'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Love him or hate him, the Roman Reigns character never failed to elicit a reaction from the WWE faithful. For the last half decade, Roman Reigns mowed his way to the very top of the WWE Universe, as one of wrestling's very best and brightest Superstars.
While a segment of wrestling fans never gave the Big Dog his due, it never really mattered. Reigns continued to make history, having one WrestleMania moment after another, as he became one of WWE's most recognizable and bankable Superstars.
Not only was Reigns chosen by Vince McMahon to carry the torch as the WWE's main star; but, long before McMahon recognized his talent, the fans chose Roman Reigns as the future of wrestling and he came through in living up to his enormous promise.
Follow Sportskeeda for the latest WWE news, rumors and all other wrestling news.
Now comes heartbreak, as the once seemingly indestructible Reigns shocked the world with the announcement of leukemia this past Monday on RAW. While Reigns vowed to fight cancer with all that he has and promised that his speech was not a retirement speech, one couldn't help, but to reminisce over Roman Reigns' very best WWE memories.
Join us as we take a look at the Top 5 Most Unforgettable Roman Reigns Moments.
#5 Reigns vs Triple H - WrestleMania 32
Triple H's rise to power in the WWE could only be described as meteoric. He had come a long long way from his days as the well mannered Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H had now become WWE COO and the self proclaimed King of Kings' grip on power would last as long as he wanted it too.
After winning the 2016 Royal Rumble, Triple H was named WWE Champion and not only did he wield his front office power to attain the title; but, he did so to retain it, as well, leading up to a WrestleMania 32 clash with Roman Reigns. Reigns, in his pursuit of WWE gold, was facing a rigged game, a proverbial stacked deck.
Despite being named the future of the WWE, a WrestleMania moment still eluded the ultra talented Reigns. He had already been cheated out of the WWE Championship from the powerful Authority, the well oiled political machine that ran the WWE. After refusing Triple H's overtures, Reigns became WWE Champion by defeating his fellow SHIELD mate, Dean Ambrose, in the finals of a tournament.
As confetti poured on the new champion, the moment would be incredibly short-lived. Triple H hit Reigns with a surprise pedigree and Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to steal the title from Reigns. Reigns wouldn't be stopped; however, and despite overwhelming odds against him, defeated Sheamus to regain the WWE Championship the very next night on RAW.
The Authority; however, would not cease its relentless pursuit of power. In one of the most lopsided and unjust decisions in wrestling history, Reigns was forced to defend his WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. This marked the first time ever that a WWE Champion would defend his title at the 30 man over the top rope Royal Rumble Match.
Despite eliminating five men from the annual event, Reigns was targeted by The League of Nations, who played the role of Triple H's lackeys. Eventually Reigns was eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Triple H, who went on to win and be crowned the new WWE Champion.
Reigns pursued justice with reckless abandon. After winning a Triple Threat Match against fellow contenders Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar at Fastlane, Reigns earned the right to challenge Triple H at WrestleMania 32.
With Triple H's seemingly unlimited power and immense pocket book on his side, a Reigns victory was hardly a foregone conclusion, as the two legends clashed at WrestleMania 32 before more than 100,000 wrestling fans in Dallas, Texas. Despite Stephanie McMahon's best efforts to undermine Reigns' championship pursuit, Reigns hit Triple H with his patented spear for the pinfall victory.
Reigns was the WWE's Big Dog once again, as he raised his newfound WWE Championship overhead, after a hard fought and well earned victory. Fireworks blazed above the newly crowned champion, declaring a new era for World Wrestling Entertainment.
#4 Breaking Kane's record - Royal Rumble 2014
The Big Dog would make his Royal Rumble debut in extravagant fashion. The year was 2014 and Reigns was still a member of The SHIELD and seen more as the muscle of a dominant trio than as a future WWE Champion. That would all change at the 2014 Royal Rumble.
Roman Reigns entered the Royal Rumble at the halfway point, as the match's fifteenth entrant. Despite missing half the match, Reigns would set a Royal Rumble record that may never be broken. Reigns first eliminated Kofi Kingston and then Dolph Ziggler, neither man an easy out by any means. Reigns then set his target on WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, whom he also threw over the top rope.
Reigns would team up with his SHIELD brethren, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, to make The Great Khali his fourth victim. Then there was Goldust, El Torito, and JBL followed by Luke Harper and Antonio Cesaro. Inevitably Reigns also eliminated his teammates Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Reigns then eliminated 2012 winner Sheamus. Reigns had eliminated 40% of the Royal Rumble entrants.
Before being eliminated by the match's eventual winner, Batista, Roman Reigns has eliminated 12 WWE Superstars and shattered Kane's previous record, which had been held for an impressive thirteen years.
