Leati Joseph Anoaʻi (Samoan pronunciation:[a.noˈaʔ.i]ah-no-AH ee; born May 25, 1985), better known by hisring nameRoman Reigns, is an Americanprofessional wrestler, actor and formerfootball player. As a wrestler, he has been signed toWWE since 2010[update], where he performs on theRawbrand. Regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers in the world,[9][10] Reigns' 1,316-day reign asWWE Universal Championship is the longest reign of the title's history, the fourth longestworld title reign in WWE history and the longest championship reign recognised by the company since 1988.[a]
From 2014 to 2020, WWE positioned Reigns as a heroic character and attempted to establish him as their next "face of the company", which wasmet with intense disapproval by audiences and critics.[11] During this period, Reigns won numerous championships and accomplishments, including winning theWWE Championship three times, the WWE Universal Championship once, and winning theRoyal Rumble in 2015. After a hiatus, Reigns was repackaged as a villainous character between 2020 and 2024,[12][13] which was generally met with acclaim by audiences and critics.[14][15] Reigns then won his second Universal Championship and fourth WWE Championship, holding both simultaneously as theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship; upon losing the Undisputed title, the Universal Championship was retired with Reigns recognized as its final champion.[b]
Anoaʻi playedfootball for three years at Pensacola Catholic High School and one year at Escambia High School; in his senior year, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by thePensacola News Journal.[7] He played his college football career atGeorgia Tech along with futureHall of FamerCalvin Johnson.[7] Anoaʻi was a three-year starter beginning in hissophomore year and was also one of the team captains as asenior.[7] He earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors in 2006 after recording 40 tackles, two recovered fumbles and 4.5 sacks.[24]
After going undrafted in the2007 NFL draft, Anoaʻi was signed by theMinnesota Vikings in May 2007. He was diagnosed withleukemia after his team physical and was released later that month.[25][26] TheJacksonville Jaguars signed him in August 2007, only to release Anoaʻi less than a week later before the start of the2007 NFL season.[25] In 2008, he was signed by theEdmonton Eskimos of theCanadian Football League (CFL).[8] Wearing the number 99, Anoaʻi played forone season with the Eskimos, featuring in five games, of which he started three.[8][21] Anoaʻi's most notable game came against theHamilton Tiger-Cats in September, where he tied for the team lead with five tackles and had a forced fumble.[27] Anoaʻi was released by the Eskimos on November 10, and proceeded to retire from professional football.[8]
After WWE rebranded FCW toNXT in August 2012,[37] Anoaʻi, with the new ring nameRoman Reigns and avillainous character, made his debut on the October 31 episode ofNXT by defeating CJ Parker.[38]
Reigns (back) made his WWE debut as a member ofThe Shield in November 2012.
The Shield then quietly ended their association with Punk while beginning afeud with Cena, Ryback andSheamus,[48][49] who they defeated on February 17 atElimination Chamber.[50] On April 7, they defeated Sheamus,Randy Orton andBig Show atWrestleMania 29.[51][52] The following night onRaw, The Shield attempted to attackThe Undertaker, but they were stopped by Team Hell No.[53] This set up a six-man tag team match on the April 22 episode ofRaw, which The Shield won.[54] On the May 13 episode ofRaw, The Shield's undefeated streak in televised six-man tag team matches ended in adisqualification loss in asix-man elimination tag team match against Cena, Kane and Bryan.[55]
AtSurvivor Series on November 24, The Shield teamed withAntonio Cesaro andJack Swagger to faceRey Mysterio, The Usos, Rhodes and Goldust in a traditionalSurvivor Series match; Reigns won the match for his team.[66] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, The Shield lost to CM Punk in a 3-on-1 handicap match after Reigns accidentallyspeared Ambrose.[67] At theRoyal Rumble on January 26, 2014, Reigns entered theRoyal Rumble match at number 15 and eliminated 12 competitors (a record that was later broken byBraun Strowman in 2018),[68] ultimately finishing as the runner-up after being lastly eliminated byBatista.[69] The next night onRaw, The Shield competed in a six-man tag team match against Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and John Cena, with all three members of the winning team qualifying for theElimination Chamber match for theWWE World Heavyweight Championship, which The Shield lost via disqualification afterThe Wyatt Family interfered and attacked Cena, Bryan and Sheamus.[70] The Shield lost to the Wyatt Family on February 24 atElimination Chamber after Ambrose abandoned the match mid-way through.[71]
