Roman Reigns

> "Acknowledge Me!"
>
> - Roman Reigns

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Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler, and actor of Samoan-Italian descent. He is signed to Unlimited Nonstop Wrestling (UNW) where he works under the ring name Roman Reigns, where he leads the villainous stable "The Bloodline" and is the current Universal Champion in his fourth reign. He is a three-time WrestleMania main eventer, an eight-time world champion, a grand slam champion, and a triple crown champion. He is also the first wrestler in history to hold the UNW and CWC Universal Championship at the same time. He is a member of the Anoa'i family, a renowned Samoan-American wrestling dynasty. His father is former tag team champion and WWE Hall of Famer Sika Anoa'i (one half of the Wild Samoans), and his older brother is the late Matthew Anoa'i, better known by his ring name Rosey. Reigns is widely regarded as the greatest wrestler in UNW history.

## Early life

Leati Joseph Anoaʻi was born in Pensacola, Florida, on May 25, 1985. He has Arbëreshë, English, Italian, and Samoan ancestry. Both his father Sika and his brother Rosey were professional wrestlers. As a member of the Anoaʻi wrestling family, his cousins include The Tonga Kid, Rikishi, Umaga, and Yokozuna, while his first cousins once removed include Jimmy and Jey Uso. Anoaʻi attended Pensacola Catholic High School and Escambia High School, before going on to major in management at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He later said that he considers Bret Hart his wrestling idol.

## Football career

Anoaʻi played football 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 the *Pensacola News Journal*. While at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he was a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team along with Calvin Johnson, who later became a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Anoaʻi was a three-year starter beginning in his sophomore year and was also one of the team captains as a senior. He was named to the first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2006 and earned All-ACC first-team honors with 40 tackles, two recovered fumbles and 4.5 sacks.

After going undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft, Anoaʻi was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in May 2007. He was diagnosed with leukemia after his team physical and was released later that month. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed him in August 2007, only to release Anoaʻi less than a week later before the start of the 2007 NFL season. In 2008, he was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Wearing the number 99, Anoaʻi played for one season with the Eskimos, featuring in five games, of which he started three. Anoaʻi's most notable game came against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in September, where he tied for the team lead with five tackles and had a forced fumble. Anoaʻi was released by the Eskimos on November 10, and proceeded to retire from professional football.

## Professional wrestling career

### World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

#### Developmental territories (2010–2012)

Anoaʻi signed a contract with WWE in 2010 and was later assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He made his televised debut on August 19, 2010, using the ring name Roman Leakee, in a 15-man battle royal, which was won by Alex Riley. On the January 16, 2011 episode of *FCW*, Leakee was a competitor in a 30-man Grand Royal, but was eliminated. Later in 2011, Leakee formed a tag team with Donny Marlow and the pair unsuccessfully challenged Calvin Raines and Big E Langston for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship on July 8.

In January 2012, Leakee pinned FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Leo Kruger in a non-title match. On the February 5 episode of *FCW*, he defeated Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match to become the number one contender to the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. He failed to win the championship when he lost to Kruger the following week. Leakee later won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship with Mike Dalton and would drop the titles to CJ Parker and Jason Jordan shortly after.

After WWE rebranded FCW to NXT in August 2012, Anoaʻi, with the new ring name Roman Reigns and a villainous character, made his debut on the October 31 episode of *NXT* by defeating CJ Parker.

#### The Shield (2012–2014)

Roman Reigns made his main roster television debut as on November 18, 2012 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view event alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, assaulting Ryback during the triple threat main event for the WWE Championship, allowing CM Punk to retain the title, thus establishing themselves as villains. The trio declared themselves The Shield and vowed to rally against "injustice", while also denying working for Punk, even though they would routinely emerge from the crowd to attack Punk's adversaries, including Ryback and WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane). This led to a six-man tag team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, in which Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins defeated Team Hell No and Ryback in their debut match. The Shield continued to aid Punk in January 2013, attacking both Ryback and The Rock. On the January 28 episode of *Raw*, it was revealed that Punk and his manager Paul Heyman had been paying The Shield and Brad Maddox to work for them.

