Acknowledge him!
For some, bearing the responsibility of one of wrestling’s most storied families would break even the strongest Superstar. For Roman Reigns, it was just another day at the office. Or another day at The Head of the Table.
The agile, imposing juggernaut has been told his entire life that he cannot accomplish his goals. And since day one of his arrival in WWE, he has proven his naysayers wrong in the language of broken bodies and shattered Superstars who thought they had his number.
Whether it was finishing opposing teams as the enforcer of The Shield or steadily grinding his way toward several early reigns as WWE Champion, Reigns always left a lasting impression on anyone who came in contact with him. The intense Superstar proved himself while forging his path as a singles competitor and has never turned away from a challenge, battling everyone from Brock Lesnar to John Cena to Triple H to a WrestleMania showdown with The Undertaker that brought the legendary Deadman only his second loss at The Showcase of the Immortals.
At SummerSlam 2018, Reigns finally vanquished his greatest rival when he defeated The Beast Incarnate to win the Universal Championship and immediately set out to be what he had always been, a fighting champion. That all changed on the Oct. 22 edition of Monday Night Raw, when Reigns announced that the leukemia that he had lived with for 11 years had returned. Because of this, he relinquished the Universal Title and returned home to fight it. Thankfully, Reigns’ battle was a successful one, and he inevitably returned to the squared circle with renewed focus.
After missing several months in 2020, Reigns made a startling return at SummerSlam and ushered in a whole new era when he ruthlessly attacked “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman in a moment that no one saw coming. From there, Reigns enlisted the assistance of Paul Heyman as his Special Counsel, recaptured the Universal Title, subjected his cousin Jey Uso and became firmly entrenched as the face of Friday Night SmackDown.
Reigns firmly established himself as “The Head of the Table,” who provides for all and puts food on the table, and he refused to accept anything less than complete respect from any Superstars that set foot on his “Island of Relevancy.” In this role, he has shown time and time again that those who disrespect him or his family will pay a very painful price.
As his dominance continued to grow, so too did the power of Reigns’ Bloodline faction, consisting of himself, his cousins The Usos, their younger brother Solo Sikoa, his Special Counsel Paul Heyman, and even Sami Zayn as an Honorary Uce for a time. The Bloodline ran roughshod over WWE, with Reigns becoming the longest-reigning Universal Champion and also capturing the WWE Championship by defeating Lesnar once again for the title at WrestleMania 38. Moving forward as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, The Tribal Chief has undeniably put together one of the most dominant title reigns of all time. And despite Jey Uso leaving the fold, his supremacy over the squared circle shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
When it’s all said and done, Roman Reigns will be remembered as one of the most iconic Superstars to ever step foot in the squared circle. And that’s not a prediction. That’s a spoiler.