Getting the desired fan reaction had always been a struggle for Roman Reigns until the Universal champion decided to turn heel. Reigns has been universally praised by the audience since he introduced his new character last year. This reaction has carried over from the pandemic era shows. For the first time in his singles career, Roman Reigns is now getting a unified reaction from the fans in the arenas.
The tribal chief spoke about finally getting the reaction they want in an interview on Out of Character podcast. The head of the table detailed the psychology of the current era fans calling them a ‘fast food-oriented audience’. He explained that getting that reaction even after a year shows the hard work they have put into his story:
“We have a very fast food-oriented audience nowadays. It’s a ‘what have you done for me lately’ situation, everybody wants kind of some change as soon as they feel like they’ve gotten the portion that they were looking for. For me to still be almost a year now and for it to still to be interesting, for it to still be compelling, it just goes into, not just the performance, but just the hard work and the brainstorming and everything that goes in to being able to develop these types of stories.”
Roman Reigns went on to claim himself as the best storyteller in the world of sports entertainment today. He mentioned how we live in the world of storytelling where people want to know what’s going on by the minute. According to him, nobody else can do that on the highest level with the consistency that he does:
“That’s what I hang my hat on right now is I’m the best storyteller in sports entertainment today, and that’s all entertainment is, it’s storytelling. We live in a world of storytelling now with social media. I mean, on Instagram, you literally have stories and people want to know, by the minute, what’s going on. To be able to do that on the highest level and consistently do that, can’t nobody else say it but me.”
While The Usos originally opposed the Universal champion Roman Reigns when he first turned heel, the duo has since joined the Tribal Chief in his quest to be acknowledged as the Head Of The Table.
Though there is one more member of their family on the WWE roster who hasn’t joined this bloodline story yet – the wife of Jimmy Uso, Naomi.
When asked about the possibility of the former women’s champion joining their group during an interview with New York Post, Reigns claimed that it’s just not something that they have come up with:
“I do believe if she was put in that position, coupled with all of us surrounding her along with Paul Heyman and the rest of our creative brainstorming system that we have and how we craft our narratives, I think we could put her in a good position.
It’s just not something we’ve had time to come up with a thorough game plan. If we did, I think she’s definitely a superstar who could step up and take advantage of it.”
During the talk, the current champion was also asked about the recent DUI arrest of Jimmy Uso. Replying to it he said that he doesn’t condone that kind of behavior.
Though Roman Reigns later went on to claim that all humans make mistakes and explained how he likes to handle such situations. You can check out his detailed comments about the matter here.
Roman Reigns has spoken out on Jimmy Uso’s history with DUI arrests.
Jimmy is currently involved in the biggest storyline of his pro wrestling career. He has aligned himself with his cousin, Reigns, who is known as “The Head of the Table” on SmackDown. Despite the opportunity, Jimmy once again found himself in legal trouble.
On July 5, Jimmy was arrested in Pensacola, Florida. Jimmy had been speeding and police administered a breathalyzer. Jimmy was well above Florida’s legal drinking limit, which led to his arrest. It wasn’t the first time Jimmy was busted for DUI as he was caught in 2011 and 2019. There was also an incident in 2019 where he was arrested in Detroit for disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.
During an interview with the New York Post, Reigns discussed Jimmy’s history of legal issues.
“[I don’t] condone that kind of behavior or decision-making. [It’s] not a great light to be shining [on WWE].
“We’re all human, we’re all cynics, we all make mistakes. Instead of what some people might feel you should give up on somebody or maybe turn your back on that type of behavior, that’s one way to do it. But I don’t think that’s the way to push through and gain experience or make progressive movements of becoming a better man or a better human. So for me, it was diving into it with great attention, great love and very thorough communication to make sure my family is continually bettering themselves and putting themselves in a position to make better decisions.”
Jimmy is currently one-half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions along with his brother, Jey. The two very well could be involved in the main event of SummerSlam, which will feature a Universal Title match between Reigns and John Cena.
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown began with a heated back and forth promo segment between John Cena and WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
Cena and Reigns exchanged words ahead of their WWE SummerSlam 2021 match for the Universal Title, the match that will most likely headline the show inside of Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, August 21st.
