Reigns once again upset the Royal Rumble fans when he was revealed to be the final entrant in the match. Eliminating The Undertaker, the stage was set for The Phenom vs. The Big Dog at Mania 33. With Reigns pinning The Undertaker, becoming only the second man after Brock Lesnar to achieve the accolade, it appeared that The Deadman has wrestled in his final match as he left his hat and gloves in the ring. The next night on Raw, Reigns was hit with a nuclear response from the crowd, but still remained the heel.
After holding the Intercontinental and United States Championships, Roman Reigns returned to the main event scene in 2018 when he once again faced Lesnar at WrestleMania, this time for the Universal Championship. With Reigns losing again, the match was panned by fans 3 years on from their last meeting at the show.
Winning the Universal Championship at SummerSlam that year, Reigns relinquished the title when he announced that his leukaemia had returned. Making his return in early 2019, Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35.
After feuding with Shane McMahon, Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin throughout 2019, Reigns looked set to take on Goldberg at WrestleMania 36. However, due to the COVID pandemic, Reigns went on hiatus, prioritising his health and his family.
Returning at SummerSlam 2020, Reigns shocked the world when he attacked Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman, foreshadowing his heel turn. Finally playing the bad guy, Reigns declared that he was The Tribal Chief and also revealed his alliance with Paul Heyman. One week later, Reigns won the Universal Championship to kick off a 1,316-day reign with the title. Bringing The Usos and later Solo Sikoa into the fold, Reigns played into his family history and how he was The Head of the Table in The Bloodline. With a new look and new presentation, Reigns finally became a more compelling character to the WWE fans.
Defending the championships against the likes of Edge, Daniel Bryan, Jey Uso, Goldberg and many others, Reigns further asserted his dominance in the main event of WrestleMania 38 as he finally defeated Brock Lesnar on The Grandest Stage to unify the WWE and Universal Championships.
Continuing to rule over the roster, including a victory over Drew McIntyre in Cardiff, Wales, it appeared that Reigns finally met his match at WrestleMania 39 when he faced Cody Rhodes. However, following interference from Solo Sikoa, Reigns continued as champion for one more year.
With more defences against Jey Uso, LA Knight, Randy Orton, AJ Styles and more, the rematch with Rhodes looked set for WrestleMania 40. However, following the 2024 Royal Rumble, The Rock’s return looked to interrupt plans for the winner Rhodes to face Reigns as he inserted himself into the match. With Rhodes choosing Reigns as his opponent, The American Nightmare first teamed with Seth Rollins to lose to Reigns and The Rock, setting up a Bloodline Rules match the following night. With multiple run-ins, Rhodes finally pinned Reigns to finish the story.
Off TV for months, Reigns made his return at SummerSlam 2024, this time as a baby face and finally receiving cheers from the fans. Targeting Solo Sikoa, Reigns continued to feud with The New Bloodline until early 2025 when he defeated Sikoa on the Raw on Netflix premiere. After being eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Seth Rollins, Reigns attacked Rollins and Punk a few weeks later to set up the WrestleMania 41 triple threat, which headlined night 1. With Heyman in Punk’s corner, The Wiseman betrayed Punk and Reigns to side himself with Rollins, allowing The Visionary to emerge victorious. On the next episode of Raw, Reigns was attacked by new Rollins ally Bron Breakker, and has remained off TV since.
Roman Reigns WWE Championship Record
- WWE/World Heavyweight/Universal Championship – 6 reigns
- Intercontinental Championship – 1 reign
- United States Championship – 1 reign
- Tag Team Championships – 1 reign
- Royal Rumble winner – 2015
Featured image: WWE