#3 Defeating The Undertaker - WrestleMania 33
There have been only two men in wrestling history to defeat The Undertaker. Roman Reigns is one of those men (Brock Lesnar is the other). Such an impressive feat would easily top most wrestler's Top 5 Lists; but, despite a moment rich in tradition in history, Reigns has already had such a memorable career, that the moment is only his third most memorable.
After The Undertaker lost to Brock Lesnar in shocking fashion at WrestleMania 30, the WWE came under heavy criticism. Fans were unhappy that Brock Lesnar went over and believed that if The Undertaker ever did have to lose a WrestleMania match, it should be against a young Superstar with more to gain. Enter Roman Reigns.
Reigns had been increasingly calling the WWE his yard and The Undertaker, long entrenched as the WWE's locker room leader, wasn't taking kindly to any of it. The two would clash at the 2017 Royal Rumble and after The Undertaker was eliminated by Reigns, Reigns would shout, 'This is my yard,' as The Phenom stared him down. The Undertaker wouldn't forget the slight and the two would engage in a brawl on RAW, leading to a No Holds Barred Match at WrestleMania 33.
After surviving The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver, Reigns hit The Dead Man with several Super Man Punches and spears to attain the pinfall victory and once again make wrestling history.
The next night on RAW, Reigns entered the ring to a chorus of boos and Undertaker chants. He said simply and succinctly,
'This is my yard now,'
Reigns then dropped the microphone and went home, as WWE's newest conqueror.
#2 Vanquishing The Beast - SummerSlam 2018
It was simply impossible. By the time Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar locked horns at SummerSlam 2018, Lesnar had been Universal Champion for 504 total days, an impressive reign that would seemingly never come to an end. Reigns had tried three times before to vanquish The Beast and each time come up short.
At WrestleMania 31, Reigns was, in the minds of many, slated to become WWE's new crown prince; but, Seth Rollins had other ideas and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to enter the match and take the title from Brock Lesnar. Then there was WrestleMania 34. Reigns was certainly set up to become the new Universal Champion; but, after bloodying Reigns, Brock Lesnar won in decisively shocking fashion and left New Orleans still Universal Champion.
Reigns was certainly going to defeat Lesnar at The Greatest Royal Rumble; but, when Reigns spared Lesnar through the cage doors, Reigns lost on account of a technicality, despite the overwhelming photographic evidence that clearly showed The Big Dog's feet hitting the arena floor first.
If Reigns was to defeat Lesnar at SummerSlam 2018, it was hardly a done deal. Reigns had fallen short each and every time these two met in the ring and The Beast appeared stronger by the minute. Reigns hit The Beast with several brutal Superman Punches and spears to finally vanquish Lesnar. For for the first time ever, Roman Reigns was the new WWE Universal Champion.
Reigns was jubilant in celebration, as Lesnar's impressive reign came to an end at the 504 day mark.
After the match, the victorious Reigns said,
"I came to win....I said it, 'I have to win.' If I didn't win tonight, I'd have to find a new trade. I'd have to get a new job because everything I said would have been false. I've always said I was a man of my word. In life, stuff happens. It's not always gonna be peaches and cream. You're gonna run into road blocks. You're gonna run into walls. Sometimes you just gotta put your head down to it and know what you believe in and run right through 'em. Tonight that wall was Brock Lesnar and I ran through him."
#1 Announcing his toughest opponent yet
Wrestling fans will always remember where they were when time stopped on the night Roman Reigns announced his toughest ever opponent: leukemia. In a shocking move that broke the collective hearts of wrestling fans everywhere, Roman Reigns revealed that he would no longer be able to defend the Universal Championship and instead would enter a valiant new battle against leukemia,
"My real name is Joe and I've been living with leukemia for eleven years and unfortunately it's back and because the leukemia is back, I can't fulfill my role.I can't be that fighting champion and I'm gonna have to relinquish the Universal Championship."
The vast majority of the crowd was silent, an eerie response to a man that always elicited such a vast array of audible reactions.
Reigns told the audience that he wasn't looking for sympathy and reiterated the importance of his personal faith in his new battle. He thanked the WWE and the WWE Universe for their support. He also vowed that this wasn't a retirement speech and heroically promised,
"I want to make one thing clear. By no means is this a retirement speech because after I'm done whooping leukemia's ass once again, I'm coming back home."
The crowd chanted what it should have long ago,
"Thank you Roman. Thank you Roman. Thank you Roman."
As Reigns lay his relinquished Universal Championship in the center of the ring, many doubted what they had just seen. Lou Gehrig had just relinquished his glove.
In particularly touching fashion, Reigns was embraced by his long-time friends and SHIELD brethren Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. The three men put their fists together, as they so often have. This time; however, tears flowed freely from the trio, from the live audience in attendance, and from the millions watching from home.
Send us news tips at [email protected].
