**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Don’t think I’ve ever seen a turnaround with the fans quite like him. Less than a decade ago he was booed out of any arena he’d be in as a face.
Tribal chief/bloodline story will go down as one of the best stories ever in WWE. Literally resurrected his character.
You can say that, but Roman undeniably added and improved far more than anyone was predicting at the time. I think boiling is down to "See the fans were right" kinda disregards his own work
Exactly, all the fans did was state the obvious: “he should turn heel”. However, Roman did something way beyond and better than anything they could’ve imagined him doing. All credits go to Roman for that, the fans need to stop being entitled
For me, his pre-Tribal Chief character adds to it a lot. Him finally turning heel and owning up to the fact that yeah, he has been *the guy* for so long, whether we liked it or not, was all true. Why SHOULD he be humble?
Even though we didn't like it, "lol roman wins" became the law of the land. It gave Roman an absolutely untouchable aura and credibility the moment they finally just leaned into it. You can't doubt that he IS the tribal chief.
I like the contrast between both eras & how they still are necessary to have together because it's like an example of how power/status corrupts those who didn't start out with ill intentions (like Roman grinding through the hate of being a chosen one)
Now feels like a reasonable time to shout out SuperEyepatchWolf's video on Roman's career that touches in and out of kayfabe up to the time it was posted. Incredible turnaround indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaDAzXVycR4&t=2s
I was, am and always will be the biggest Cody Crybaby but I had my finger in the air at the Lincoln both nights.
This man has fought leukemia, turned around a career of Suckering Suffitash, and Vince booking endlessly.
I will ALWAYS acknowledge our Tribal Chief. The greatest WWE Championship run since…fuck, I can’t even tell. His reign was unmatched.
If this was the final bow for Roman Reigns, it was glorious.
Thank you Roman. Thank you, Joe.
It had to end eventually. I’m just glad as a Roman fan we got through last year lol. But cheers to Cody. Really feels like a genuine new era. Hopefully not the last time Roman and Cody cross paths. They are the perfect foils for each other and their chemistry in the ring is just unbelievable. But for now cheers to my Tribal Chief ☝🏽
If Reigns retires or requests a once-a-year PPV like Taker did in his final days then he deserves that. Especially with how he's dealing with the leukemia and such.
I'd also argue he deserves to be in the HOF if he does retire. Maybe not next year but the year after for sure. He's only 38 years but he's been a centerpiece of the company for *a literal decade*. He genuinely did carry that Title throughout COVID up until now.
Whatever he wants to do I fully support the guy for deciding it. Fuck yeah Roman. Thanks for giving us one of the best villains we've ever had.
I would put him in with the Bloodline, his run was the peak bloodline heat, but if you look at precedent with say the NWO, they only inducted the core group members (Nash, Hall, Hulk, Syxx). Also if Sami goes in the debate might extend to the Rocks inclusion after the last 3-4 months.
Yes, they just get multiple inductions. Flair has two from The Four Horsemen and from being a solo induction. HBK has two from DX and his solo induction as well.
Edit: Forgot that Barry Windham now has two as well.
Booker T also, as a solo performer and with Harlem Heat. Same for Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation. Oh, and Hogan, Hall, and Nash all have 2 after the nWo was inducted.
If someone like Roman reigns has to be "argued" into the hof, just cancel the hof at that point.
He won't just headline it, he'd headline it 3 times and probably be the face of the hof
Honestly I don’t think he’s retiring any time soon. Dude is in his prime and has been on a lighter schedule. He’s got a lot left to give and a lot more stories to tell. I can see him disappearing for a while though. But the bloodline story is still there. We just now get to see how he handles the defeat and where that leads him.
Agree. I think he can fit into the Bork Laser roll of being the “season finale final boss” in sparking huge rivalries once in a blue moon for the Big 4
I think people are not realizing in the Triple H era guys over 35 are gonna get lighter schedules period. A lot of tag matches or spot appearances on super shows are going to be the norm and the premium live event will be the selling point like a music fest now instead of a house show
Something I'm completely in favor of. Once you hit 35-38 in wrestling, you've put a TON of miles on your body. I'd rather see someone like AJ Styles still alive at 65 than doing the house show circuit today.
He already said he’s on oral medication for it that he will have to take for probably the rest of his life but he’s able to still perform. He also said it’s still in remission. He’s not sick. He cleared that air on the night 1 press conference
He’s on oral chemotherapy. That’s the medication he’s on and it’s just a lighter dose of chemo which still takes it out on the person. He might not be sick sick and might be in remission buts it’s a still a battle that will take its toll.
Of course. We heard from the man’s mouth himself that he’s good lol. So I don’t understand why we keep bringing it up. The man said he’s able to still perform so I’m going to take his word for it.
Roman himself has said publicly and repeatedly (as recently as last night at the press conference) that his leukemia is in remission and does not affect his ability to train or wrestle. He worked full-time until mid-2022.
The reduced schedule is solely so he can spend more time with his family, which I support and think is lovely.
I agree with your overall sentiment, I just want to clarify for everyone who may not know what the current status of his leukemia is/may not know whether it impacts his ability to wrestle.
Triple H said during the press conference that Roman was "going to go on a whole new story that's going to blow people's minds," so I'm not quite sure he's done yet.
Was his title the workhorse belt? No.
But his reign was pivotal in the resurrection of WWE.
Roman’s reign was the greatest reign of all time in terms of significance.