John Cena vs Roman Reigns
According to a new report from Fightful Select, we now know who produced the segment between the two main event Superstars on this week’s episode of the show.
Former WWE Superstar Jamie Noble produced the opening segment, or according to Fightful he was “at least listed as such.”
It was also noted that Paul Heyman has “also had heavy influence over Reigns’ stories” over the past few months and that Roman and Cena both have significantly more creative freedom over their segments than most within the company.
The actual promo segment had a lot of elements of the original feud between Cena and Reigns, except that on this occasion Reigns is no longer portraying the all-conquering babyface.
It has not been confirmed if Jamie Noble will be producing the actual match between John Cena and Roman Reigns, however he does appear to have a big hand in the structure of the segments between the two going forward.
Roman Reigns has made it clear he’s no fan of the missionary position but did he get some heat for it?
On the July 23 edition of WWE SmackDown, Reigns cut a promo denying Cena an opportunity at a Universal Title match at SummerSlam. Ultimately, Cena ended up signing a contract on another episode of SmackDown, so the two will end up meeting on Aug. 21 inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Reigns had what many considered to be the line of the night on that July 23 episode of SmackDown, however. He compared John Cena’s act to doing the missionary position with a significant other every night.
I gotta put "Missionary Position" right up there with "This Is My Yard Now" as an all time great Roman Reigns moment on the mic.
During an edition of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, Reigns set the record straight on whether or not he had backstage heat.
“There was a portion of my career where I’d either read a script or I would try to adjust a script as much as possible. For a while now, especially since I’ve come back from my little leave during the beginning of the pandemic since SummerSlam, I’m not scripted. I say what I want to. I say what I feel, and if it comes out of my mouth, it’s my verbiage. I come up with it. I deliver it, and that’s why it’s been the way it’s been because it’s mine.
“I don’t know why they edited that out, and I think it did raise some eyebrows, but I don’t get in trouble. The gimmick is as close to being real as possible. Even if, even if they try to say something to me, I wouldn’t have cared anyways. What are you gonna do, not have me on SmackDown next week. Like I did before SummerSlam during last summer, I’ll go home. It doesn’t matter to me. Let’s see how it goes without me.”
Many have praised the Roman Reigns character since being aligned with Paul Heyman and turning heel. Reigns has held the WWE Universal Championship since Aug. 30, 2020. He’s on his way to going a full year with the gold.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson has been on the radar of WWE and UFC for quite some time.
The amateur great reportedly wants a move to pro wrestling, and he has confirmed that he will be in attendance at SummerSlam 2021, although as a fan.
Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Gable Steveson said that he is going to the show mainly to see The Head of The Table, Roman Reigns.
Gable Steveson on Roman Reigns
“I’m heading over to Vegas to watch the champ Roman Reigns do his thing. John Cena is great, but he’s still going to have to acknowledge Roman Reigns” Steveson stated.
The Olympian also revealed who he would want to manage him should he ever make his way to the squared circle and WWE.
“If I ever go to WWE, I’d be a ‘Paul Heyman Guy'” Steveson revealed. “Heyman is a legend. We’d be two people doing great things, and that would be a tough team to beat.”
“And I’ve known Brock since I was in high school” Gable Steveson added. “He’s been there for me for a long time, making sure I do things the right way and put my best foot forward.”
Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:
WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
Edge vs Seth Rollins
SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest
WWE SmackDown Superstar and Universal Champion Roman Reigns recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show. The Head of The Table discussed several topics during his time on the show, including his SummerSlam opponent, John Cena.
“There’s a lot of good things John has done, obviously, Make-A-Wish, very charitable guy” Roman Reigns began on the show. “When it comes to our profession of sports entertainment, he’s levels below me in this game.”
“Entertainment is storytelling” Reigns added. “I’m the greatest storyteller of our generation and our time. He’s a big name and a big star, but he, like so many other greats, they camouflage themselves and disguise themselves.”