The Shield in April 2014
In March, The Shield began a feud with Kane, turningface in the process.[72] AtWrestleMania XXX on April 6, The Shield defeated Kane andThe New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn andRoad Dogg).[73] The feud with Kane also prompted The Shield to sever ties with Triple H, who reformedEvolution to counteract them.[74][75] The Shield defeated Evolution at bothExtreme Rules on May 4 andPayback on June 1 in a No Holds Barred elimination match, in which no members of The Shield were eliminated.[76][77] The following night onRaw, Rollinsturned on The Shield and aligned himself with Triple H and The Authority.[78]
Controversial rise to main event status (2014–2015)
Reigns in April 2014
Reigns then embarked in singles competition and was quickly placed into world title contention. After winning abattle royal, Reigns was inserted into aladder match for thevacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship atMoney in the Bank on June 29,[79] which was won by John Cena.[80] AtBattleground on July 20, Reigns again challenged for the title in afatal four-way match involving Cena, Kane, and Randy Orton, which Cena again won.[81] Following the event, Reigns began a feud with Orton and defeated him atSummerSlam on August 17 in his singles debut match on pay-per-view.[82][83]
The next month, a match was set up between Reigns and Rollins forNight of Champions on September 21, but Reigns developed alegitimateincarcerated hernia which required surgery prior to the event.[84][85] As a result of Reigns being unable to compete, Rollins was declared the winner viaforfeit.[86] Reigns returned on the December 8 episode ofRaw, accepting aSlammy Award for "Superstar of the Year".[87] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, Reigns interfered during Rollins's match with John Cena, attacking Rollins and Big Show.[88] This started a feud between Reigns and Big Show,[89] in which Reigns defeated him multiple times bycountout[90] and disqualification.[91]
On January 25, Reigns won the2015 Royal Rumble match after lastly eliminatingRusev, therefore granting him a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match atWrestleMania 31. After his victory, Reigns was booed heavily by the crowd, despite portraying a heroic character.[92][93] On the February 2 episode ofRaw, Reigns suffered his firstpinfall loss in singles competition on the main roster when Big Show defeated him after interference from Rollins.[94] Reigns successfully defended his WrestleMania title shot against Daniel Bryan atFastlane on February 22.[95] At WrestleMania 31 on March 29, Seth Rollins cashed in hisMoney in the Bank contract while Reigns's main event match withBrock Lesnar was in progress, turning it into a triple threat match, which Reigns lost when he was pinned by Rollins.[96] After defeating Big Show in aLast Man Standing match on April 26 atExtreme Rules,[97] Reigns failed to win the title from Rollins in a fatal four-way match also involving Orton and Ambrose on May 17 atPayback.[98]
On the October 26 episode ofRaw, Reigns defeatedAlberto Del Rio,Dolph Ziggler, andKevin Owens in a fatal four-way match to become the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.[107][108] However, champion Seth Rollins legitimately injured his knee on November 4 and vacated the title the following day, which led to a tournament to crown a new champion.[109] Reigns defeated Big Show in the first round,[110]Cesaro in the quarterfinals,[111] Del Rio in the semifinals,[112] and Dean Ambrose in the finals atSurvivor Series on November 22 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Immediately afterwards,Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Reigns, thus ending Reigns's reign after only five minutes.[113] On December 13, Reigns failed to regain the title from Sheamus in aTables, Ladders and Chairs match atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs following interference byThe League of Nations (Del Rio andRusev), attackingTriple H in anger after the match.[114] The next night onRaw,Vince McMahon granted Reigns a title rematch against Sheamus, under the stipulation that if Reigns lost, he would be forced to retire. Reigns defeated Sheamus to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship despite interferences from McMahon, Del Rio and Rusev.[115]
Reigns successfully defended his championship against Sheamus on the January 4 episode ofRaw, after which he was forced by McMahon to defend it in the2016 Royal Rumble match on January 24, 2016.[116] In the match, Reigns lost the championship after being eliminated by eventual winner Triple H.[117] AtFastlane on February 22, Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar and Ambrose in a triple threat match to receive a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H atWrestleMania 32 on April 3,[118][119] where he defeated Triple H in the main event to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for a third time.[120] Reigns defeatedAJ Styles to retain the championship atPayback on May 1[121] and atExtreme Rules in anExtreme Rules match on May 22, after which he was attacked by a returning Seth Rollins.[122]
