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As WWE enters a fascinating fourth quarter, one Superstar is the talk of the town. Roman Reigns has made headlines since his shocking return to the company at SummerSlam. The current WWE Universal Champion made is already making an impact as a heel with Paul Heyman by his side.
This is a very exciting direction for Reigns, who has always been a polarizing figure among the WWE fans. There have been some instances where the Big Dog has been universally cheered though. That being said, he is one of the most interesting stars currently on the roster.
A lot has been said about his character and status as a leader in the locker room. Pretty much all of his peers have tremendous respect for him. Roman Reigns is a talented wrestler and undoubtedly the biggest star in WWE right now. His second Universal title reign is filled with the potential to be great.
There have been quite a few backstage stories about Roman Reigns outside the ring during his time with WWE. These anecdote range from moments prior to his debut to recent events. Here are five of them you might not know.
#5. Roman Reigns has wanted to turn heel for a while
This new direction for Roman Reigns has a lot of promise as WWE fans have been clamoring for him to turn heel for years. However, it just wasn't the fans who wanted "The Big Dog" to go rogue. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sunday Night's Main Event podcast, Reigns has wanted to change his character, as well.
Meltzer stated that the heel turn was planned for "longer than most people might think' and it's something that Roman Reigns personally wanted to do "for some time". Over the years, the reception to his character has been all over the place. Despite some obvious moments, Reigns was generally booed by the majority of the audience.
While the move to pair him with Paul Heyman seems like a no-brainer, nobody actually believed that WWE would make such a bold booking decision. It likely came to be due to Brock Lesnar's absence, as a means to use Heyman while he is on contract as an on-screen character.
Now that WWE has pulled the trigger, expect a long Universal title reign for Roman Reigns with Heyman's touch on it. He usually has creative influence on the wrestlers he works with on TV.
#4. CM Punk's original pitch for The Shield did not include Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns made his WWE main roster debut at Survivor Series alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. The three of them were collectively known as The Shield. Initially set up to protect CM Punk during the latter part of his WWE Championship reign, Punk's idea for The Shield did not include Reigns.
On Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast, Punk revealed that the trio was his idea. After a writer presented him with the idea of a stable to protect him, "The Second City Saint" molded the concept for it to involve three wrestlers from FCW.
He pitched it to Vince McMahon and Triple H. His first three choices for members were Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Kassius Ohno. The former two were greenlit, but the powers that be wanted Roman Reigns in the third spot instead of Ohno. Punk obliged, and the rest is history.
It can be fair to say that things worked out okay for The Shield. Reigns constantly improved and when the Hounds of Justice broke up almost two years after their debut, he was genuinely the most over star of the trio.
#3. Triple H ordered Roman Reigns to apologize to the locker room after he got suspended
Back in June of 2016, WWE suspended Roman Reigns for 30 days after he violated the company's wellness policy. He handled the situation professionally, owning his mistake, and addressing the locker room regarding it. He even tweeted about his suspension, taking full responsibility.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Mark Carrano, director of Talent Relations, made Reigns apologize to the locker room on orders from Triple H. "The Big Dog" has redeemed himself since 2016 as a popular figure among his peers and the locker room leader.
WWE initially slid Roman Reigns down the card as he held the WWE Championship when he failed the drug test. However, his attitude likely impressed those in power. By WrestleMania 33, Reigns was the top star in the company.
The suspension in mid-2016 was merely a blip for Roman Reigns, who seems to be the consummate professional in WWE. He has become a much bigger star in the four years since.
#2. Roman Reigns wears the chest protector for health-related reasons
Many WWE fans have hoped that Roman Reigns will change his gear. His chest protector vest appears to be too similar to his outfit as part of The Shield. In a recent Instagram post, Reigns showed he's in incredible shape, once again sparking interest in a gear change for "The Big Dog."
However, Reigns returned to WWE wearing a new t-shirt on top of his vest. Sportskeeda's Senior Journalist Tom Colohue addressed this during his latest weekly live RAW Preview and Q&A session on Sportskeeda's Facebook page.
After being asked a question regarding a change in Roman Reigns' attire, here is what he had to say:
"They have made a little change to his attire; however, he is still wearing the chest protector underneath. It's just with a little less padding. He has to wear that. This is not the case of him choosing to wear it; he has to wear that because of a medical condition that means he get hernias. He is wearing a belt specifically to prevent that. He wears that to protect the belt. He has to wear that. So anyone asking for a change of attire, please stop. You are risking his health by encouraging that."
Reigns have a history of suffering hernias, one of which forced him to miss Night of Champions in 2014. The chest protector is necessary to prevent any medical complications, meaning "The Big Dog" will continue to wrestle in a shirt or a vest. It is necessary for his safety and wellbeing.
#1. Roman Reigns' family was furious with the ending to WrestleMania 31
WrestleMania 31 presented one of the biggest matches of Roman Reigns' WWE career. He entered his first 'Mania main event against Brock Lesnar likely to win the WWE Championship. However, Seth Rollins pulled a fast one and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.
The bloody battle between Lesnar and Reigns turned into a triple threat, which Rollins won after he pinned "The Big Dog." This garnered a huge reaction from the live crowd at Levi's Stadium, but a small portion of fans was not impressed at all. They were Roman Reigns' family.
The original plan was for Reigns to go over. WWE changed the finish of the main event hours beforehand. Rollins was informed of his impending victory after his loss to Randy Orton early on the show.
While several members of the Anoa'i family were furious at how WrestleMania turned out, Reigns' father, Sika, was particularly upset. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Sika was "looking to start a war." Roman Reigns' mother was also not happy one bit. Her immediate reaction was captured on tape.
It was rather upsetting for the Anoa'i family, who likely attended WrestleMania to witness Reigns win the title along with Rikishi's Hall of Fame speech one night prior. Luckily, Roman Reigns would go on to have multiple WrestleMania moments, with many more to come in the future.