Roman Reigns on John Cena
“You see me every Friday night, I have to dull this sh*t down” the Universal Champion noted. “I come out there in sweatpants and J’s. I don’t throw on the crazy colors and wear wristbands all over my body or make myself something that I’m not.”
Roman Reigns vs John Cena for the Universal Championship will be headlining SummerSlam 2021 on Saturday, August 21st from he Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:
WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
Edge vs Seth Rollins
SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest
WWE is hoping to book one of the biggest matches in recent history at either WrestleMania 38 or WrestleMania 39 between The Rock and Roman Reigns. It’s been reported that WWE has plans for The Rock to appear at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November to set up the match for the Universal Title.
Paul Heyman talked about the possibility of such a match in an interview with ITRWrestling.com. Heyman started off by asking who doesn’t want to main event WrestleMania against Reigns and if they say they don’t then they’re lying.
Heyman put over Reigns as the most dominant WrestleMania main eventer in history. He said Rock is just one of many people who are clamoring to step into the ring with Reigns at any time and especially at WrestleMania.
Heyman wouldn’t comment on whether The Rock is a member of the table, but would rather leave that up for Reigns.
“That is not a subject Roman Reigns wishes to address publicly at this time, either in The Rock’s favor or to The Rock’s detriment, because The Rock may not be welcome at our table. Roman Reigns will let you know when it’s appropriate for Roman Reigns to let you know.
If The Rock steps into the ring with Roman Reigns at any time, let alone at WrestleMania, that will be The Rock’s farewell, whether The Rock wants it to be or not.”
Reigns also has another big match already lined up as he’ll defend the WWE Universal Title against John Cena at next Saturday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
WWE Superstar John Cena recently spoke to Chris Hardwick on ID1OT. The 16-time World Champion discussed several topics during the interview, which would include how long he intends on wrestling with the company.
“Returning to WWE, it’s a brand new world” John Cena would begin the interview. “A new cast of characters, new direction with the company, new platforms, new environment. There is a challenge there.”
“To challenge myself as a 44-year-old to go back, there is an intrinsic challenge there, a set of circumstances. That’s a good challenge in many ways. My body could tell me after this extended stay, ‘dude, you’re done’ or it could tell me, ‘You’re so far from done it’s crazy’” Cena would continue.
John Cena on WWE return
“That’s another interesting conversation with myself. If physically, I’m slower, I’ve said openly to everyone that I will keep doing this until I feel I’m offending the customer” Cena revealed. “I will continually go out there and do what I can to contribute and add.”
“I don’t want to go out there and be like, ‘Okay, just let him go out there and (do his thing).’ I’m not into that because I know what it’s like to pay for a ticket. If I were to get that on this go-round, it’s a humbling and tough thing that I will have to hurdle.”
JOHN CENA
“If I get the opposite and it’s like, ‘You’re quicker and can do some things better and define a new personality,’ then that’s a new conversation because I do not have much time left and if I want to give it like, ‘let’s really commit to this thing and really go all in,’ that’s an honest choice where other stuff will have to take a backseat” John Cena would conclude.
John Cena is set to main event WWE SummerSlam 2021 against the ‘Head of The Table’ Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
The current, reigning, defending and undisputed Universal champion Roman Reigns took to Twitter this weekend to make sure everybody understood, he was the head of the table. Proclaiming that he was “Different than anyone before. Levels above anyone else or anything in this industry.”
A statement such as this is certainly fitting for Roman Reigns’ current character. The transition from the force-fed face to dominant heel is easily the best thing to happen to him. While many can write off this tweet as merely being a continuation of kayfabe. Reigns playing the part of the angry lion at the top of the mountain. Looking down on those beneath him with nothing but disdain. However, in terms of the WWE landscape, his statement is hard to disagree with.
Roman Reigns has become a force to be reckoned with throughout the pandemic era. His reign as Universal champion has surpassed 300 days, and in that time he has fought some of the very best the company has to offer. Along the way, he built himself a legitimate bloodline stable, with his real-life cousins the Usos.
Roman Reigns is Dominance Personified in WWE Right Now
Heels are there to be hated, and whether you appreciate Roman Reigns as a heel or not, it is hard to deny his statement.