The Shield then indistinctly ended their association with Punk while beginning a feud with John Cena, Ryback and Sheamus that directed to a six-man tag match on February 17 at Elimination Chamber, which The Shield won. The Shield then made their WrestleMania debut, where they defeated Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show at WrestleMania 29 in April. The following night on *Raw*, The Shield attempted to attack The Undertaker, but they were stopped by Team Hell No. This set up a six-man tag team match on the April 22 episode of *Raw*, which The Shield won. On the May 13 episode of *Raw*, The Shield's undefeated streak in televised six-man tag team matches ended in a disqualification loss in an elimination tag team match against Cena, Kane and Bryan.

On May 19 at Extreme Rules, Reigns and Rollins defeated Team Hell No in a tornado tag team match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. On the June 14 episode of *SmackDown*, The Shield were given their first decisive loss in televised six-man tag team matches at the hands of Team Hell No and Randy Orton, when Bryan submitted Rollins. Reigns and Rollins defeated Bryan and Orton at Payback on June 16 to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. Further successful title defenses followed against The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) at Money in the Bank on July 14 and The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) at Night of Champions on September 15.

In August, The Shield began working for chief operating officer Triple H and The Authority. Their association with The Authority led them to begin a rivalry with Cody Rhodes and Goldust. At Battleground on October 6, Reigns and Rollins lost to Rhodes and Goldust in a non-title match. Reigns and Rollins lost the tag team titles to Rhodes and Goldust in a no disqualification match on the October 14 episode of *Raw*, following interference from Big Show. At Hell in a Cell on October 27, Reigns and Rollins failed to regain the championship in a triple threat tag team match. At Survivor Series on November 24, The Shield teamed with Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger to take on Rey Mysterio, The Usos, Cody Rhodes and Goldust in a traditional Survivor Series match; Reigns would win the match for his team. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, The Shield were defeated by CM Punk in a 3-on-1 handicap match, after Reigns accidentally speared Ambrose. At the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match at number 15 and went on to eliminate 12 competitors in the match, a record that was later broken by Braun Strowman in 2018. Reigns would be the runner-up in the match after being lastly eliminated by Batista. The next night on *Raw*, 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 the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which The Shield lost via disqualification after The Wyatt Family interfered and attacked Cena, Bryan and Sheamus. A six-man tag team match pitting The Shield against The Wyatt Family on February 24 at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view was arranged, in which The Shield lost after Ambrose abandoned the match mid-way through.

In March, The Shield came out to seemingly attack Jerry Lawler, only to attack Kane instead, turning all three men face in the process. This led to a match between The Shield and Kane and The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) at WrestleMania XXX on April 6, which The Shield won. The feud with Kane also prompted The Shield to sever ties with Triple H, who reformed Evolution to counteract them. The Shield then defeated Evolution at both Extreme Rules on May 4 and Payback on June 1. On the *Raw* following Payback, Rollins turned on The Shield and aligned himself with Triple H and The Authority.

#### Controversial rise to main event status (2014–2015)

Following Rollins's betrayal, Reigns would briefly continue teaming with Ambrose, before embarking on a singles run and being quickly placed into world title contention. After winning a battle royal Reigns was inserted into a ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank on June 29; however the match was won by John Cena. His second consecutive pay-per-view main event was at Battleground on July 20, where Reigns again challenged for the title, this time in a fatal four-way match involving Cena, Kane, and Randy Orton, which Cena again won. Following the event, Reigns began a feud with Orton, culminating in a match at SummerSlam on August 17, which Reigns won.

The next month, a singles match was set up between Reigns and Rollins for Night of Champions on September 21, but Reigns developed a legitimate incarcerated hernia which required surgery prior to the event. As a result of Reigns being unable to compete, Rollins was declared the winner via forfeit. Reigns returned on the December 8 episode of *Raw*, accepting a Slammy Award for "Superstar of the Year". At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, Reigns interfered during Rollins's match with John Cena, attacking Rollins and Big Show. This started a feud between Reigns and Big Show, in which Reigns defeated him multiple times by countout and disqualification.

Reigns then entered the 2015 Royal Rumble match on January 25, which he won after lastly eliminating Rusev, therefore granting him a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 31. After his victory, Reigns was jeered heavily by the crowd, despite portraying a heroic character. On the February 2 episode of *Raw*, Reigns suffered his first pinfall loss in singles competition on the main roster when Big Show defeated him after interference from Rollins. Reigns then successfully defended his WrestleMania title shot against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane on February 22. At WrestleMania 31 on March 29, Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract while Reigns's main event match with Brock Lesnar was in progress, turning it into a triple threat match, which Reigns lost when he was pinned by Rollins.