The following night onRaw,Shane McMahon scheduled a match between Reigns and Rollins for the title atMoney in the Bank.[123] At the event on June 19, Reigns lost to Rollins, marking his firstclean loss on the main roster and ending his reign at 77 days.[124] On June 21, Anoaʻi was legitimately suspended by WWE for 30 days due to violating theWWE Wellness Program, WWE's internaldrug testing program.[125][126]Pro Wrestling Torch andTheWrap reported that WWE knew of Anoaʻi's violation before the event, leading to Reigns being scripted to lose his world title at the event.[127][128]
On July 19 at the2016 WWE draft, Reigns wasdrafted to theRaw brand.[129] Despite Reigns's suspension, WWE continued to advertise Reigns as part of theBattleground main event and acknowledged Reigns's suspension on television.[130][131] At Battleground on July 24, Reigns made his televised return, facing Rollins and Dean Ambrose for the now-renamed WWE Championship,[132] which Ambrose won.[133] The following night onRaw, Reigns lost to the debutingFinn Bálor in a qualifying match for the newly announcedWWE Universal Championship against Rollins atSummerSlam.[134]
In August, Reigns began a feud withUnited States ChampionRusev, provoking a title match between the two at SummerSlam on August 21,[135][136] where they brawled before the match began, leading to the match being declared ano contest.[137] In a rematch atClash of Champions on September 25, Reigns defeated Rusev to win the United States Championship,[138] and retained the title against Rusev in a Hell in a Cell match at thetitular event on October 30 to end their feud.[139] AtSurvivor Series on November 20, Reigns made up part of Team Raw alongside Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens and Rollins in a losing effort to Team SmackDown.[140] AtRoadblock: End of the Line on December 18, Reigns faced Owens for the Universal Championship, but lost via disqualification when Jericho attacked Owens to prevent Reigns from winning the match and the title.[141] On the January 9, 2017 episode ofRaw, Reigns lost the United States Championship to Jericho and Owens in a handicap match, ending his reign at 106 days.[142] AtRoyal Rumble on January 29, Reigns lost to Owens in a no disqualification rematch with Jericho being suspended above the ring in ashark cage after interference from Strowman.[143]
Reigns in May 2017
Later in the event, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match at number 30, eliminating Bray Wyatt, Jericho, andThe Undertaker before lastly being eliminated by Randy Orton.[144] AtFastlane on March 5, Reigns defeated Strowman, giving Strowman his first pinfall loss on the main roster.[145] The following night onRaw, Reigns waschokeslammed by The Undertaker after they joined forces to attack Strowman.[146] This led to aNo Holds Barred match between the two atWrestleMania 33 on April 2,[147] which Reigns won in his third consecutive WrestleMania main event.[148] The next night onRaw, Reigns opened the show to ten minutes ofsevere boos and chants from the crowd, attempting to stop him from speaking, before simply stating "This is my yard now" and leaving the ring.[149][150] Reigns resumed his feud with Strowman, after Strowmankayfabe injured Reigns's shoulder.[151] AtPayback on April 30, Reigns lost to Strowman.[152] The feud between the two was put on hold after Strowman legitimately injured his elbow.[153][154] AtExtreme Rules on June 4, Reigns competed in a fatal five-way Extreme Rules match against Wyatt, Finn Bálor,Samoa Joe and Rollins to determine the number one contender to the WWE Universal Championship, which was won by Joe.[155]
On the June 19 episode ofRaw, Reigns was attacked by a returning Strowman, who then defeated Reigns in anambulance match atGreat Balls of Fire on July 9.[156][157] AtSummerSlam on August 20, Reigns was pinned by Brock Lesnar in a Universal Championship match also involving Strowman and Joe.[158] AtNo Mercy on September 24, Reigns defeatedJohn Cena,[159] which he described the next night onRaw as the biggest win in his career.[160] In October, due to mutual issues withThe Miz, The Miztourage (Bo Dallas andCurtis Axel) andCesaro and Sheamus, Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins decided to reform The Shield in order to combat the aforementioned alliance.[161] Reigns was due to team with Rollins and Ambrose atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on October 22, but he was removed from the match due to an illness concern. He was replaced byKurt Angle and The Shield went on to win the match.[162][163][164]