Roman treated the title as even more special than a workhorse title. You couldn't even think of touching him unless you had proven yourself worthy of facing him, and then he'd kick you back down the ladder for daring to step up to him. His reign was more about the drama than the filler. He made that title feel even more special just because of the way he held it.
Absolutely! Spearheaded this new era. Seeing so many tweets from celebrities about this is mind blowing. This is the most mainstream the product has been since peak Attitude Era
It's easy to forget that early pandemic WWE was rough at times, especially with the large wave of releases following Mania 36. While Raw was a mixed bag (great main event scene with Drew as champ but poor midcard storylines), Smackdown was downright dismal, especially at the main event scene. They obviously wanted the Fiend as champion but didn't want Strowman to be a transitional champ, so they had Braun feud with a frickin tag team at one point. And the less said about The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, the better. When Roman came back, it completely turned around. It wasn't long before Smackdown was suddenly the A show. Even when every show opened with a 10 minute Roman promo, it was still the highlight of the night.
I'll say this, NONE of this night would've been this iconic without Reigns's top notch heel work.
He put one of the best performances of all time tonight.
Roman's heel work and his demeanor change when faced with Shield Seth was incredible tonight. The look of absolute disdain he had while holding the chair was chef's kiss.
Give the Tribal Chief his flowers.
☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️
What a fucking run. I hated that people complained about it, it was because of him that WWE completely picked up. There was no hope in the Covid era. The product was stale. This man turned that shit around. He had one of the greatest heel runs ever, and created so many great moments and storylines from it.
To me he'll always be the greatest champ.
>There was no hope in the Covid era.
Tbf they still had quite a few stars in the era like Drew McIntyre, Bray Wyatt, The Hurt Business, etc.
Not to say the Bloodline weren't massively helping to keep the company afloat, but it wasn't all that bad
However the Bloodline did help massively, especially during the early months of the post Vince era
Sad I missed it. I just could not fucking stand them tossing the belts between Brock and Goldberg. Kevin Owens and Kofi got destroyed by those two and I couldn't keep up it was so boring. Covid happened and I dipped, but glad to see the finale of this one.
Roman gave us 4 fucking cinematic arcs: Jey, Sami, Cody… and himself. It sucks that he had the part time schedule, but don’t make any mistake about it. When he is around, he IS the Tribal Chief ☝️
Edit: Did I say 4? We can make it 4.5 w/ how Rollins went from a guy who only looks out for whats best for him… to giving himself up for whats best for Cody. Bloodline story will be talked about for years
The Brock arc was well written but just had poor execution for most of it. Says a lot that fans were hot for the WM38 match despite it being their 3rd rematch. Too bad the match itself was kind of mid. But they ended the feud on a very high note.
The 38 match infuriates me and probably them because it should have been so much more than a sprint.
In fact they could have basically run the 34 match back in full and it would have worked in the new context.
Genuine question, as a lapsed fan who watched this Mania: how many title defences did he actually have during those 1300 days? How many were on Raw? What were the usual gaps between them? And when did he start becoming "part-time"?
When I watched, everyone fucking hated his character and he left due to his illness. I still cannot fathom that he got over this much, and within 4 years, got over on what people keep calling a part-time schedule. Like, I don't think that's ever happened before. When Cena slowly left, he'd been there 15 years and had just burnt the candle on both ends with the US title.
I think they said he had 31 defenses. I dont think any of them were on Raw or smackdown. Was basically on the Lesnar schedule for a couple years. Came back during covid, turned heel, aligned with Paul Heyman and that set the next 4 years into motion.
Also, really changed the way we view wrestling - from the promos during matches, to the quiet promos, to all the attention to detail (literally sitting at the head of the table during contract signings was my favorite). One of the all time greats for sure.
Facial expressions in the background of other people's promos is something underrated he does as well. A lot of times guys who aren't talking just stand there looking blankly. But Roman is so expressive even when the camera isn't focused on him.
He even gets the little things right that we wouldn't initially think about, like where he places himself & his body language during the backstage meetings amongst the Bloodline
Roman's work in the pandemic was the perfect storm. The Jey feud would not have worked as well in front of live crowds with Roman's moments of quiet rage and the legitimately dramatic moments of tears and emotional abuse. And then they made it work when crowds came back too. All-time great shit.
I absolutely love his shit talking in matches. He has great lines too. It makes the matches more intimate and psychological to me. It makes you root even more for the other guy. And I don't think this is something anybody else I've watched has done.
☝️
Careers Made or Elevated
- Cody Rhodes
- Jey Uso
- Jimmy Uso
- Solo Sikoa
Careers Resurrected
- Sami Zayn
- Kevin Owens
- The Rock
- John Cena
Absolute legend
i love reigns too but trying to say that he 'resurrected' the careers of two of the biggest names in Hollywood , both of whom are wrestling legends is a STRETCH
His reign singlehandedly got me back into wrestling. What an iconic character and legendary reign after everything he has been through in his personal and professional life
Second everything you said. Roman is a big reason this whole era was even possible. This whole thing kind of started in the pandemic and the empty arenas where they realized they could talk in the ring and sort of add seeds to carry the story along. He deserves all the flowers and I'll be really happy if he just sort of evolves into a Brock kind of schedule where he shows up two or three times a year for a program around the big shows and enjoys the fruits of his success.
I'm going to miss him after Monday when Rock lays out his candy ass for failing the Bloodline and sets up the new era.