If you take a look at the numbers, Reigns has been the Universal Champion for over 300 days. Moreover, it has been over 600 days since he was last pinned in a match. That loss coming to Baron Corbin way back on December 15th, 2019.
That is the very definition of dominance and while the Tribal Chief is set to face off against John Cena at SummerSlam later this month, it’s valid to wonder how Cena is going to topple the head of the table. Cena hasn’t had a real singles match in almost two and a half years. When you compare that to Roman Reigns 600+ unpinnable streak, it is hard to see a feasible situation where Cena walks out with the belt.
After teases and mentions of it happening, WWE has finally confirmed that John Cena will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Title at SummerSlam.
On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, WWE held a contract signing that was supposed to see Reigns defend against Finn Balor at SummerSlam, but Baron Corbin came out to attack Balor in order to take his place.
Cena ran out to stop Corbin and signed the contract instead.
Cena made his return at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event to have a staredown with Reigns to set up their SummerSlam main event. This was after the main event where Reigns had retained his title over Edge.
Since Cena has returned, he has helped boost ticket sales for SummerSlam. If he does beat Reigns it would be his 17th World Title win, which would break Ric Flair’s record. However, Cena is slated to start filming a new movie at the end of August.
Fans can expect to see Cena appear at several upcoming shows. Here’s the list of dates and locations of events that Cena will be appearing:
Saturday, July 31: Supershow – Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee
Sunday, August 1: Supershow – Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
Friday, August 6: SmackDown – Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
Saturday, August 7: Supershow – Hertz Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.
Monday, August 9: Raw – Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Friday, August 13: SmackDown – BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Saturday, August 14: Supershow – Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Sunday, August 15: Supershow – Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
Friday, August 20: SmackDown – Footprint Center in Phoenix
Saturday, August 21: SummerSlam – Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Friday, September 10: SmackDown – Madison Square Garden – New York City
WWE spent years to have Roman Reigns be the top star in the promotion, but the fans didn’t accept him in that role until after a global pandemic took place. Following his hiatus, WWE decided to turn him into a heel, which took his career to another level.
While speaking with Sports Illustrated, Triple H talked about the Universal Champion, who just successfully retained the title over Edge in the main event of Money in the Bank.
After the match, Reigns had a staredown with the returning John Cena. According to the WWE Hall of Famer, Reigns is not only the biggest star in WWE but in all of pro wrestling.
“Roman is the biggest star in WWE, he’s the biggest star in the industry. He perfected his craft at a really hard time to do so with no fans. He put so much into his character work, and his reaction to Cena was as powerful as the moment itself. Watching that, I couldn’t help but think back to how long he’s been doing this and some of the tougher times he’s been through. Right now, he’s performing on a whole other level. He’s at the point where he is no longer thinking about the character, he just is.”
Reigns will face Cena in the main event of next month’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium.
Edge got what he wanted and that was a one-on-one match with Roman Reigns with the WWE Universal Title on the line.
It happened at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event. The match had a slow start. Reigns continued the majority of this match until Edge made his comeback. Edge went for a spear, but Reigns countered it and locked in a guillotine choke. Reigns went for a pear, but Edge moved, and Reigns crashed through the barricade. Edge also speared Reigns through a barricade. Reigns with the superman punch to Edge and he knocked into the referee.
Seth Rolins came out to superkick Edge in the back of the head then left. There was a referee that came out as Edge hit a spear to Reigns for a very close near fall. Rollins came out again and this distraction allowed Reigns to connect with the spear to Edge to win the match.
On the June 25th episode of SmackDown, Edge made his return in the final segment to interrupt Reigns as Paul Heyman was talking about everyone that Reigns had defeated in this title reign thus far. The following day on Talking Smack, WWE aired a video showing Edge approaching WWE authority figures Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville where he demanded a match with Reigns at this event and he got it.
This marked Edge’s first appearance on WWE television since WrestleMania 37 this April where Reigns retained the Universal Championship by defeating Edge and Daniel Bryan in a triple threat match.
Edge won this year’s men’s Royal Rumble match to get the title shot at Mania, but Bryan was added to make it a triple threat match, which ended when Reigns stacked Edge and Bryan on top of each other and pinned them.