Reigns competed in the2018 Royal Rumble match on January 28, but was the last man eliminated by eventual winnerShinsuke Nakamura.[175] On February 25, atElimination Chamber, Reigns won the inaugural seven-manElimination Chamber match to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship atWrestleMania 34 on April 8,[176] where he was unsuccessful.[177] He narrowly lost a rematch for the title in a steel cage match at theGreatest Royal Rumble on April 27, after spearing Lesnar through the cage wall.[178] After defeating Samoa Joe atBacklash on May 6[179] andJinder Mahal atMoney in the Bank on June 17,[180] Reigns entered a feud withBobby Lashley, where both men believed that they were the rightful challenger to Lesnar's championship. AtExtreme Rules on July 15, Reigns lost to Lashley.[181] The following night onRaw, two triple threat matches were set to determine Lesnar's challenger forSummerSlam. Reigns and Lashley won their respective matches, setting up a number one contender's match between the two the following week,[182][183] which Reigns won.[184] At SummerSlam on August 19, Reigns defeated Lesnar and won the Universal Championship for the first time in his career.[185]
Reigns then reignited his feud with Money in the Bank holder Braun Strowman, who allied himself withDolph Ziggler andDrew McIntyre to challenge The Shield.[186] Reigns defended his title against Strowman atHell in a Cell on September 16 in a Hell in a Cell match, which ended in a no contest after Lesnar returned and attacked both men.[187] On October 6, atSuper Show-Down, The Shield defeated Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre[188] before losing to them in a rematch onRaw two nights later.[189] A triple threat match between Reigns, Strowman and Lesnar for the Universal Championship was scheduled forCrown Jewel,[190] however, on October 22, Reigns relinquished the title and announced his hiatus onRaw, revealing that hisleukemia had returned after 11 years of privately battling it and being in remission. Following this announcement, Reigns would go on an indefinite hiatus to receive treatment.[191]
Return from leukemia (2019–2020)
Reigns in May 2019
On February 25, 2019, Reigns made his return toRaw, revealing that his leukemia was once again in remission to a hugeovation from the crowd. Later in the night, Reigns and Rollins would appear to assist Ambrose from an attack by McIntyre, Bobby Lashley,Elias, and Baron Corbin.[192] The following week onRaw, Ambrose assisted Reigns and Rollins from another attack by the four, before the trio performed their signature pose, officially reuniting the group for the third time.[193] The Shield defeated McIntyre, Lashley, and Corbin atFastlane on March 10.[194] AtWrestleMania 35 on April 7, Reigns defeated McIntyre.[195]
During the2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up, Reigns was drafted to theSmackDown brand on the April 16 episode ofSmackDown, with WWE's announcers describing Reigns as "SmackDown's greatest ever acquisition", as well as the future of SmackDown and WWE. During the episode, Reigns attacked Elias and Vince McMahon.[196] AtMoney in the Bank on May 19, Reigns defeated Elias.[197] The next night onRaw, Reigns, who appeared via thewild card rule, was interrupted byShane McMahon, who was bothered by Reigns' earlier attack on his father. Reigns then challenged Shane to a match atSuper ShowDown, which the latter accepted.[198] At Super ShowDown on June 7, Reigns lost to McMahon after interference from McIntyre.[199] Reigns defeated McIntyre in a rematch atStomping Grounds on June 23, despite interference from McMahon.[200] AtExtreme Rules on July 14, Reigns and The Undertaker defeated McMahon and McIntyre in aNo Holds Barred tag team match to end their feud.[201]
On the July 30 episode ofSmackDown, an unidentified person pushed lighting equipment on Reigns.[202] The following week, Reigns was again targeted by the attacker as he was a victim of ahit and run.[203] After ruling outSamoa Joe andBuddy Murphy as suspects, Reigns next investigatedDaniel Bryan andErick Rowan due to testimony from Murphy and seemingly incriminating video footage.[204] However, Bryan revealed the attacker as a man who merely resembled Rowan.[205] Nonetheless, Reigns found additional footage that showed Rowan pushing over the equipment. Rowan then admitted that it was him and said he was responsible for the hit and run as well, causing him and Bryan to split due to him lying.[206][207] AtClash of Champions on September 15, Reigns lost to Rowan in a no disqualification match after interference from a returningLuke Harper.[208] Reigns defeated Rowan in alumberjack match on the20th Anniversary ofSmackDown[209] and teamed with Bryan to defeat Rowan and Harper atHell in a Cell on October 6 in atornado tag team match to end the feud.[210] AtCrown Jewel on October 31, Reigns was part of TeamHogan, defeating TeamFlair.[211]
