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We aren’t used to seeing this!Roman Reigns is one name that invokes mixed feelings among the wrestling fanbase. While there are hoards of detractors waiting to bash the anointed face of the WWE, there is also a section of the fanbase who ‘believe’ in the Samoan superman and in his quest of becoming the flagbearer of the biggest wrestling promotion in the world.All of this hate, though, does not undermine Reign’s journey thus far, right from his childhood days of being part of an illustrious lineage of wrestlers to headlining the grandest spectacle in sports entertainment. While the WWE Universe has seen the Big Dog in different avatars, there are some hidden gems that you may have never seen before.These rare frames of the #1 contender perfectly encapsulate the different stages in Roman Reigns’s life. So without further delay, here are the 7 unseen images of Roman Reigns:-
#7 The Shield Triple Threat
One of the biggest things in the wishlist of legions of WWE fans would undoubtedly be the Triple Threat match between Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. If you want any indication of how the match would be, you just have to rewind to the trio’ FCW days.
Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Leakee (Roman Reigns) worked a triple threat match and it was everything you’d expect it to be – a classic. While many know of this match, there are people who are still oblivious to it and for those who haven’t watched it yet, here is the video:
#6 Reigns trying his hand at Baseball
We all looked adorable when we were kids and Roman Reigns is no different. Here is a photo of Reigns holding a baseball bat that would make Sting really proud.
Reigns had a turbulent childhood and was notorious for being a hot-headed person to deal with. He himself recalled that he used to get into fights quickly, and it worsened to such an extent that he had to be admitted into the Florida Sheriff's Boys Ranch to mend his ways. Reigns, though, put everything behind him and went from strength to strength to achieve the goals he set for himself.
#5 The vibrant Samoans
Roman Reigns and The Usos share a bond unlike any other in the WWE and that is all because of their collective upbringing. Reigns and Usos boast of many moments from their childhood and this photo perfectly encapsulated the good times that they shared from the past.
The beaming yet innocent faces of Reigns and Usos make this a gem of an image. Having grown up together in an illustrious family, there are many unseen photos of the cousins that you had no idea about, one of which would feature in the subsequent slides.
#4 Reigns in his teenage years
Yes, Roman Reigns is awful on the mic and his in-ring skills are also questionable, but what can’t be questioned is the look that he sports – it screams main event talent. Here is a photo of Reigns from his teenage years, in which he looks rather stiff for some reason.
Never the less, Reigns has the physique that enabled a collegiate footballing stint with Georgia tech and a subsequent desire in Vince McMahon to see Reigns as the next top babyface of the WWE. To make matters worse, reports suggest Roman Reigns might headline the next three Wrestlemanias to follow. As bad as that sounds, let that sink in.
#3 Leakee
As hilarious as this photo is, this could have been how Roman Reigns would have been introduced to the main roster and thankfully, WWE flushed it down the drain! This image is from Roman’s Florida Championship Wrestling days (FCW, now NXT) under the moniker of Leakee.
Roman Reigns as Roman Leakee was originally in the works, but due to obvious reasons, got nixed. The major highlight of Reigns’s run as Leakee was the high number of clean losses he took – something that he has grown immune to these days.
If you thought the Samoan Superman character is a total dud, imagine how Leakee would have panned out to be.
#2 The fourth generation Samoans
Football features prominently in the history of the Samoan lineage of the WWE and in this photo, a young Roman Reigns is seen sharing the frame with his cousins – The Usos. The Samoan cousins are sporting a Philadelphia Eagles jersey in the image.
The Usos and Reigns share a very deep bond from having grown up together, and with Vince and co. running things, WWE ought to make full use of the history. WWE has exploited the avenue to the fullest and this bond has transcended to WWE TV every now and then.
#1 The footballing debacle
The image that tops the list comes from his days as a football player. Before WWE came knocking on Reigns’s door, he tried his hand at football, the outcome of which wasn’t desirable at all.
Reigns had brief stints with two NFL teams – Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars – before being picked up Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In the CFL is where he found some substantial success, and in one particular game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he had a major contribution with some timely tackles, but that was all.
He called quits on his football career soon after the Eskimos released him and the rest, as they say, is history.