It’s been reported that WWE has plans for Reigns to defend the title against John Cena while Edge will wrestle Rollins at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event in August.
WWE have been hoping to get a WrestleMania main event of The Rock vs Roman Reigns for years, and now it appears as though the contest will be taking place at WrestleMania 38.
In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer would claim that WWE are looking at a potential tag team match including the two megastars just in case they’re unable to get The Rock in a singles match for insurance or worries surrounding health.
With WWE wanting to continue The Bloodline/Family storyline with Reigns and The Usos; The Rock may be teaming with Jey Uso and Roman teaming with Jimmy Uso. The reverse of this has also been considered, depending on which of the Usos is a babyface or heel before the match.
The Rock vs Roman Reigns
WWE do prefer the idea of having The Rock vs Roman Reigns as a singles match on the card, however having Dwayne Johnson on a WrestleMania marquee is better than not having Dwayne Johnson on a WrestleMania marquee. So if the company have to run with a tag team match it is worth it.
Dave Meltzer would also claim that The Rock may be weary of making a return for a singles match. The 49 year old megastar has a strong history with wrestling across his family dynasty and he does not want to look bad in a potential return.
“Obviously the singles match is the preferred match but any involvement of Rock is preferred over him not doing the show” Meltzer wrote in the Observer. “Because at 49, the idea of him coming back would lessen each year because he doesn’t need it, but he always has a soft spot in his heart for wrestling and family but he’s also not going to do it if he’s going to look bad because I don’t think he wants that Undertaker-Goldberg moment.”
Do you think we’ll see The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38? Let us know in the comments
Roman Reigns will face Edge for the Universal Championship this Sunday at Money in the Bank. According to WWE advertising in some markets, Reigns will successfully defend the title and then continue his rivalry with the Mysterios after.
WWE has a supershow coming up on Saturday July 24th, 2021 in Pittsburgh. Local advertising has Reigns defending the Universal title against both Dominik and Rey Mysterio in a handicap match for the show.
This booking was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter: “7/24 in Pittsburgh is listing Reigns vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio in a handicap match with the title at stake which means Reigns has to win and putting the title up in a handicap match is stupid to begin with, as it just makes the babyfaces look like they are losers to start out with”
Reigns is then expected to move into a program with John Cena for SummerSlam.
Tickets to the show in Pittsburgh have not been selling well. It was reported in the Observer that just 5800 tickets have been sold for a venue that seats 14,000.
AEW is headed to Pittsburgh a few weeks later on August 11th and 13th. The shows will feature the debut episode of Rampage. Pittsburgh native Britt Baker will also make her return to “Britts-burgh” on the shows. Ticket sales to those shows were also addressed recently in the Observer.
“In Pittsburgh on 8/11 and 8/13 for AEW Dynamite and the first Rampage show at the Peterson Events Center, they are at 3,700 and 3,400 respectively. The arena for a pro wrestling taping could hold 8,700.”
There comes a time when every champion must move on. They pass the torch they have carried on to the next one in line. You had Stone Cold and The Rock, then you had John Cena, and right now, we have Roman Reigns. There will come a point when even the tribal chief will need to step aside.
Talking during a recent episode of Cheap Heat, the current head of the table was asked just that question. Who he thinks could assume his mantle when the time came? His answer was tactful, yet there was a clear candidate in his mind.
“At this point, my favorite is Drew McIntyre.” Roman Reigns answered emphatically.
“So in a perfect world, if there was an opportunity to pass the torch to him, he’s the one guy that has captivated my attention in that manner. But, at the same time, he ain’t there, and it’s only because I’m still here, so solid within my stronghold.”
“The flag is fully planted in, so I can’t even think about it now, but John [Cena] needed somebody to come in so he could move on and try new things and take care of his body. I will eventually need that, but there’s just no nobody at this point.”
Until now Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre have only crossed paths once, however, the idea of a feud between the two would be entertaining. As it stands, McIntyre is still chasing down Bobby Lashley while Roman Reigns is finally set for a singles clash with Edge.