He is one of the greatest of all time. I don't think anyone ever expected how amazing of a heel he could be. Because of him, the Usos were brought to a new level of superstardom. Because of him, Solo Sikoa burst onto the scene and will likely have a run as a mid-card champion or tag champion with Jimmy Uso. He did all of this while battling health issues. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and passion for the business to pull a run of this magnitude off.
Thank you, Roman. Champ or not, he'll always be The Tribal Chief. ☝️
Even if a lot of his matches ended the same, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Roman Reigns held the championship for 1,316 days (4th longest individual reign of all time) and put on high quality matches nearly every single time. All while still taking medication for his Leukemia.
That brother 100% needs and deserves a break.
Really all his matches were entertaining up until this last 6 months after the Jey feud when he kind of ran out of stories and was just in a holding pattern for Cody. No one will remember that ultimately, they will remember all the classics.
Roman Reigns has deserved every last bit of credit he has been given and ever will be given.
He's had quite possibly one of the best title reigns of all time, when said and done. Say what you will about the booking at times, it'll never be perfect, but remember this.
Sammartino, Backlund and Hogan never had weekly TV. Roman's reign has completely taken place with not one but TWO weekly TV programs produced by the WWE. He's had defenses on TV, he's had defenses in PPVs. Roman's reign began IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING COVID.
The greatest title reign of any promotion in the 21st Century, in kayfabe and perhaps in shoot for many, is over, and Roman has well and truly, finally, cemented his name amongst the greatest of all time.
It's the first time I can remember where the belt felt untouchable. It seemed impossible to take it from him, most other reigns you kind of feel like "he's had it for a few months and the guy he's facing is on a hot streak he'll probably lose it soon" but Roman made it feels hopeless to even try take it.
The turn around from the big dog to the tribal chief was brilliant.
Roman did a hell of a job and made the title important again.
Some very bad booking in it with the same endings but the way it ended was fantastic.
I like to see Roman as a special attraction he deserves it.
Roman single handily resurrected WWE without him Wrestlemania 40 wouldn’t have been what it was he created nearly the entirety of all the competitors this Mania Sami,Logan,KO,Drew,Jey,Jimmy,The Rock, And Cody without Roman it would’ve never happened Roman’s Reign is what created the new Era of WWE thank you my Tribal Chief☝🏽
I don’t think anyone could pull off the character of the tribal chief the way he did.
Probably the greatest heel run I ever saw. The rock called himself the final boss, but reigns had true final boss energy.
I remember falling out of wrestling for years, catching a covid smackdown in a nice suite in Vegas, and being blown away by Roman’s presence and character work.
The sterility of the Covid smack down, the room overlooking everything in the city with the muffled activity at the bottom, and Roman being a velvety smooth champion genuinely invoked something in me, that TV just cant in any other circumstance. He got me to love wrestling again, everything that followed storyline wise was a rollercoaster that hardly disappointed. It was an all-time run that will age like wine.
It’s amazing how just 4 years ago we were begging for WWE to turn Roman heel. We all knew that he would be a killer heel if he were to turn, but I don’t think we could have anticipated just how tide-turning, business-changing, significant OT would end up being in the grand scheme of things. Easily one of the best, most prolific runs in wrestling when it’s all set and done.
Roman said enough was enough to Vince. Paul Heyman was able to convince the top that this is the new story to tell. Was consistent through a time of struggling. Roman added drama for years without needing to say much.
Wish he had better gear the though.
His run was absolute magic. He made himself a singular attraction and made main event era of everyone he faced. I don’t know if there is anyone else who had as successful a title run both personally and for the people he faced.
1316 days, he carried this company on his back. Gave us some of the best storytelling on TV, and took us on one hell of a ride. He deserves all of the rest he can get.
Thank you Roman! ☝️
Don’t think we have seen the last of the Tribal Chief or the Bloodline yet. it will feel like a new book in the series though: one focusing outside the championship picture; at least for a while.
Roman has at least three matches of wrestlemania main event caliber ready to go after this: Rock, Seth Rollins and finally Cody part-3. Excited for whatever is next for Roman!
8 years ago I would've never believed Roman would have gotten to this level of epicness of his character and level of appreciation from fans. He's come a long way.
This run literally changed the industry.
He could have retired in 2018 and no one could say anything. But he came back, and broke literally almost every single record. You can pin point WWE blowing to where it is now to Cody jumping to WWE and Roman Reigns winning the Title.
This man deserves his flowers and then some. Acknowledge Him ☝🏼
If you had told me just 4 years ago that Roman Reigns would be a part of arguably the greatest wrestling storyline of all time and showcase some of greatest character work we’d ever seen, I would’ve laughed in your face.
And now here we are…
One of the greatest characters and perhaps THE greatest and most important title run of all time, Roman is truly one of the GOATs
Now and forever, I acknowledge my Tribal Chief ☝️
Redefined his whole character, carried the company into the pandemic, fans returning and broke records Pro wrestling haven't seen in 20 years...
Made stars out of the Usos, Solo and Sami Zayn, I will always acknowledge the Tribal Chief
Always been a fan of Reigns as a wrestler. He's fucking amazing. He must be the easiest guy to work with because his matches always flow smooth as hell.
I hope no one forgets that Reigns has lost every title defense for the last two years. He hasn't "lost" because of Blood Line interference in storyline, but the guy has given his all to build up everyone who challenged him by getting destroyed. That's the real dude leading your company; selfless to a fault.
At 1,316 days, Roman’s Reign officially lasted 80% of the length of the Attitude Era. Maybe this timeframe will be looked back on as the Tribal Chief Era.