In November, Reigns began a feud withKing Corbin and his alliesDolph Ziggler andRobert Roode.[212] Reigns was named team captain for SmackDown atSurvivor Series on November 24,[213] where he and his four teammates defeated Team Raw and TeamNXT in a five-on-five-on-five tag team elimination match; Reigns would eliminate Corbin in the match.[214] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, Reigns lost to Corbin in a tables, ladders, and chairs match after interference from Ziggler andThe Revival (Dash Wilder andScott Dawson).[215] AtRoyal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Reigns defeated Corbin in afalls count anywhere match after receiving assistance from The Usos.[216] Later that night, he entered the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but was the last competitor eliminated by the eventual winner Drew McIntyre.[217] AtSuper ShowDown on February 27, Reigns defeated Corbin in a steel cage match to end their feud.[218]
The following night onSmackDown, Reigns challengedGoldberg for the Universal Championship, leading to a match between the two being set up forWrestleMania 36.[219][220] However, in late March, Reigns pulled out of the event amid concerns surrounding theCOVID-19 pandemic and beingimmunocompromised from his leukemia, and he was replaced by Braun Strowman.[221][222] Following WrestleMania, Reigns continued to remain absent from WWE programming in the midst of the pandemic, tellingHindustan Times: "For me, I just had to make a choice for my family. The company (WWE) has done everything that they can to make it the safest work environment possible. It is not the workplace that I was necessarily concerned about. The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I'm not convinced, and I can't trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am. I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in the ring, but I just can't put the same trust when it has my children, my wife, and my family involved."[223]
For 1,316 days from August 2020 till April 2024, Reigns held theUniversal Championship, becoming the longest-reigning title holder in the championship's history and the longest-reigning champion in company history since 1988.
After a five-month hiatus, Reigns returned atSummerSlam on August 23, attacking new Universal Champion "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt and Strowman after their title match.[224] On the followingSmackDown, Reigns aligned himself with his new manager,Paul Heyman, turningheel for the first time since 2014.[225] AtPayback on August 30, Reigns defeated defending champion The Fiend and Strowman in a No Holds Barred triple threat match to win the Universal Championship for the second time.[226]
AtClash of Champions on September 27, Reigns made his first successful title defense against his cousinJey Uso bytechnical knockout, after Reigns viciously beat down Jey andJimmy Uso threw in the towel.[227][228] On theOctober 16 episode ofSmackDown, Reigns retained the title against Strowman.[229] AtHell in a Cell on October 25, Reigns again retained the title against Jey in an"I Quit" Hell in a Cell match by making him quit after attacking the injured Jimmy.[230] Due to the loss, Jey was ordered to follow Reigns' commands and address him as "The Tribal Chief", turning him heel.[231] AtSurvivor Series on November 22, Reigns defeated WWE Champion Drew McIntyre in an interbrand champion vs. champion match.[232]
Afterwards, Reigns reignited his feud with Kevin Owens after believing Owens disrespected his family, culminating in successful defenses against Owens in a TLC match atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20,[233][234][235] in a steel cage match on the December 25 episode ofSmackDown,[236] and in a Last Man Standing match atRoyal Rumble on January 31, 2021.[237][238] Reigns began feuding with Royal Rumble match winnerEdge[239] and retained his title againstDaniel Bryan atElimination Chamber on February 21 andFastlane on March 21.[240][241] In the main event of Night 2 ofWrestleMania 37 on April 11, Reigns defeated Bryan and Edge in a triple threat match to retain the title with assistance from Jey.[242] On the April 30 episode ofSmackDown, Reigns defeated Bryan in a championship vs. career match, which resulted in Bryan being forced to leave SmackDown.[243] Reigns retained the title against Cesaro atWrestleMania Backlash on May 16 andRey Mysterio in a Hell in a Cell match on the June 18 episode ofSmackDown.[244][245]