WWE has the long-standing tradition that the top star of the company also serves as the locker room leader. This creates some interesting dynamics when a former locker room leader returns and has to adapt to the change. One such scenario is likely to be presented when John Cena returns to the company later this month and confronts the current face of the company – Roman Reigns.
The Big Dog discussed this during a recent interview with Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg on Hot 97. The Tribal Chief was asked about this change and whether he sees himself being in a different position in the relationship with the Cenation Leader now that he has taken up the mantle. Replying to the question, the Universal champion reminded everyone that this won’t be the first time he is crossing paths with Cena after becoming the locker room leader:
“So I think there are a couple of different folds to this scenario because even before, I forget which year it was, I know it was at No Mercy, when me and John went to [fight for the] first time. I had already been in that position. John had been around periodically jumping in kind [of] on interval, stretches but I was still the main event. If he jumped in to a live event to help out a show he would go on before intermission. He would find himself in a different position. I would close us out.”
Roman Reigns admitted that things are different now after he has spent a lot more time in the top position. However, he claimed that they have respect for the superstars who came before them. Reigns said that it would be a lie if someone said that John Cena didn’t toe the train for a long time.
The reigning champion explained that their return is a good thing because the people who have moved on from WWE only bring new eyes to the product when they come back:
“What’s beautiful about it is the respect everyone has for our history and the respect we have for the superstars who pull that wagon and there is no question you know. It would be a bold face lie if anyone ever say [that] John Cena didn’t toe the train for a long time and we’re gonna always have respect for that, Vince will always have great respect for that. Guys like The Undertaker, that’s why we have these legendary contracts where we keep these guys. They paid their dues. They guided our business. They laid the foundation for us to continue this journey and continue this success that we have.
“So I think there is always gonna be that scenario out of respect. When they come back, it’s only to bring more eyes and kind of lift the tide up to make it a bigger event. But when you have someone like myself and John was in the same position with Dwayne. Hopefully one day I will be in the same position coming back and there will be a new head guy. There will be a new top dog. That’s what drives the business and that’s what makes us even greater is when our guys go out and find great success, and then they bring that limelight. They bring that shine back to what started them, back to their first love.”
On the topic of the people who can replace him as the face of WWE and locker room leader, Roman Reigns said that currently there is no one on his level. He was asked which current star has the potential to be the next face. He named the former WWE champion Drew McIntyre. Reigns claimed that McIntyre is the number two guy in the company currently but he is not on his level yet:
“There ain’t nobody. I can say my favorite number two [is] Drew. He’s my favorite number two. There’s a bunch of number twos, threes, whatever you wanna call them, we can rank them [but] it really doesn’t matter. They are under me. How far under? Who knows. Who really cares. I mean how strong of a number two do you wanna be? At this point, my favorite is Drew McIntyre,
“In a perfect world if there is an opportunity to pass the torch. He is the one guy that has captivated my attention in that manner but at the same time he ain’t there and it’s only because I am still here so solid within my foothold. The flag is fully planted in so I can’t even think about it now. Like John needed somebody to come in so he could move on and try new things and take care of his body. I would eventually need that but there is just nobody at this point.”
Subscribe to Cheap Heat on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to listen to the full interview. Please credit SEScoops for h/t if you use any quotes from this article.
The Shield helped launch the career of Roman Reigns as a main event star. He has only achieved new heights since then. The Big Dog has claimed WWE as his yard and he has become the face of the company. While many fans still have hope to see the group reuniting sometime in the future, the Tribal Chief is not interested in sharing the spotlight with his former teammates anymore.
The reigning Universal champion recently spoke to Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg for Hot 97 radio. The WWE star discussed a variety of things during the talk and also commented on a potential Shield reunion. Reigns was asked if he has any interest in reuniting with his old teammates in future. He replied with a straight ‘no’ for an answer. Roman Reigns explained that while he has respect for the time he spent as a part of the group, it’s a one man show for him now:
“No. I have respect for everything we did now. A lot of that time was really pivotal for me to learn and gain experience. Be around other performers. See their processes and how they attack things and how they think about things. But where I am at now it’s a one-man show. I have the family dynamic with my cousins but at the same time, I call the shots. It’s my thumb that’s down on this pole. So yeah, I don’t think I can share it anymore.”