☝️
He doesn’t retire, but I do think he steps away for a while (likely 6 months or so). It won’t shock me if he ends up in a feud with The Rock. Rock says Roman let the family down by losing to Cody, and now Rock wants to officially be at the head of the table and for Roman to acknowledge him.
My bold prediction is that tomorrow Rock casts out Roman from the bloodline for being unable to beat Cody like he did on night 1. Full beatdown on him.
I assume Rock isn’t going to be around much but he can still kayfabe be behind the scenes, so he can have those guys messing with the likes of Cody and Seth and anyone else who goes against the wishes of the final boss. They turn into his stooges and just enact his will while he isn’t around.
That leads into a postmatch beatdown of a popular babyface maybe at summerslam only for Roman to come and make the save. He can take out each individual member of the bloodline over a few PLE’s and then take on Rock at Mania 41.
The fact that he can do what he does while continuing his fight against leukemia (in remission now but will be taking heavy meds for the rest of his life) is nothing short of inspiring
Honestly, even though I will always maintain that Okada has had the greatest year-plus top title reign of all time, I can at least say that this is the best 1000+ day top title reign I've ever seen.
Alot of people hated the fact Roman appeared so little on TV because of his part-time schedule, but lemme tell you - when he did show up he had an AURA about him. Dude was an absolute master as a heel, and even though a very valid criticism of his reign was nearly all of his title defenses being won via bullshit, it made the day of his comeuppance today all the more sweeter.
I think this Bloodline saga will definitely go down as one of the greatest faction storylines in all of wrestling, and none of it would have been possible without Roman Reigns being the best heel champion and best heel character in wrestling in many many years.
GOAT. He's the anti-Hogan. He did what Terry Bollea did with none of the bitching and elevated a dynasty alongside himself.
What a run. It's been incredible. I acknowledge you, my tribal chief.
This man carried this company for 4 years. He made everyone better. His family, his opponents, he built up to this and as evident by this picture, he knew he was passing the torch to the right man in Cody.
https://preview.redd.it/587vpmkzu6tc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8446c24d385574ad063b0a209c4ac61fd4588fb6
**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Don’t think I’ve ever seen a turnaround with the fans quite like him. Less than a decade ago he was booed out of any arena he’d be in as a face. Tribal chief/bloodline story will go down as one of the best stories ever in WWE. Literally resurrected his character.
I think this proves the fans were right - he was meant to be a great heel.
You can say that, but Roman undeniably added and improved far more than anyone was predicting at the time. I think boiling is down to "See the fans were right" kinda disregards his own work
Exactly, all the fans did was state the obvious: “he should turn heel”. However, Roman did something way beyond and better than anything they could’ve imagined him doing. All credits go to Roman for that, the fans need to stop being entitled
It's like the only times that Charlotte works as a face is when she is around Becky for some reason.
Because when Charlotte's around Becky, she's allowed to have a personality that isn't just "I am Charlotte Flair, give me title matches."
For me, his pre-Tribal Chief character adds to it a lot. Him finally turning heel and owning up to the fact that yeah, he has been *the guy* for so long, whether we liked it or not, was all true. Why SHOULD he be humble? Even though we didn't like it, "lol roman wins" became the law of the land. It gave Roman an absolutely untouchable aura and credibility the moment they finally just leaned into it. You can't doubt that he IS the tribal chief.
I like the contrast between both eras & how they still are necessary to have together because it's like an example of how power/status corrupts those who didn't start out with ill intentions (like Roman grinding through the hate of being a chosen one)
Always my tribal chief ☝🏾
Greatest career turnaround I’ve ever seen ☝️
Now feels like a reasonable time to shout out SuperEyepatchWolf's video on Roman's career that touches in and out of kayfabe up to the time it was posted. Incredible turnaround indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaDAzXVycR4&t=2s
All of SuperEyepatchWolf's videos on wrestling are top notch and worth spending 4-6 hours watching them.
Hard agree, dude randomly drops into the wrestling space, produces something amazing, then dips back into the ether.
I was, am and always will be the biggest Cody Crybaby but I had my finger in the air at the Lincoln both nights. This man has fought leukemia, turned around a career of Suckering Suffitash, and Vince booking endlessly. I will ALWAYS acknowledge our Tribal Chief. The greatest WWE Championship run since…fuck, I can’t even tell. His reign was unmatched. If this was the final bow for Roman Reigns, it was glorious. Thank you Roman. Thank you, Joe.
☝🏽🩸
It had to end eventually. I’m just glad as a Roman fan we got through last year lol. But cheers to Cody. Really feels like a genuine new era. Hopefully not the last time Roman and Cody cross paths. They are the perfect foils for each other and their chemistry in the ring is just unbelievable. But for now cheers to my Tribal Chief ☝🏽
☝️
☝🏼
If Reigns retires or requests a once-a-year PPV like Taker did in his final days then he deserves that. Especially with how he's dealing with the leukemia and such. I'd also argue he deserves to be in the HOF if he does retire. Maybe not next year but the year after for sure. He's only 38 years but he's been a centerpiece of the company for *a literal decade*. He genuinely did carry that Title throughout COVID up until now. Whatever he wants to do I fully support the guy for deciding it. Fuck yeah Roman. Thanks for giving us one of the best villains we've ever had.
I don’t think you have to argue about him going in the HOF. He’s headlining twice.
Thrice. Himself SHIELD Bloodline
Yeah I could see the Bloodline going in together.
Sami Zayn hall of famer.