In April, Reigns resumed his feud with Big Show, which culminated on April 26 in a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules, which Reigns won. On May 17 at Payback, Reigns failed to win the world title from Rollins in a fatal four-way match that also involved Orton and Ambrose. On June 14 at Money in the Bank, Reigns competed in his first Money in the Bank ladder match, which he failed to win after Bray Wyatt interfered and attacked him. On July 17 at Battleground, Wyatt defeated Reigns after Luke Harper interfered and attacked Reigns. He would enlist the help of Ambrose in order to take on the reformed Wyatt Family, with the duo defeating Wyatt and Harper at SummerSlam on August 23. The following night on *Raw*, Reigns and Ambrose were attacked by Wyatt's new ally, the debuting Braun Strowman. On September 20 at Night of Champions, Reigns and Ambrose teamed with Chris Jericho, but were defeated by Wyatt, Harper and Strowman. The feud between Reigns and Wyatt ended at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on October 25, where Reigns defeated Wyatt in a Hell in a Cell match.

#### WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2015–2016)

On the October 26 episode of *Raw*, Reigns defeated Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, and Kevin Owens in a fatal four way to become the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. 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. Reigns defeated Big Show in the first round, Cesaro in the quarterfinals, Alberto Del Rio in the semifinals, and Dean Ambrose in the finals at Survivor Series on November 22 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Immediately afterward, Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Reigns, thus ending Reigns' reign after only five minutes. On December 13, Reigns failed to regain the title from Sheamus in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs following interference by The League of Nations (Alberto Del Rio and Rusev), attacking Triple H in anger after the match. The next night on *Raw*, Vince McMahon granted Reigns a title rematch against Sheamus, under the stipulation that if Reigns lost, he would be forced to retire. Reigns managed to win after overcoming interferences from McMahon, Del Rio and Rusev, regaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the process.

Reigns was forced by McMahon to defend his championship in the 2016 Royal Rumble match on January 24, 2016. In the match, Reigns was eliminated by eventual winner Triple H, thus losing the championship. At Fastlane on February 22, Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose in a triple threat match to receive a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H at WrestleMania 32 on April 3, where he defeated Triple H in the main event to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for a third time. After WrestleMania, Reigns began a feud with AJ Styles and successfully defended the championship against him at Payback on May 1 and then again at Extreme Rules in an Extreme Rules match on May 22. After the latter match, Reigns was attacked by a returning Seth Rollins.

At Money in the Bank on June 19, Reigns lost to Rollins, marking his first clean loss on the main roster and ending his reign at 77 days. On June 21, Anoaʻi was legitimately suspended by WWE for 30 days due to violating the WWE Wellness Program, WWE's internal drug testing program. *Pro Wrestling Torch* and *TheWrap* reported that WWE knew of Anoaʻi's violation before the event, leading to Reigns being scripted to lose his world title at the event.

On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, Reigns was drafted to the Raw brand. Despite Reigns's suspension, WWE continued to advertise Reigns as part of the Battleground main event, and went on to acknowledge Reigns's suspension on television. At Battleground on July 24, Reigns made his televised return, facing Rollins and Dean Ambrose for the now-renamed WWE Championship, which Ambrose won. The following night on *Raw*, Reigns also failed to contend for the newly announced WWE Universal Championship against Rollins at SummerSlam on August 21, as he lost to the debuting Finn Bálor in a qualifying match.

### Unlimited Nonstop Wrestling and other ventures (2017-present)

In 2016, a contractual dispute between WWE and Roman Reigns led to his departure from the company. After negotiations broke down due to creative differences, Reigns and WWE agreed to mutually terminate their relationship, ending his 6 year stint at the company, counting his developmental days. Though the final days of the contractual partnership between the two were messy, both Reigns and WWE officials and high councils have stated that there were no hard feelings between the two. Months after his departure from the WWE, Reigns then made the decision to join the independent wrestling promotion Unlimited Nonstop Wrestling, which was owned by his fellow wrestler and former WWE colleague Finn Balor, who had also left WWE nearly a year prior, along with numerous other names over the same reason, creative differences and low morale due to different directions that conflicted with the WWE's intended path for the wrestlers.

