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Roman Reigns is unquestionably the biggest superstar in the WWE today. The current Universal Champion has delivered the best work of his career over the last year.
He was a compelling character with his "Tribal Chief" moniker and stepped up on the microphone, speaking with conviction and confidence. More than ever before, he has also consistently produced terrific in-ring performances ever since his return.
Roman Reigns returned to WWE at SummerSlam 2020 and was immediately aligned with Paul Heyman. His heel turn has tapped into a different side to his persona and has helped him become the most complete performer in the company. This is why Roman secured the #2 spot in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500.
With the PWI 500 list coming out this week, there has been plenty of debate about it. Many fans believe that Roman Reigns should be the #1 wrestler of the PWI year and looking at his great matches lends itself to that argument. In this article, let's take a look at the five best Roman Reigns matches of the PWI year.
#5 Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE Survivor Series 2020)
Roman Reigns faced Drew McIntyre on his return at WrestleMania 35. The contest was somewhat disappointing and didn't get too much time on the bloated card. With Roman's heel turn, McIntyre was facing a different competitor at Survivor Series 2020.
Drew McIntyre defeated Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship on the November 16th, 2020 episode of WWE Raw, just six days before Survivor Series 2020. This set up the biggest match possible between the WWE Champion and the Universal Champion. It was also two of the best characters in the company as well.
It was a fitting battle with two hard-hitting competitors that built nicely throughout. Drew McIntyre immediately hit Roman Reigns in the mouth and got in his head. The contest was filled with big moves, stiff strikes and exciting sequences. There was a referee bump which led to Jey Uso getting involved and opening the door for Roman to lock in the guillotine choke for the submission win.
It was a fantastic heavyweight clash that carried and delivered on the big fight feel. Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre both had stellar 2020 and this stands as both men's best match of the year. This followed a wonderful streak of tremendous champion vs. champion matches at Survivor Series.
#4 Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE Clash of Champions 2020)
A week after Roman Reigns returned at SummerSlam 2020, he defeated The Fiend Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat Match to win the Universal Championship at Payback 2020. His association with Paul Heyman brought a new edge to Reigns and shifted his focus to being the provider for his family.
When it became time to determine his first challenger at Clash of Champions 2020, Roman Reigns had Paul Heyman get his cousin Jey Uso into a Fatal Four Way Match to determine the Number One Contender with Jey winning. This set up a showdown between the cousins that had a brilliant buildup playing off the family ties.
The Clash of Champions 2020 main event had everything that you would expect, and the bout delivered on each of the expectations. Roman Reigns put on a superb performance with incredible body language, facial expressions and trash talk. He played a magnificent heel who talked down to his younger cousin, allowing Jey Uso to play a fired up underdog and pull off a spirited comeback.
The action was incredible, but it was the story that took this to another level. Both competitors produced a storytelling masterclass that was filled with emotion and intensity. Roman Reigns defeated Jey Uso with ground and pound to the point that Jey's brother Jimmy threw in the towel for the referee's stoppage win.
#3 Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens in a TLC Match for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE TLC 2020)
Coming off the Jey Uso feud and a win over Drew McIntyre at Survivor Series 2020, Roman Reigns was challenged by Kevin Owens. The former Universal Champion didn't like how entitled Reigns acted or how he treated his family. For a family man like KO, that was the biggest sin of The Tribal Chief.
This led to a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the Universal Championship between the two at TLC 2020. Both men were awesome in the leadup to their showdown at the pay-per-view.
Kevin Owens made for the perfect babyface foil to Roman Reigns' dastardly heal persona in many ways. They both cut fantastic promos that helped build anticipation for this contest.
Kevin Owens came out hot, attacking Roman Reigns before the bell. He assaulted both the Universal Champion and Jey Uso furiously. KO took Jey out, but it opened the door for Reigns to get the jump on him. Much of this TLC bout had Owens fighting both Roman and Jey. However, The Prizefighter did not stay down and kept on going.
The conclusion saw Owens get close to retrieving the Universal Championship, but Jey Uso stopped him and allowed Roman Reigns to grab the title for the win. This was yet another marvelous performance for Roman Reigns that elevated his entire character to another level. It was an absolute war that played into the buildup and made Owens look incredibly strong in defeat.
#2 Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE SmackDown 4/30/2021)
Coming off the heels of WrestleMania 37, Roman Reigns looked like the all-conquering megastar at the top of the business. His win over Edge and Daniel Bryan made him look unstoppable.
Cesaro would step up to challenge Reigns next, but Roman wasn't interested in facing him and instead challenged his advocate Daniel Bryan to one more match.
This rematch would have an added stipulation if Roman Reigns were to put the Universal Championship on the line. The Head of the Table asked Daniel Bryan to put his career on the line in this bout on the April 30th, 2021 episode of SmackDown. WWE did a fabulous job of building up this clash and making it feel like a big deal.
Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan had an excellent encounter at Fastlane 2021 and this delivered the same quality, with all the added stakes. Bryan used his technical wrestling expertise to break down his larger opponent, but Roman kept overpowering him with brute force and strength.
Daniel Bryan attacked and focused on Roman's arm, looking to end him with the Yes Lock. However, Roman Reigns used his intelligence and switched to his good arm for a guillotine choke for the submission win in a smart finish. This was simply an outstanding matchup that had everything it needed, including awesome commentary from Pat McAfee.
#1 Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE WrestleMania 37 Night 2)
Roman Reigns came into WrestleMania this year as WWE Universal Champion for the first time. Despite being in four previous main events at the Show of Shows, this was his first time as the reigning champion. His challenger for this huge matchup was a rollercoaster in itself.
Edge outlasted 29 other men to win the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match. Coming in for the #1 spot and off a serious injury, this was a major achievement. The Rated R Superstar took his time in making his decision about which champion he wanted to face at the Showcase of the Immortals. It wouldn't be known until Elimination Chamber 2021.
At that pay-per-view, six of the best competitors from the SmackDown brand battled in the Elimination Chamber Match with the winner facing Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship immediately after. Bryan last eliminated Jey Uso to win the bout and the Tribal Chief came down to the ring right after the bell.
Roman got the win over Bryan in short order, but Edge came out to spear Reigns and show that The Rated R Superstar had chosen him for his WrestleMania title match.
Daniel Bryan didn't take this lying down and felt disrespected by how fast things moved on. He challenged Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at Fastlane 2021. Edge was named the special guest enforcer at ringside.
Reigns and Bryan put on a exhilarating bout where Daniel nailed Edge with a steel chair by accident, but Edge got revenge by hitting Bryan with the same chair when he had Roman locked in the Yes Lock. Roman Reigns used this advantage to get the win, but Adam Pearce decided to interject and put Daniel Bryan into the Edge vs. Roman WrestleMania 37 showdown to make it a Triple Threat Match.
This was a non-stop, action-packed thrill ride in every sense. All three men put on phenomenal performances. Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan and Edge all overcame their own injuries and illnesses to make the most unlikely WrestleMania main event in history. They all wrestled like this could be their last match. There were crazy spots, breathtaking drama and amazing storytelling throughout.
Roman Reigns used a distraction from Jey Uso to hit Edge with a spear and a con-chair-to after The Rated R Superstar had given one to Daniel Bryan just prior. Roman stacked both men and pinned them for one of the most dominating visuals in the history of the event. That's why the WrestleMania 37 Triple Threat main event is the best Roman Reigns' match of the PWI year.