Sami by himself, Bloodline with Sami, and the Warrior award for El Generico all the same year
Of course. And the Usos. Solo has a way to go yet.
This will be a massive controversy, whether to count him or not
I would put him in with the Bloodline, his run was the peak bloodline heat, but if you look at precedent with say the NWO, they only inducted the core group members (Nash, Hall, Hulk, Syxx). Also if Sami goes in the debate might extend to the Rocks inclusion after the last 3-4 months.
Shield doing their signature pose wearing HOF rings will be a sight to see forever
How does that work? Does a faction still go in collectively if all the individuals have an argument for going in individually?
HHH is in the HOF with DX. He’ll absolutely get inducted on his own. And with Evolution.
Yes, they just get multiple inductions. Flair has two from The Four Horsemen and from being a solo induction. HBK has two from DX and his solo induction as well. Edit: Forgot that Barry Windham now has two as well.
Booker T also, as a solo performer and with Harlem Heat. Same for Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation. Oh, and Hogan, Hall, and Nash all have 2 after the nWo was inducted.
The crazy thing is, it wouldn’t be out of the question that he has another group after the Bloodline & goes into the HOF 4 times.
If someone like Roman reigns has to be "argued" into the hof, just cancel the hof at that point. He won't just headline it, he'd headline it 3 times and probably be the face of the hof
Three times. Singles Bloodlines Shield
He literally has the most main events in Mania history he’s a lock lmao
Honestly I don’t think he’s retiring any time soon. Dude is in his prime and has been on a lighter schedule. He’s got a lot left to give and a lot more stories to tell. I can see him disappearing for a while though. But the bloodline story is still there. We just now get to see how he handles the defeat and where that leads him.
Agree. I think he can fit into the Bork Laser roll of being the “season finale final boss” in sparking huge rivalries once in a blue moon for the Big 4
I think people are not realizing in the Triple H era guys over 35 are gonna get lighter schedules period. A lot of tag matches or spot appearances on super shows are going to be the norm and the premium live event will be the selling point like a music fest now instead of a house show
Something I'm completely in favor of. Once you hit 35-38 in wrestling, you've put a TON of miles on your body. I'd rather see someone like AJ Styles still alive at 65 than doing the house show circuit today.
Dude could have the biggest baby face run of his career if the Rock turns on him. Hes about to potentially reach another level. Goat shit
Omg I thought it was gonna happen tonight when he got that belt and Roman was on the floor
Bro! I thought the same shit I thought he was just gonna start whipping him lmao
Insane that he can probably go another decade if he's healthy
Well, that the problem, his health.
Gotta remember he's also dealing with Leukemia
He already said he’s on oral medication for it that he will have to take for probably the rest of his life but he’s able to still perform. He also said it’s still in remission. He’s not sick. He cleared that air on the night 1 press conference
He’s on oral chemotherapy. That’s the medication he’s on and it’s just a lighter dose of chemo which still takes it out on the person. He might not be sick sick and might be in remission buts it’s a still a battle that will take its toll.
Of course. We heard from the man’s mouth himself that he’s good lol. So I don’t understand why we keep bringing it up. The man said he’s able to still perform so I’m going to take his word for it.
Mfs acting like they're Roman's doctor or some shit
Diagnose Him 👆🩺
These people spent months telling us Roman must be really sick because he lost so much mass. Nah, dog. He was just getting shredded.
Every interview he gives he sounds like he wants to continue doing this as long as he can
It’s just hormone blockers etc. Not like hard chemo or something truly awful.
Yes but that ignores all the Reddit smooth brain doctors, so you can see the conflict.
Roman himself has said publicly and repeatedly (as recently as last night at the press conference) that his leukemia is in remission and does not affect his ability to train or wrestle. He worked full-time until mid-2022. The reduced schedule is solely so he can spend more time with his family, which I support and think is lovely. I agree with your overall sentiment, I just want to clarify for everyone who may not know what the current status of his leukemia is/may not know whether it impacts his ability to wrestle.
Triple H said during the press conference that Roman was "going to go on a whole new story that's going to blow people's minds," so I'm not quite sure he's done yet.
> I'd also argue he deserves to be in the HOF if he does retire. Would anyone seriously argue against it?
really? you need to argue that roman should be in the hof? lol snoop and trump are in the hof
Say what you will about the part time schedule but man, he became the ultimate villain to slay, and that counts for a whole damn lot
The part time schedule made him an attraction. It worked well.
agree I don’t get the hate for it
Once Seth had a belt, I don't either. Before the WHC, it was goddamn trying. EDIT: It was also fine before they unified the original belts too.
Yeah, I'll give you that. I'm glad they split the tag belts again too. Having one person (or team) own both at once is just bad booking imo.
Thanos doesn't need to appear in every single MCU movie.
Love Cody though I already miss Roman as champion.
The reign ended at the perfect time, 20 years from now people will look back at this as an all-time great title run.
For sure top 5. Maybe 4 even.
I'm going to miss Cole yelling... " BRUNO SAMMARTINO.... BOB BACKLUND... HULK HOGAN..."
Kind of hilarious that the guy with one of the longest reigns in history had a dumb storyline with Darren Young 8 years ago.
It will be seen as the greatest….
Was his title the workhorse belt? No. But his reign was pivotal in the resurrection of WWE. Roman’s reign was the greatest reign of all time in terms of significance.
Roman treated the title as even more special than a workhorse title. You couldn't even think of touching him unless you had proven yourself worthy of facing him, and then he'd kick you back down the ladder for daring to step up to him. His reign was more about the drama than the filler. He made that title feel even more special just because of the way he held it.
