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Roman Reigns has been a WWE Superstar for almost ten years. Since debuting as part of The Shield on November 18, 2012 at Survivor Series, Reigns has built a Hall of Fame-worthy career. The Head Of The Table is a 5-time WWE World Champion, six-time WrestleMania main eventer, the longest reigning Universal champion in history, Royal Rumble winner and a grand slam champion.
Reigns' journey to the very top of the industry has been a rollercoaster ride, but one thing has been consistent with The Tribal Chief: the crowd has always reacted to him. The general crowd reaction towards Reigns has depended on certain turning points in his decade-long stay on the main roster.
Dive with us into the seven defining moments of Roman Reigns' career so far.
#7: November 18, 2012: Roman Reigns debuts as part of The Shield
Roman Reigns arrived on the WWE main roster at Survivor Series 2012 as part of The Shield, a three-man stable that would change the company's landscape forever. Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose established dominance over the entire roster, quickly becoming fan favorites and establishing The Big Dog as a future world champion.
From building an 8-month undefeated streak with the faction and winning his first championship to attacking legends such as The Rock and Mick Foley, Reigns established himself as a main event talent within two years.
#6: June 2, 2014: Roman Reigns begins his solo career
Roman Reigns' run with The Shield came to an end the night after Payback 2014 when Rollins betrayed his stablemates and joined the Authority. Reigns and Ambrose embarked on solo careers while Rollins became the crown jewel of the Triple H-led stable. The Big Dog built a fan following for himself by holding his own against legends such as Kane and John Cena.
He also built a steady catalog of great matches such as the fatal four-way WWE title match at Battleground 2014. He also feuded with Randy Orton, defeating the Viper at SummerSlam the same year, before being crowned "Superstar of the Year" at the year-end Slammy Awards.
#5: January 25, 2015: Roman Reigns wins the 2015 Royal Rumble
Roman Reigns' momentum going into 2015 earned him the distinction of being WWE's "Chosen Next Top Guy". This invited some pushback from a vocal section of fans who felt that he was being forced on them at the expense of other, more deserving superstars. This made Reigns, who was presented as a face, a polarizing figure, much like his predecessor in the "Top Guy" position, John Cena.
The future Tribal Chief's polarizing era began when he won the 2015 Royal Rumble ahead of crowd favorite Daniel Bryan. The "Yes!" movement leader did not take part in the match, causing disgruntled fans to hijack the match and boo most of the final entrants. Nobody bore more of the brunt of this hostility than Reigns, with even an assist from The Rock not being able to get the crowd on his side. Ironically, Reigns was one of the crowd favorites at the previous year's Rumble, with his elimination garnering vociferous boos.
Reigns went on to receive mixed reactions throughout his various title pursuits, becoming a multi-time WWE Champion and WrestleMania main eventer before reaching his next defining moment.
#4: April 2, 2017: Roman Reigns defeats The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33
Roman Reigns faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 in a No Holds Barred match, becoming the second man to defeat the Phenom at the Show Of Shows. This was the biggest achievement of Reigns' career at that point, since The Deadman was, and still is, the most legendary performer in the history of the Showcase of the Immortals.
However, the Prince of Darkness is also one of the most beloved and respected characters in the history of the company. This meant that Reigns' victory was bound to invite a negative reaction. Nobody could have predicted how big it was, though.
The night after WrestleMania 33, The Big Dog appeared on RAW, to a ten-minute serenade of boos, after which he simply said, "This is my yard now". This was the most polarizing night of Reigns' career.
#3: February 25, 2019: Roman Reigns defeats Leukemia
Before he was Roman Reigns of the WWE, Joe Anoa'i was diagnosed with Leukemia. On October 22, 2018, the then Universal Champion announced that his disease had returned, relinquishing the title to a huge outpouring of support from the WWE Universe. It was the first time the fans had seen the man behind the character.
He then received a heartwarming ovation upon his return four months later, announcing that he was in remission. Following this up with a Shield reunion and a great run away from the main event scene helped Reigns get babyface reactions for the first time in years. More importantly, it earned him the respect of the WWE Universe.
#2: August 23, 2020: Roman Reigns turns heel
Roman Reigns returned to WWE at SummerSlam 2020 after a six-month hiatus due to health precautions. The former Shield powerhouse returned with a more aggressive attitude, shockingly attacking Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt after their Universal Championship match. Five days later, he aligned himself with Paul Heyman, confirming his heel turn. Two days later, he became Universal Champion, beginning an all-time great title run.
This heel run ushered in Reigns' greatest persona, which is widely regarded as one of the best characters of all time. It all began with that post-match beatdown where Reigns wrecked everyone and left, signaling the birth of the Tribal Chief.
#1: April 3, 2022: Roman Reigns becomes the Undisputed WWE Universal champion
Becoming the longest reigning Universal Champion of all time is Roman Reigns' crowning career moment so far. The Tribal Chief broke Brock Lesnar's previous record of 503 consecutive days holding the championship on January 16, 2022. A few months later, he beat the man whose mark he surpassed in a Winner Take All match at WrestleMania 38, unifying his Universal Title with Lesnar's WWE Championship.
This was the moment that finally fulfilled the prophecy of the Tribal Chief becoming the company's undisputed top guy; the culmination of a decade-long rise. One can argue that Reigns has been the franchise player for years, or that his 504th day as champion on January 16, 2022 was a bigger moment in Reigns' career. However, future generations will always look back on the image of Reigns holding up the WWE and Universal titles with as the most iconic of his career to this point.