Roman Reigns Wants To Work With Seth Rollins Again
A Shield reunion will also be hard because Jon Moxley has moved on from WWE and found a new home in AEW. What we can be certain about is that we will see the other two Shield members crossing paths sooner or later, something which WWE also teased recently. When asked if he thinks he and Seth Rollins can still pull off something special at a stage such as WrestleMania, Roman Reigns explained that the two can make anything special:
“Seth is a special performer, especially in ring. It can be a cold situation, you give us a crowd, you give us a ring and we’re gonna make something special happen. So you put us in a scenario like Wrestlemania or SummerSlam, a big PPV, no question. I mean that chemistry, that stride for greatness, the ambition for greatness between the both of us, it’ll always be there. So that’s what’s always gonna make it special. So that’s easy, that’s like insurance policy. When in doubt, throw me and him together.”
The Shield made their surprise debut in November 2012. The group’s original WWE run lasted until June 2014, when Seth Rollins betrayed his friends and joined The Authority. The following years saw the trio reuniting for a number of times. However, their final reunion took place in late 2018 after Jon Moxley chose not to renew his WWE contract. He subsequently left the promotion in April 2019 to join AEW in May.
Subscribe to Cheap Heat on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to listen to the full interview. Please credit SEScoops for h/t if you use any quotes from this article.
WWE returns to Madison Square Garden in New York City Friday, September 10th for a live SmackDown TV taping. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 9 at 10 AM ET at Ticketmaster.
Edge will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WWE’s upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The Rated R Superstar made a surprise return at Friday’s SmackDown. He laid out the Tribal Chief and later demanded a shot at Reigns. WWE officials granted his request and the match is set for July 18th
Some fans have questioned the logic of Edge being placed into the top feud on SmackDown after being away from TV for several months. However, Edge and Reigns are seasoned veterans. They are more than capable of building a captivating program as WWE returns to a road schedule.
WWE Money in the Bank takes place Sunday, July 18th from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The show will stream live on Peacock and the WWE Network.
Roman Reigns made his latest defense of the WWE Universal Title against Rey Mysterio on Friday’s episode of SmackDown in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center instead of the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view event.
The match had moments where Mysterio had offense. He worked as a smart babyface by using his quickness and various weapons to get an advantage as he operated a fire extinguisher and put a chair around the neck of Reigns then tossed him into the cell.
Aside from select moments, it was all Reigns, who at one point sent Rey flying from the ring into the cell. Reigns won with his guillotine finisher.
On the June 11th edition of SmackDown, Mysterio called out Reigns after the previous weeks’ edition where Reigns attacked Rey and his son, Dominik. Reigns came out as Mysterio called him a “rat bastard” for what he had done. Mysterio then challenged “The Big Dog” to the match. In an impressive move, Reigns hit a powerbomb to Dominik to the floor on the outside.
It’s been reported that WWE wants to do a Reigns vs. John Cena match at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event, but they’ve yet to announce the match nor even advertise Cena for an upcoming show.
Rey Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns in a Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Title at Sunday’s pay-per-view event was moved to Friday’s episode of SmackDown.
Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men podcast said that USA Network is not happy about FOX getting the Hell in a Cell match.
“I can tell you for a fact that USA Network is very unhappy that the Hell in a Cell match is happening on SmackDown. I’m not gonna say they are fuming but they are very unhappy about it.”
Since WWE inked a big-money deal with FOX for the SmackDown TV rights, it’s been changed to the brand being listed as the “A” show while Raw is the “B” show.
It should be noted that NBCUniversal is the parent company of the USA Network. Thus, with the match being moved dates, FOX picks up a big match that will likely help boost ratings while Peacock, which is the streaming service of NBCUniversal, loses it.
It’s no secret that WWE ratings are down and with these networks paying big money to air the weekly programs of WWE’s, there’s pressure to have more themed WWE shows in the future to help get ratings back to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision to move the universal championship Hell In A Cell match between Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio to SmackDown left fans surprised.