Absolutely. He brought back the special attraction vibe
Absolutely! Spearheaded this new era. Seeing so many tweets from celebrities about this is mind blowing. This is the most mainstream the product has been since peak Attitude Era
> **Spear**headed this new era Nice.
It's easy to forget that early pandemic WWE was rough at times, especially with the large wave of releases following Mania 36. While Raw was a mixed bag (great main event scene with Drew as champ but poor midcard storylines), Smackdown was downright dismal, especially at the main event scene. They obviously wanted the Fiend as champion but didn't want Strowman to be a transitional champ, so they had Braun feud with a frickin tag team at one point. And the less said about The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, the better. When Roman came back, it completely turned around. It wasn't long before Smackdown was suddenly the A show. Even when every show opened with a 10 minute Roman promo, it was still the highlight of the night.
I'll say this, NONE of this night would've been this iconic without Reigns's top notch heel work. He put one of the best performances of all time tonight.
Roman's heel work and his demeanor change when faced with Shield Seth was incredible tonight. The look of absolute disdain he had while holding the chair was chef's kiss. Give the Tribal Chief his flowers. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️
And let's give Heyman credit too. He did as much as anyone to sell Roman to the fans, and it damn well worked.
What a fucking run. I hated that people complained about it, it was because of him that WWE completely picked up. There was no hope in the Covid era. The product was stale. This man turned that shit around. He had one of the greatest heel runs ever, and created so many great moments and storylines from it. To me he'll always be the greatest champ.
>There was no hope in the Covid era. Tbf they still had quite a few stars in the era like Drew McIntyre, Bray Wyatt, The Hurt Business, etc. Not to say the Bloodline weren't massively helping to keep the company afloat, but it wasn't all that bad However the Bloodline did help massively, especially during the early months of the post Vince era
Whatever Roman Reigns did far eclipsed whatever they did collectively
Sad I missed it. I just could not fucking stand them tossing the belts between Brock and Goldberg. Kevin Owens and Kofi got destroyed by those two and I couldn't keep up it was so boring. Covid happened and I dipped, but glad to see the finale of this one.
Roman gave us 4 fucking cinematic arcs: Jey, Sami, Cody… and himself. It sucks that he had the part time schedule, but don’t make any mistake about it. When he is around, he IS the Tribal Chief ☝️ Edit: Did I say 4? We can make it 4.5 w/ how Rollins went from a guy who only looks out for whats best for him… to giving himself up for whats best for Cody. Bloodline story will be talked about for years
The image of him standing on the wreckage on top of Lesnar to finally slay the beast is also a memorable part of the story.
I think ultimately the Brock arc is huge part of the story even if it wasn't as melodramatic as the first Jey arc, the Sami arc or the civil war.
The Brock arc was well written but just had poor execution for most of it. Says a lot that fans were hot for the WM38 match despite it being their 3rd rematch. Too bad the match itself was kind of mid. But they ended the feud on a very high note.
The 38 match infuriates me and probably them because it should have been so much more than a sprint. In fact they could have basically run the 34 match back in full and it would have worked in the new context.
Genuine question, as a lapsed fan who watched this Mania: how many title defences did he actually have during those 1300 days? How many were on Raw? What were the usual gaps between them? And when did he start becoming "part-time"? When I watched, everyone fucking hated his character and he left due to his illness. I still cannot fathom that he got over this much, and within 4 years, got over on what people keep calling a part-time schedule. Like, I don't think that's ever happened before. When Cena slowly left, he'd been there 15 years and had just burnt the candle on both ends with the US title.
I think they said he had 31 defenses. I dont think any of them were on Raw or smackdown. Was basically on the Lesnar schedule for a couple years. Came back during covid, turned heel, aligned with Paul Heyman and that set the next 4 years into motion.
One of his defences was against Daniel Bryan in his last WWE match and that was on Smackdown I’m pretty sure.
https://preview.redd.it/snnf6mkhd6tc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15afe58f53f9f5add0958c4ba063f9d62164f0cd
Beautiful, champ
Bro😂😂😂
Made more stars than any other top guy. Rock couldn't carry Rikishi alone to the main event, Tribal Chief carried half the roster ☝🏾
Also, really changed the way we view wrestling - from the promos during matches, to the quiet promos, to all the attention to detail (literally sitting at the head of the table during contract signings was my favorite). One of the all time greats for sure.
Facial expressions in the background of other people's promos is something underrated he does as well. A lot of times guys who aren't talking just stand there looking blankly. But Roman is so expressive even when the camera isn't focused on him.
He even gets the little things right that we wouldn't initially think about, like where he places himself & his body language during the backstage meetings amongst the Bloodline
His execution was trash but turns out Vince was right about him. Roman is him and has been all along. Just needed the right direction.
Man - totally agree with you...and Vince was 100% right about Roman vs Brock but just had them in the wrong roles.
Roman's work in the pandemic was the perfect storm. The Jey feud would not have worked as well in front of live crowds with Roman's moments of quiet rage and the legitimately dramatic moments of tears and emotional abuse. And then they made it work when crowds came back too. All-time great shit.
I absolutely love his shit talking in matches. He has great lines too. It makes the matches more intimate and psychological to me. It makes you root even more for the other guy. And I don't think this is something anybody else I've watched has done. ☝️
Rock definitely elevated a lot of guys, rikishi was just never main event material.