#### UNW Television Heavyweight Champion (2016)

During a SmackDown taping in 2017, reigning Television Champion Jeff Hardy announced that he would hold an open challenge, which was a common occurrence in professional wrestling. To the surprise of the audience and Hardy himself, Roman Reigns made a surprise appearance to accept the challenge. Reigns would then go on to defeat Hardy in an impressive match, winning his first championship title in the promotion.

This victory marked a significant moment in Reigns' career as it demonstrated his ability to succeed in a different wrestling environment outside of WWE. Moreover, his success in UNW helped him establish himself as a formidable wrestler after securing independence from the WWE and boosted his profile within the wrestling business. Due to Reigns' tremendous star power and drawing ability and personality fit for the business, Reigns and Balor quickly collaborated and formed a business relationship, with Reigns being appointed as one of the co-owners and share holders of the company behind the scenes. This relationship was seen as many as the turning point in the world of professional wrestling and WRP, where UNW truly started separating itself from the others and started creating a gap that would slowly become unreachable over the years.

#### Further ventures outside of UNW

After joining UNW, Roman Reigns would go on to explore other wrestling companies and promotions. Reigns was seen as a valuable asset by wrestling companies due to his star power and wrestling abilities. He would eventually sign multiple deals with companies such as AAW, WWR, and GWD. AAW (All American Wrestling) officials, in particular, saw Reigns as an "emergency signing" to help bolster their promotion. Reigns' signing did work initially, but even with his star power, he was unable to keep AAW afloat. Much of this was due to Reigns not being able to use his real marketable name, and was forced to revert to his old FCW ring name, Leakee. Though certain loyal fans who followed Reigns career followed him all the way to AAW to gather enough profit for him to help keep the company alive, Reigns' limited drawing ability due to those circumstances were simply too little for such a mountainous task. AAW eventually ran out of business and filed for bankruptcy in early 2017, and unfortunately, the promotion dissolved and liquidated just a few months after he signed, and the promotion closed its doors with Reigns holding a few titles as the last champion.

Reigns' time in AAW was not without accomplishments. Before the company's liquidation, Reigns was able to win both the AAW Championship and the AAW World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first-ever AAW superstar to hold both championships simultaneously. Despite the setbacks with AAW, Reigns continued to excel in UNW. He maintained a hot streak and was able to hold onto the UNW Television Championship for quite some time, delivering multiple high quality matches that were critically acclaimed. Reigns' run was the perfect mixture of dominance and the ability to deliver great matches in ring wise. Reigns received high praise for his wrestling ability and his ring psychology, his ability to tell a story in the ring, many of which were unnoticed by wrestling fans before he left WWE. Reigns' run as champion is considered the greatest the title had ever seen, and he is considered one of the longest-reigning UNW Television Heavyweight Champions in history despite it being now seen as one of the shortest title reigns in his career.

#### Rivalry with Finn Balor, WrestleMania I

Reigns however did not lose momentum from this setback at the time at all, and was immediately put into a promising program, engaging in a heated feud with Finn Balor. Balor, who had left WWE alongside Reigns, was playing a powerful authority figure at the time, and the two rivals were set to face each other at WrestleMania I, the first-ever UNW WrestleMania.

As the feud intensified, the match stipulation was eventually set as a Hell in a Cell match, adding even more excitement and anticipation to the bout. Reigns and Balor had a long history together, both as colleagues in WWE and now as bitter enemies in UNW, and their WrestleMania match promised to be one of the most intense and brutal matches in UNW history. The intense and personal rivalry between Roman Reigns and Finn Balor reached heights that many fans and critics never expected it to. Throughout the course of the feud, both wrestlers committed actions that garnered a mixed response from the wrestling community. Some felt that the storyline was taken too far, while many praised it for its intense and engaging nature that took them back to the 'good old days'.

