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Since making his WWE main-roster debut in late 2012, Roman Reigns has transformed from a likeable bad guy in The Shield to one of the most polarising babyfaces that the wrestling world has ever seen.
However, whether you love or hate “The Big Dog”, it cannot be denied that he has been involved in some spectacular matches and moments during his five-and-a-half-year run as one of WWE’s most prominent Superstars.
His WrestleMania record alone surpasses the careers that many Hall of Famers have had, while he has been the star attraction at more Royal Rumble events than anybody else in recent WWE history.
So, which moment ranks as the best of Reigns’ career so far? His first Rumble win, perhaps? How about his main-roster debut? And how does his victory over The Undertaker compare to his many other accomplishments?
Without any further ado, let’s count down five of his greatest moments to date in WWE.
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#5 Main-roster debut match (December 2012)
Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose made their main-roster debuts by interfering in the main event of Survivor Series 2012 to prevent Ryback from winning the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against CM Punk and John Cena.
One month later, the trio who became known as The Shield were involved in their first match as members of the main roster, taking on Ryback, Daniel Bryan and Kane in a TLC match (minus any titles on the line) at the TLC pay-per-view in December 2012.
It was clear from the start that all three “Hounds of Justice” were going to be around in WWE for a very long time after their impressive debut, which is why this pivotal match for the trio ranks right up there with Reigns’ greatest career moments.
You can check out highlights from the chaotic six-man battle in the video below.
#4 WrestleMania 31 main event (March 2015)
As the years have progressed, audience reactions towards Roman Reigns have become increasingly hostile – something that began when the Shield member outlasted 29 other men to become the unpopular winner of the 2015 Royal Rumble.
With the detractors hating on Reigns more and more in the weeks following his Rumble triumph, there was a huge amount of pressure on “The Big Dog” to deliver when he faced Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 31.
Unlike their most recent ‘Mania meeting, which was hijacked by fans from start to finish, Lesnar vs. Reigns I was among the best WWE matches of 2015, thanks in some part to the dramatic finish which saw Seth Rollins cash in his Money In The Bank contract.
WWE legend Bret Hart, who is often critical about the current product, even told Reigns after the show that his match was an “instant classic”.
#3 WWE Championship victory (December 2015)
After failing to win the WWE Championship during his rivalry with Brock Lesnar earlier in the year, Roman Reigns defeated Dean Ambrose at Survivor Series 2015 to become WWE champion for the first time in his career.
However, his reign wouldn’t last long as Sheamus cashed in his Money In The Bank contract to win the title just 5 minutes and 15 seconds after Roman’s victory, leaving “The Big Dog” in tears at the end of the show.
One month later, Reigns was able to gain revenge when he overcame the threat of The League of Nations (and even Vince McMahon!) to defeat “The Celtic Warrior” for the title in front of an electric Monday Night Raw crowd.
The victory was made even sweeter because it took place in the same Philadelphia arena that he was booed out of following his Royal Rumble win 11 months earlier.
#2 John Cena torch-passing (September 2017)
Roman Reigns recorded one of the biggest statement victories of his career when he defeated John Cena in a WrestleMania-worthy match at the No Mercy pay-per-view in September 2017.
This ranks as one of the Shield member’s greatest career moments because, even though it only took place on a ‘B’ PPV, the clean finish to the match represented a definitive torch-passing between WWE’s main man for over a decade and the guy who had been his heir apparent for so long.
Even if the Cena vs. Reigns match wasn’t something that the majority of fans wanted to see, nobody can deny that the promos in the build-up to their No Mercy encounter were among the most intense and believable we’ve seen in recent years.
#1 Victory over The Undertaker (April 2017)
Is there any greater accomplishment in WWE than defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania? Probably not, which is why Roman Reigns’ victory over “The Deadman” at WrestleMania 33 was the obvious contender to top this list.
In all honesty, the triumph doesn’t feel quite as special now that he know Reigns wasn’t the man to officially retire ‘Taker, who has recently returned to the ring after a one-year absence, but it still ranks as the top achievement in the career of “The Big Dog” so far.
The two men recently reunited at an MSG live event, teaming with Braun Strowman to defeat Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens and Elias, and they even shared a respectful handshake after the match.