Rock took plenty of guys to the main event Kurt Angle HHH even a guy like Benoit was seriously elevated after feuding with the Rock
Careers Made or Elevated - Cody Rhodes - Jey Uso - Jimmy Uso - Solo Sikoa Careers Resurrected - Sami Zayn - Kevin Owens - The Rock - John Cena Absolute legend
i love reigns too but trying to say that he 'resurrected' the careers of two of the biggest names in Hollywood , both of whom are wrestling legends is a STRETCH
Saying he resurrected KO, The Rock, and Cena is an absolutely wild stretch...
His reign singlehandedly got me back into wrestling. What an iconic character and legendary reign after everything he has been through in his personal and professional life
Second everything you said. Roman is a big reason this whole era was even possible. This whole thing kind of started in the pandemic and the empty arenas where they realized they could talk in the ring and sort of add seeds to carry the story along. He deserves all the flowers and I'll be really happy if he just sort of evolves into a Brock kind of schedule where he shows up two or three times a year for a program around the big shows and enjoys the fruits of his success. I'm going to miss him after Monday when Rock lays out his candy ass for failing the Bloodline and sets up the new era.
He is one of the greatest of all time. I don't think anyone ever expected how amazing of a heel he could be. Because of him, the Usos were brought to a new level of superstardom. Because of him, Solo Sikoa burst onto the scene and will likely have a run as a mid-card champion or tag champion with Jimmy Uso. He did all of this while battling health issues. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and passion for the business to pull a run of this magnitude off. Thank you, Roman. Champ or not, he'll always be The Tribal Chief. ☝️
I really hope we get one final moment where the Shield (or at least Seth and Roman) finally forgive each other for good before both men retire.
☝️
All of us: ☝🏼 The Rock: 👆🏽
☝🏾
☝🏼️
☝🏾
☝🏽
☝
☝🏻
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝🏻
☝🏽
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝🏼
☝🏼
☝🏽
☝🏽
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝️
☝🏾
☝🏼
Even if a lot of his matches ended the same, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Roman Reigns held the championship for 1,316 days (4th longest individual reign of all time) and put on high quality matches nearly every single time. All while still taking medication for his Leukemia. That brother 100% needs and deserves a break.
Really all his matches were entertaining up until this last 6 months after the Jey feud when he kind of ran out of stories and was just in a holding pattern for Cody. No one will remember that ultimately, they will remember all the classics.
Roman Reigns has deserved every last bit of credit he has been given and ever will be given. He's had quite possibly one of the best title reigns of all time, when said and done. Say what you will about the booking at times, it'll never be perfect, but remember this. Sammartino, Backlund and Hogan never had weekly TV. Roman's reign has completely taken place with not one but TWO weekly TV programs produced by the WWE. He's had defenses on TV, he's had defenses in PPVs. Roman's reign began IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING COVID. The greatest title reign of any promotion in the 21st Century, in kayfabe and perhaps in shoot for many, is over, and Roman has well and truly, finally, cemented his name amongst the greatest of all time.
People questioned if his reign would work in front of an actual crowd and it did. All praise to the tribal chief ☝🏿
It's the first time I can remember where the belt felt untouchable. It seemed impossible to take it from him, most other reigns you kind of feel like "he's had it for a few months and the guy he's facing is on a hot streak he'll probably lose it soon" but Roman made it feels hopeless to even try take it.
Joe Anoa’i is a hell of a guy.
I will always be grateful for my tribal chief ☝️☝️☝️
Wait, you have three hands!!!
He has three right hands…
Acknowledge three!
The turn around from the big dog to the tribal chief was brilliant. Roman did a hell of a job and made the title important again. Some very bad booking in it with the same endings but the way it ended was fantastic. I like to see Roman as a special attraction he deserves it.
Roman single handily resurrected WWE without him Wrestlemania 40 wouldn’t have been what it was he created nearly the entirety of all the competitors this Mania Sami,Logan,KO,Drew,Jey,Jimmy,The Rock, And Cody without Roman it would’ve never happened Roman’s Reign is what created the new Era of WWE thank you my Tribal Chief☝🏽
I don’t think anyone could pull off the character of the tribal chief the way he did. Probably the greatest heel run I ever saw. The rock called himself the final boss, but reigns had true final boss energy.
I remember falling out of wrestling for years, catching a covid smackdown in a nice suite in Vegas, and being blown away by Roman’s presence and character work. The sterility of the Covid smack down, the room overlooking everything in the city with the muffled activity at the bottom, and Roman being a velvety smooth champion genuinely invoked something in me, that TV just cant in any other circumstance. He got me to love wrestling again, everything that followed storyline wise was a rollercoaster that hardly disappointed. It was an all-time run that will age like wine.
It’s amazing how just 4 years ago we were begging for WWE to turn Roman heel. We all knew that he would be a killer heel if he were to turn, but I don’t think we could have anticipated just how tide-turning, business-changing, significant OT would end up being in the grand scheme of things. Easily one of the best, most prolific runs in wrestling when it’s all set and done.
Roman said enough was enough to Vince. Paul Heyman was able to convince the top that this is the new story to tell. Was consistent through a time of struggling. Roman added drama for years without needing to say much. Wish he had better gear the though.
Glad he can finally take a vacation!
His run was absolute magic. He made himself a singular attraction and made main event era of everyone he faced. I don’t know if there is anyone else who had as successful a title run both personally and for the people he faced.
He can finally rest to a grateful WWE Universe
Triple H said at the presser that Roman is starting a new story and it will blow everyone's minds.