The rivalry was filled with controversial moments that generated white hot online discourse not just amongst the internet wrestling community, but also casual fans and also non wrestling outlets, including promos and segments that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in professional wrestling. One such moment was when during an edition of a UNW RAW episode down the road to WrestleMania, Finn Balor took the rivalry to new heights and broke into Reigns' home and interrogated his daughter, a move that many felt crossed a line. The nature of this segment was topped next week, as it was followed by Reigns' retaliation in the form of kidnapping Balor's on-screen associate at the time and using her as leverage to force Balor to accept the stipulation of a 'Hell in a Cell' match for their highly anticipated WrestleMania showdown. Just days after the show went off air, both episodes of the weekly shows were shown on various news networks, with it being documented under the topics asking if there should be limits to how far professional wrestling storylines are allowed to go. UNW would put out a press release later on, stating that everything seen on screen is merely for entertainment purposes and everything that happens during the shows had already received personal consent from the superstars participating in the storylines beforehand.

Despite the controversy surrounding the feud, it was highly praised for the way in which it engaged the fans and showcased the abilities of both Reigns and Balor. The storyline was a testament to their ability to draw the audience in and create an emotionally charged and unforgettable rivalry. The storyline along with the match itself received universal acclaim from fans and critics alike, with the match along with the entire event being hailed as UNW's initiation into the summit of professional wrestling as a whole. The rivalry also attracted the attention of many non wrestling fans who were pulled into it by the sheer intensity of the rivalry and the nature of the segments shown on screen. Following WrestleMania I, UNW continued to pursue growth through its first season till closing its doors for the first time during the Summer in a temporary hiatus. This down period would allow Reigns to further broaden his presence in professional wrestling by signing with top wrestling promotions at the time, World Wrestling Revolution & Grand Wrestling Dominion alongside his rival.

#### UNW re-opens

After a period of hiatus, UNW once again re-opened its doors in the middle of 2017, and fans couldn't be more excited to see their favorite stars back on weekly television. Reigns' return, billed as one of the top stars in pro wrestling in general at the time, was highly anticipated, as had been making waves not only in UNW but also in other promotions during the downtime. Reigns had ventured to Grand Wrestling Dominion, where he had a history-making main event spot at GWD WrestleMania against none other than Kazuchika Okada, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. The match between Reigns and Okada lasted a grueling 40 minutes and was widely regarded as one of the best matches of Reigns' career. Critics and fans alike praised the performance, noting the incredible in ring action and storytelling displayed by both Reigns and Okada. It was clear that Reigns had proven himself not only as a top star in UNW but also on the global stage. Fans stood up for minutes after the bout ended to give both men a standing ovation, in what proved to be a pinnacle moment in pro wrestling, for GWD and mostly, for UNW. UNW would open its doors once again as the second season began with the return event being WrestleMania II, live from New Orleans. Finn Balor and Roman Reigns would reignite their rivalry from the first WrestleMania for the second event, however, their second match would be met with negative reception, as the lack of build leading into the return event was panned by critics and fans alike. Fans were unhappy with the match, as they saw it as just another way for powers behind the scenes, with both names involved "booking themselves into another WrestleMania main event". An unnamed journalist for Pro Wrestling Insider stated that "the fans were clearly uninterested at the prospect of seeing Finn Balor and Roman Reigns go at it again in the main event of WrestleMania for the second time in a row, and they felt there were many more deserving, new talent who were more worthy of the spot". Regardless of the reception, Roman Reigns would defeat Finn Balor once again, as he continued to gain momentum.

Despite personal fan opinion of the match at the reopening event, Reigns' hot streak continued throughout the year, as he found himself in a big money fatal four-way match against some of UNW's biggest stars in the main event of UNW Battleground. The match featured Reigns facing off against the likes of John Cena, Finn Balor, and Kenny Omega, all of whom were at the top of their game at the time. The match lived up to its hype, with all 4 men giving it all they've got to put on a classic for the books. The match started off immediately at a fast pace, giving fans an ultimate thrill ride that looked to never have an end until the finish. For over 25 minutes, the men involved in the match gave the fans a treat, which led to many chants praising the match and a live crowd that kept getting hotter and hotter as they got more invested into the match. Roman Reigns would emerge victorious, as he delivered a spear off the ropes to Kenny Omega who was setting rival Finn Balor up for One Winged Angel. Reigns would then pin Omega for the three count, and achieve a marquee victory, further cementing his position as the future of UNW.

