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In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso to promote WWE’s ‘Answer The Call’ charity auction, Roman Reigns spoke about the WWE fanbase, his opinion of Bryan and more.
The full interview is here. Below are highlights:
How is it being friends with Daniel Bryan?
"Bryan is the best. If anybody says any different, they're an idiot. You can learn anything from him.” asserts Reigns. He has had a long association with Bryan starting from his days in The Shield, when he was feuding with Bryan, Kane and Ryback. Roman feels that he has come to realise the importance of putting in the hours in the ring and in the business as a whole from the journey of Daniel Bryan. “Bryan is a journeyman, and he's one of the few that we have, with Seth and Dean also in that category. He's just so smart. He has a great take on everything, and he doesn't just think about his product.”
Reigns is very appreciative of Bryan in that he can talk to him about anything under the sun, be it about the business or health or any other thing. He recounts his experience on the last European tour where he connected with Daniel Bryan on the back of the bus for over a hour-and-a-half. “He has so much knowledge on life. I feel very blessed to made a friend with Daniel Bryan."
His take on the WWE fanbase and earning their respect
Reigns knows that the wrestling fanbase is hardcore and smart, and likens them to the underground rap music scene. "There is always the underground rapper people enjoy, and you want to see him come up. That's kind of how it is in wrestling. There's a lot of guys on the indies with the tight following from those hardcore fans”
Reigns realises that he is yet to build to that level of following from the fans but is confident in himself that he will do the same and let the fans know that he isn't here to just take part, but to win. “I'm here to kill it every single night."
His feelings on Paul Heyman working with him
Reigns reminisces about how Heyman has known him a long time, ever since he was a kid hanging out with his Dad backstage. “Before I even got to that point [in the buildup to WrestleMania], he's definitely been a help."