Dave Meltzer talked about this decision in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He noted that the decision was made on Thursday but there is no clear reason behind this call:
”As far as what happened, there’s no involved reason that made any sense. The word we were told is that you can’t describe why,
There were just a bunch of discussions on Thursday and the discussions ended up with ‘Let’s do it on SmackDown.”
There are currently no plans for Roman Reigns to wrestle on Sunday’s PPV after his match on SmackDown. There is no news on if the tribal chief will still make an appearance on the show.
As for the reason behind putting this match together goes, it’s about pairing the Big Dog with a great worker which allows him to play the bully heel. Mysterio is not expected to win this match.
With the universal championship match featuring Roman Reigns removed from the event, the Hell In A Cell PPV is left with only one cage match and four announced matches overall.
There is speculation on a Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro and a US championship match possibly being added to the show but neither of these has been confirmed for Sunday as of this writing.
John Cena is heavily rumored for a match against Roman Reigns at the SummerSlam PPV and the Tribal Chief is not shying away from this bout.
The Universal Champion recently appeared on ACC Network where he talked about things such as how the Thunderdome shows have allowed performers to showcase some different skills and more.
When asked about the rumors of a rematch with the Cenation Leader at the upcoming WWE PPV, Reigns said that if John Cena wants to ‘get smashed’ then he knows where to find the Big Dog:
“If John wants to get smashed, then he knows where I’m at, when it comes to whooping people’s ass, I do not discriminate. Luchadores, mat wrestlers, legends, Hollywood superstars, anybody. Anybody can get it.”
This isn’t the first instance of Roman Reigns taking a shot at the former world champion either. He recently advised his opponent to stay away from WWE and “keep pumping out these streaming service movies.”
All signs seem to be pointing towards a match between these two being in the works. The only question is how long it will take before it’s officially confirmed.
The Universal Championship Hell In A Cell match between the current champion Roman Reigns and his challenger Rey Mysterio has been moved to this Friday’s episode of SmackDown.
The master of 619 took on his Twitter today and said that he couldn’t wait until Sunday: “It’s eating me up inside. I can’t wait any longer. I want the Hell In A Cell match tomorrow night. @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle”
The tribal chief responded to this tweet from Mysterio. Accepting his challenge Reigns wrote: “Sunday. Friday. Any day. Makes no difference to me. It’ll be my pleasure to disgrace what’s left of your family name tomorrow night inside Hell in a Cell! My Special Counsel @HeymanHustle will handle the paperwork. I’ll PERSONALLY handle the warfare!”
It’s eating me up inside. I can’t wait any longer. I want the Hell In A Cell match tomorrow night. @WWERomanReigns@HeymanHustle
There is no word yet on why this match was moved from the PPV on Sunday to Friday’s show. This change leaves Sunday’s PPV with only one confirmed cell match between Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre for the WWE championship.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns recently made some incendiary in-character comments towards two of WWE’s biggest names of the past, The Rock and John Cena. Speaking to ESPN’s SportsNation, the ‘Big Dog’ would warn the former WWE Champions to stay away from the company and his Championship.
Yeah, that [a match with The Rock] is a dream for a lot of our fans, but it ain’t a dream of his, you know what I mean?” Roman Reigns would begin. “I get a lot of this with both Dwayne and John. These guys are doing very well for themselves, there’s no question about it.”
“If I were these guys, I don’t know if I’d wanna come back and deal with me” Roman noted. “I am a problem right now for everybody. If I were them, I’d stay on set and keep pumping out these streaming service movies.”
Reigns vs Cena
It’s currently being rumored that WWE are looking to bring back John Cena for a match at SummerSlam. With the company wanting to make this year’s Summer event the ‘WrestleMania of 2021,’ the plan is reportedly to get Cena in the ring with Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
Roman is defending this weekend against Rey Mysterio, however the plan for Cena vs Reigns is likely to go ahead if John Cena is available. The match is probably the biggest box office draw that the company could put together right now, arguably with Rock vs Reigns being the only other match that could fill out a major stadium.