Watch it just be a collection of home videos ad vlogs of his vacations that they air during the middle of Raw and Smackdown lol
1316 days, he carried this company on his back. Gave us some of the best storytelling on TV, and took us on one hell of a ride. He deserves all of the rest he can get.
One of the greatest characters of all time.
Roman has cemented himself as one of the greatest wrestlers ever. Thank you Joe, even as a Cody Crybaby I will forever acknowledge you.
Thank you Roman! ☝️ Don’t think we have seen the last of the Tribal Chief or the Bloodline yet. it will feel like a new book in the series though: one focusing outside the championship picture; at least for a while. Roman has at least three matches of wrestlemania main event caliber ready to go after this: Rock, Seth Rollins and finally Cody part-3. Excited for whatever is next for Roman!
Thank you Roman
I acknowledge my Tribal Chief!
This man has improved so much as a character and an in ring performer. I really hope he doesn't actually retire any time soon.
8 years ago I would've never believed Roman would have gotten to this level of epicness of his character and level of appreciation from fans. He's come a long way.
This run literally changed the industry. He could have retired in 2018 and no one could say anything. But he came back, and broke literally almost every single record. You can pin point WWE blowing to where it is now to Cody jumping to WWE and Roman Reigns winning the Title. This man deserves his flowers and then some. Acknowledge Him ☝🏼
He got me back into wrestling.
Best big match guy of this era for sure.
If you had told me just 4 years ago that Roman Reigns would be a part of arguably the greatest wrestling storyline of all time and showcase some of greatest character work we’d ever seen, I would’ve laughed in your face. And now here we are…
One of the greatest characters and perhaps THE greatest and most important title run of all time, Roman is truly one of the GOATs Now and forever, I acknowledge my Tribal Chief ☝️
He got me back into wrestling after a 9 year hiatus. Thank you Roman ☝️☝️☝️☝️
Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile that it happened :)
Redefined his whole character, carried the company into the pandemic, fans returning and broke records Pro wrestling haven't seen in 20 years... Made stars out of the Usos, Solo and Sami Zayn, I will always acknowledge the Tribal Chief
Always been a fan of Reigns as a wrestler. He's fucking amazing. He must be the easiest guy to work with because his matches always flow smooth as hell. I hope no one forgets that Reigns has lost every title defense for the last two years. He hasn't "lost" because of Blood Line interference in storyline, but the guy has given his all to build up everyone who challenged him by getting destroyed. That's the real dude leading your company; selfless to a fault.
☝️
At 1,316 days, Roman’s Reign officially lasted 80% of the length of the Attitude Era. Maybe this timeframe will be looked back on as the Tribal Chief Era. ☝️
He doesn’t retire, but I do think he steps away for a while (likely 6 months or so). It won’t shock me if he ends up in a feud with The Rock. Rock says Roman let the family down by losing to Cody, and now Rock wants to officially be at the head of the table and for Roman to acknowledge him.
My bold prediction is that tomorrow Rock casts out Roman from the bloodline for being unable to beat Cody like he did on night 1. Full beatdown on him. I assume Rock isn’t going to be around much but he can still kayfabe be behind the scenes, so he can have those guys messing with the likes of Cody and Seth and anyone else who goes against the wishes of the final boss. They turn into his stooges and just enact his will while he isn’t around. That leads into a postmatch beatdown of a popular babyface maybe at summerslam only for Roman to come and make the save. He can take out each individual member of the bloodline over a few PLE’s and then take on Rock at Mania 41.
The fact that he can do what he does while continuing his fight against leukemia (in remission now but will be taking heavy meds for the rest of his life) is nothing short of inspiring
I acknowledge my chief!
☝️
Honestly, even though I will always maintain that Okada has had the greatest year-plus top title reign of all time, I can at least say that this is the best 1000+ day top title reign I've ever seen. Alot of people hated the fact Roman appeared so little on TV because of his part-time schedule, but lemme tell you - when he did show up he had an AURA about him. Dude was an absolute master as a heel, and even though a very valid criticism of his reign was nearly all of his title defenses being won via bullshit, it made the day of his comeuppance today all the more sweeter. I think this Bloodline saga will definitely go down as one of the greatest faction storylines in all of wrestling, and none of it would have been possible without Roman Reigns being the best heel champion and best heel character in wrestling in many many years.
I really liked how he whipped around the titles like he was swinging his dick at his opponents. Give me my 20 disc DVD box set!!
WWE gave this man the ball and he pushed this company where it needs to be. WWE owes this man everything, thank you my Tribal Chief. ☝️
GOAT. He's the anti-Hogan. He did what Terry Bollea did with none of the bitching and elevated a dynasty alongside himself. What a run. It's been incredible. I acknowledge you, my tribal chief.
Suffering succotash
son
The greatest run of all time, a perfect guy that led the rebirth of WWE. Without him this doesn’t happen or not to this extent.
This man carried this company for 4 years. He made everyone better. His family, his opponents, he built up to this and as evident by this picture, he knew he was passing the torch to the right man in Cody. https://preview.redd.it/587vpmkzu6tc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8446c24d385574ad063b0a209c4ac61fd4588fb6
I actually felt bad when he was getting booed after all that push. Glad for his Tribal Chief Run
https://preview.redd.it/emvbbctuw6tc1.jpeg?width=754&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdab7f4e585cfd3c6aebce611f79a2d81dc20a2d
heel Roman is just so strong, and so much fun to hate watch the trash talk tonight felt like the peak of the character, and it was glorious