#### Rise to main event status and UNW Universal Champion (2017)

After making his mark as a dominant force in UNW, Roman Reigns was quickly thrust into the World Title picture. After his feud with Finn Balor came to an end, Roman Reigns continued to dominate the UNW scene. He was consistently pushed as the next face of the company, and fans were intrigued by his every move. Reigns showed a lot of improvement in his in-ring performances and his mic skills, and he continued to impress fans and critics alike. Reigns was given many high profile matches, and he delivered in every one of them. His ability to put on top quality matches and deliver memorable promos was a huge part of what made him so successful in UNW. Fans were captivated by his every word and action, and Reigns quickly became one of the most popular stars in the company. Reigns' push culminated in him capturing the Universal Championship, less than a year after he joined UNW. This was a huge accomplishment for Reigns, and it cemented his place as one of the top talents in the company. Fans were quite indifferent to see him holding the title, but despite a specific amount of negative fan opinion, Roman Reigns continued to impress with his performances as champion, slowly turning the UNW Universe over to his side in the process.

Throughout his run with the Universal Championship, Reigns faced many tough opponents and engaged in some of the most memorable matches in UNW history. Fans were glued to their screens every time he stepped into the ring, eager to see what he would do next. Reigns truly showed what he was made of during his reign as champion, and he proved that he was worthy of holding the title. Complaints began to rise some months into Reigns' reign that he was holding the title hostage and that he was not yet worthy of a World Championship reign this long so early into his UNW career. Despite his impressive performances in matches, hardcore fans were still not quite impressed with Reigns, likely due to bias. Reigns was eventually booked to face John Cena at the Royal Rumble 2018 for the Universal Championship. The buildup to the match was intense, with Reigns and Cena engaging in personal promos and segments that quickly got the fans invested in the feud. Many hardcore wrestling fans, who make up a significant part of UNW's fanbase, rooted for Cena to dethrone the reigning champion as they believed Reigns was not yet worthy of having a long reign with the championship, and still had much more to prove, and that UNW was just running the same failed formula that WWE did for Reigns.

As the feud progressed, Reigns found himself in familiar territory as the fans began turning on him. Reigns started getting booed week in and week out, all the way to the Royal Rumble. However, this time it was different as Reigns was booked as a heel, allowing him to showcase his ability to deal with the heat. Reigns responded to the negative reactions with top-tier heel work, slowly winning over the fans. The heat on Reigns and his actions throughout the rivalry against the living legend ultimately helped elevate his match against Cena at the Royal Rumble 2018 to a whole new level. The two wrestlers put on one of the greatest matches in UNW history, engaging in a back-and-forth battle that had many ups and downs fitting for the personal buildup it had received. At one point, Cena had Reigns trapped in the STF in the middle of the ring with nowhere to go, but Reigns was able to escape. Reigns survived three Attitude Adjustments in the match and, in the finish, with the referee knocked out, Reigns knocked Cena out with a brutal Irish whip to the exposed turnbuckle before delivering a spear to secure the win and remain the reigning Universal Champion.

    Roman Reigns' victory over Cena at the Royal Rumble 2018 was a defining moment in his career, solidifying his status as an integral part of UNW. His ability to deal with the heat and showcase his heel work earned him newfound respect from the hardcore fanbase, and his victory over Cena cemented his place as the present and future of UNW at the time. Reigns' reign as the Universal Champion in UNW slowly from that point on became widely acclaimed by fans and critics alike. He continued to defend the title against a number of top-tier competitors, putting on high quality and crowd engaging matches each time. Reigns continued to win over the hardcore fans with his exceptional in-ring work and top-notch mic skills. Fans also praised Reigns for his ability to put on great matches with a variety of opponents, showcasing his versatility as a performer. He proved himself to be the full package throughout the run, from every department from in ring skills to mic skills, delivering engaging promos that had the crowd invested in his rivalries. All of this to go along with the quality of the matches he put on, Reigns would slowly win over crowds and would eventually over time become one of the biggest and hottest stars in the company, continuing to prove himself as one of the best in the world.

## Career History

### Companies and Promotions

 World Wrestling Entertainment
 Unlimited Nonstop Wrestling

### Face and Heel Turns

 Heel
 Face
 Heel
 Face
 Heel

### Tag Teams and Stables

 The Shield
 The Shield
 The Bloodline