The following week, Reigns was attacked by the returning Edge, leading to a match between the two atMoney in the Bank on July 18,[246][247] where Reigns retained the title after interference from Seth Rollins. After the match, Reigns was confronted by a returning John Cena.[248] Over the following weeks, Cena challenged Reigns for a title match atSummerSlam, which he initially rejected before Cena hijacked a contract signing between Reigns andFinn Bálor to make the match official.[249][250][251] At the event on August 21, Reigns defeated Cena to retain the title; he was confronted by a returning Brock Lesnar after the match.[252] Reigns successfully defended the title against Bálor on the September 3 episode ofSmackDown and in an Extreme Rules match atExtreme Rules on September 26 with Bálor in his Demon persona.[253][254] On October 21, atCrown Jewel, Reigns retained the title against Lesnar with help from the Usos.[255] AtSurvivor Series on November 21, Reigns defeated WWE ChampionBig E in a champion vs. champion match.[256] On the December 3 episode ofSmackDown, Reigns defeatedSami Zayn in 15 seconds to retain the title after Lesnar attacked Zayn before the match began.[257]
A match for the Universal Championship between Reigns and Lesnar was then set forDay 1.[258] On the December 17 episode ofSmackDown, Reigns fired Heyman as his manager due to Heyman's past association with Lesnar.[259] On January 1, 2022, the day of the event, the match between Reigns and Lesnar was cancelled as a result of Reigns testing positive forCOVID-19.[260] On January 16, Reigns surpassed Lesnar's 503-day reign to become the longest reigning Universal Champion, in turn having the sixth longest world championship reign in the company's history.[261] AtRoyal Rumble on January 29, Reigns defended the championship against Seth "Freakin" Rollins, losing the match by disqualification; since championships cannot change hands by disqualification, Reigns retained the title.[262] Later that night, he interfered in the WWE Championship match between Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, reuniting with Heyman to cause the upset victory for Lashley to regain the championship. Also that night, Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match, and on the following episode ofRaw, he challenged Reigns to a match in the main event ofWrestleMania 38, marking the third time Reigns would face Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania.[263] AtElimination Chamber on February 19, Reigns defeated Goldberg via technical submission to retain the title.[264] Later in the event, Lesnar won the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match, turning their match at WrestleMania into aWinner Takes All match.[265]
On Night 2 of WrestleMania 38 on April 3, Reigns defeated Lesnar to win the WWE Championship for a fourth time and became the first wrestler to hold both the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Championship simultaneously and be recognized as theUndisputed WWE Universal Champion.[266] AtWrestleMania Backlash on May 8, Reigns and The Usos defeatedRK-Bro (Randy Orton andRiddle) and Drew McIntyre.[267] On the June 17 episode ofSmackDown, Reigns successfully defended the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Riddle, but after the match, he was attacked by a returning Lesnar to renew their rivalry and set up a Last Man Standing match atSummerSlam on July 30,[268][269] which Reigns won to end their seven-year feud.[270] AtClash at the Castle on September 3, Reigns successfully defended the titles against McIntyre after interference from the debutingSolo Sikoa.[271] AtCrown Jewel on November 5, Reigns retained the titles againstLogan Paul.[272] Three weeks later atSurvivor Series: WarGames on November 26, Reigns, along with The Bloodline, defeated McIntyre, Kevin Owens andThe Brawling Brutes (Sheamus,Ridge Holland andButch) in aWarGames match.[273]
Reigns (left) with Paul Heyman atRoyal Rumble in January 2024
On January 18, 2023, his Universal Championship reign reached 871 days, breakingGunther'sNXT UK Championship reign of 870 days, giving him the longest reign of any WWE championship since 1988.[274] AtRoyal Rumble on January 28, Reigns successfully defended the titles against Owens for the fourth time. Following the match, Sami Zayn would turn on The Bloodline, smashing Reigns with a chair.[275] He then began feuding withCody Rhodes, who won the Royal Rumble match and earned a match against Reigns in the Night 2 main event ofWrestleMania 39.[276][277] AtElimination Chamber on February 18, Reigns retained the titles against Zayn.[278] At Night 2 of WrestleMania 39 on April 2, Reigns successfully defended the titles against Rhodes after interference from Sikoa.[279]
AtNight of Champions on May 27, Reigns and Sikoa unsuccessfully challengedKevin Owens and Sami Zayn for theUndisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. During the match, The Usos interfered and accidentally attacked Sikoa while aiming for Zayn. The subsequent sequence of events culminated in Jimmy Uso attacking Reigns, and The Usos walking away from The Bloodline.[280] It was on this day as well, that Reigns hit 1,000 days as Universal Champion, the first to do so in over thirty-five years, and only the fifth wrestler ever to accomplish the feat with a world championship in the history of WWE.[281] On June 24, Reigns reached 1,028 days as Universal Champion, passingPedro Morales' reign of 1,027 days with the WWE Championship (at the time known as the WWWF Heavyweight Championship), giving Reigns the fifth longest world championship reign in company history.[282] AtMoney in the Bank on July 1, Reigns and Sikoa lost to The Usos in a "Bloodline Civil War" tag team match after Reigns was pinned by Jey, marking his first pinfall loss sinceDecember 2019.[283] On August 5, atSummerSlam, Reigns defeated Jey inTribal Combat to retain the titles and his status as Tribal Chief, after Jimmy betrayed Jey.[284] AtCrown Jewel on November 4, Reigns successfully defended the titles againstLA Knight.[285] AtRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2024, Reigns defeated Knight,Randy Orton andAJ Styles, who Reigns pinned, to retain the titles in a fatal four-way match.[286]
On the February 2 episode ofSmackDown, Rhodes, who again won the Royal Rumble match, said that he would not challenge Reigns for the titles atWrestleMania XL, after whichThe Rock confronted Reigns, implying he would be Reigns' opponent instead.[287] After this development drew backlash for disrupting their long-term storyline,[288] during theWrestleMania XL Kickoffmedia event on February 8, Rhodes announced that he would face Reigns.[289] On Night 1 ofWrestleMania XL on April 7, Reigns and The Rock defeated Rhodes and Seth Rollins to enforce Bloodline Rules for their title match.[290] The next night, Reigns lost the titles to Rhodes, ending his second record-setting Universal Championship reign at 1,316 days and ending his fourth WWE Championship reign at 735 days.[291] WWE would later amend the official title history of the Universal Championship, recognizing that upon Reigns's loss of the Undisputed title at WrestleMania XL, the Universal Championship was retired with Reigns recognized as its final champion; the WWE Championship became subsequently referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship.[292]
The O.T.C. (2024–present)
After losing the titles, Reigns took time off from television and Sikoa was appointed himself as thede facto leader of The Bloodline. The formation changed when Jimmy was kicked out of the group andThe Tongans (Tama Tonga andTonga Loa), the sons ofHaku, as well asJacob Fatu, the son of theTonga Kid, were included into the stable.[293][294][295] On the April 26 episode ofSmackDown, Paul Heyman announced that Reigns voluntarily withdrew from the2024 WWE Draft.[296] After weeks of bypassing Reigns' orders in storyline and ousting Heyman from the group, Sikoa removed Reigns from the leadership of The Bloodline and the group altogether, declaring himself as the new "Tribal Chief".[297]
Following a four-month hiatus, on August 3, Reigns made his return atSummerSlam under the new moniker "The O.T.C" ("The Only Tribal Chief" or "The Original Tribal Chief"), attacking Sikoa and helping Rhodes retain his title in a Bloodline Rules match, turningface for the first time since 2020.[298] AtBad Blood on October 5, Reigns and Rhodes defeated Sikoa and Fatu after interference from the returning Jimmy Uso.[299] Following the match, The Rock returned and stared down Reigns, Rhodes, and Jimmy Uso, before later counting to three and motioning the fingers across his neck.[300] On the October 25 episode ofSmackDown, Reigns and the reunited Usos cost The Tongans theWWE Tag Team Championships, setting up a six-man tag team match against Sikoa, Tonga and Fatu atCrown Jewel on November 2,[301][302] which they lost.[303] AtSurvivor Series: WarGames on November 30, Reigns, the Usos, Sami Zayn andCM Punk defeated The Bloodline andBronson Reed in aWarGames match, with Reigns pinning Sikoa.[304] Reigns then challenged Sikoa for the Ula Fala and Tribal Chief title inTribal Combat at theRaw premiere on Netflix on January 6, 2025,[305][306] where Reigns defeated Sikoa to reclaim his Ula Fala and Tribal Chief title, with The Rock presenting Reigns with the Ula Fala after the match ending their feud.[307]
Reigns (center) with Paul Heyman at theRoyal Rumble in February 2025
AtRoyal Rumble on February 1, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match at number 16, scoring four eliminations. As he and Rollins attempted to eliminate each other, both were eliminated from behind by Punk. Rollins then delivered multiple Curb Stomps to Reigns before storming off.[308] He returned on the March 10 episode ofRaw to attack both Rollins and Punk during their steel cage match.[309] On the March 21 episode ofSmackDown, a brawl ensued between all three men, with Reigns, Rollins, and Punk pointing at the WrestleMania sign, leading to a triple threat match between the three being made official as the Night 1 main event ofWrestleMania 41.[310][311] On the April 4 episode ofSmackDown, Punk revealed that Paul Heyman would not be in Reigns' corner at WrestleMania 41, but instead in his own, as part of a favor Punk called in for teaming with Reigns at Survivor Series.[312] On Night 1 of WrestleMania 41 on April 19, Rollins defeated Reigns and Punk following a double betrayal by Paul Heyman, who aligned himself with Rollins in the process and turned heel.[313] Two nights later onRaw, Reigns would be taken out by Rollins andBron Breakker.[314]
On the July 14 episode ofRaw, Reigns returned after a three month absence, coming to the aid of CM Punk and Jey Uso from an attack by Breakker and Bronson Reed.[315] On July 22, Reigns proposed a tag team match between himself and Jey against Breakker and Reed; the match was subsequently made official forSummerSlam.[316] On August 2 on Night 1 of SummerSlam, Reigns and Uso defeated Breakker and Reed.[317] Reigns defeated Reed atClash in Paris on August 31, before being viciously attacked post-match by Reed and Breakker.[318] This was done to write Reigns off of television to allow him to film the movieStreet Fighter.[319] On the September 29 episode of Raw, Reigns returned to help The Usos defeat Breakker and Reed in a Tornado Tag Team match.[320] AtCrown Jewel on October 11, Reigns lost to Reed in an Australian Street Fight after interference from Breakker and The Usos.[321]
In early 2005, while studying atGeorgia Institute of Technology, Anoaʻi met and began dating Galina Becker.[322] They were married in December 2014,[323] and reside inTampa, Florida.[324] Their first child, a daughter, was born in December 2007 and appeared with Anoaʻi in aPSA in June 2014.[325][326][327][328] They had twin sons in November 2016, followed by another set of twin sons in March 2020.[329][330][1]
In 2018, Anoaʻi shared that he had been living withchronic myeloid leukemia, an incurable but treatable form of blood cancer. He was diagnosed in 2007 during his American Football career and continues lifelongoral chemotherapy to manage the condition.[333][334][335][336]
Reigns also makes regular appearances on fellow wrestlerXavier Woods' comedicYouTube channel UpUpDownDown under the nickname "The Merchandise".[345][346]
During his fourth reign as WWE Champion, as a result of also holding the Universal Championship, Reigns was recognized as theUndisputed WWE Universal Champion.
^WWE also acknowledges theNWA (pre–1993) andWCW titles as world championships, recognizing Reigns as the sixth-longest reigning world champion in professional wrestling history.]
^WWE had originally listedCody Rhodes as both WWE and Universal Champion until April 20, 2025, when he lost the Undisputed title toJohn Cena. Upon Rhodes's defeat, the official title history for the Universal Championship was amended, removing Rhodes and officially recognizing Reigns as the final champion with the title's retirement being his loss atWrestleMania XL.
^The title was named the WWE World Heavyweight Championship during his first three reigns. During his 4th reign the title was jointly held and defended with the WWE Universal Championship as theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship, but both titles maintained their individual lineages
^581 days into his 2nd reign, the title was jointly held and defended with the WWE Championship as theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship, but both titles maintained their individual lineages
^Reigns was retroactively recognized as the final Universal Champion following its retirement after WrestleMania 41 in April 2025
^Clapp, John (January 7, 2013)."The Rock def. WWE Champion CM Punk".WWE. Archived fromthe original on March 5, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2013.With the WWE Universe and, more importantly, referee Michael Chioda unable to discern what happened, Michael Cole informed the pay-per-view audience at home that The Shield had perpetrated the assault, hitting their signature Triple Powerbomb.
^Murphy, Ryan (December 14, 2014)."John Cena def. Seth Rollins (Tables Match)".WWE. Archived fromthe original on December 27, 2014. RetrievedDecember 15, 2014.Choosing this moment to make his unexpected return, the 2014 Superstar of the Year rattled Big Show with a Superman Punch and then took him out with a Spear through a table. Seconds later, Reigns stopped Rollins, too, rocking his former partner with a second swing of his Superman Punch.
^Meltzer, Dave (February 2023). "February 2023 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 2022 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards".Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
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