Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985 in Pensacola, Florida), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former American football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is managed by Paul Heyman. He is a two-time and the longest reigning WWE Universal Champion and a four-time WWE Champion (both championships are combined as the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship since WrestleMania 38 in April 2022), making him a six-time world champion overall. He is a member of the Anoaʻi family which is a renowned Samoan-American wrestling dynasty.[4] Reigns was a member of The Shield along with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins from 2012 to June 2, 2014 before reuniting again in 2017 and 2019. From 2020 to 2024, he was leader of the stable The Bloodline, which included other members of the Anoa'i family.[6]
Roman Reigns | |
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Born | Leati Joseph Anoaʻi May 25, 1985 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
Occupations |
|
Spouse |
Galina Becker
(m. 2014) |
Children | 5 |
Parent |
|
Family | Anoaʻi |
Ring name(s) | Leakee[1] Roman Leakee[2] Roman Reigns[3] |
Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[3] |
Billed weight | 265 lb (120 kg)[3] |
Billed from | Pensacola, Florida[3] |
Trained by | Afa Anoaʻi[4] Sika Anoaʻi[4] Dusty Rhodes[5] Steve Keirn[2] |
Debut | August 19, 2010[2] |
His reign of 1,316 days as Universal Champion is the fourth-longest world title reign in WWE history and the longest championship reign of any title in WWE since 1988.[a] He is also a former United States, Intercontinental, and WWE Tag Team Champion (all held one time), the 2015 Royal Rumble winner, the 28th Triple Crown Champion and the 17th Grand Slam Champion. Reigns has been in the last match of many premium live events, including WWE's biggest yearly event, WrestleMania. He was praised for playing his heel character as the Bloodline's leader.[7][8] However, he was criticized when he played a face from 2014 to 2020.[9]
Football career
changeBefore he started his professional wrestling career, Anoa'i played football at the Georgia Institute of Technology and was named first-team All-ACC his senior year. He went drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft but ended up being signed by the Minnesota Vikings.[10] He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars to provide depth at defensive end to their roster and in 2008 he was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and accepted a spot on the team's practice roster.[11]
Professional wrestling career
changeWWE (2010-present)
changeFlorida Championship Wrestling and NXT (2010–2012)
changeIn July 2010, Anoa'i was signed to a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was put on their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He debuted under the ring name Roman Leakee on September 9, 2010 and competed in a singles match that resulted in a loss to Richie Steamboat. He then lost to Idol Stevens and Wes Brisco and finally earned his first win on September 21 in a match against Fahd Rakman.
In late 2011, he formed a team with Donny Marlow and they challenged the Florida Tag Team Champions Calvin Raines and Big E Langston on July 8 but were unsuccessful in winning their match. On the February 5 episode of FCW television, he defeated his later Shield teammates Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match to become the number one contender for the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship but he was unable to win the championship when he was defeated by champion Kruger.[12] He was able to win the Florida Tag Team Championship with Mike Dalton before they lost the belts to CJ Parker and Jason Jordan.
The Shield (2012–2014)
changeRoman Reigns along with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, made their main roster television debut on November 18, 2012 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view alongside, triple-powerbombing Ryback through the announce table during the triple threat main event for the WWE Championship, which allowed CM Punk to pin John Cena after an earlier Shell Shock from Ryback to retain the title.[13]
Personal life
changeIn early 2005, while studying at Georgia Institute of Technology, Anoaʻi met and began dating Galina Becker.[14] They were married in December 2014,[15] and live in Tampa, Florida.[16] Their first child, a daughter, was born in December 2007 .[17][18][19][20] They had twin sons in November 2016, followed by another set of twin sons in March 2020.[21][22]
On the October 22, 2018 episode of Raw, Anoaʻi announced that he had been living with chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of blood cancer. He was diagnosed in 2007 during his American Football career and continues to take medication.[23][24][25] Because of his leukemia, he took a break from professional wrestling until February 25, 2019,[26] and again for some months in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]
Acting Career
changeFilm
changeYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Countdown | Himself | Uncredited cameo |
2017 | The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania! | Himself (voice) | |
2019 | Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw | Mateo Hobbs | |
2020 | The Wrong Missy | Tatted Meathead (Gary) | |
2021 | Rumble | Ramarilla (voice) |
Television
changeYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Total Divas | Himself | 1 episode |
2015 | WWE 24 | Himself | Documentary about WrestleMania 31 |
2016 | Unfiltered | Himself | Interview show with Renee Young |
2016 | WWE 24 | Himself | Documentary about WrestleMania 32 |
2019 | WWE Chronicle | Himself | 2 episode |
2019 | Cousins for Life | Rodney | Episode: "Farewell to Arthur?" |
2019 | Fox's New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey | Himself | |
2020 | Elena of Avalor | Kizin (voice) | Episode: "Giant Steps" |
Championships and accomplishments
changeCollege Football
changeProfessional wrestling
change- CBS Sports
- ESPN
- Best Storyline of the Year (2022) – part of The Bloodline and Sami Zayn[29]
- Best Storyline of the Year (2023) – part of The Bloodline 2.0[6]
- Male Wrestler of the Year (2022)[29]
- ESPY Awards
- Best WWE Moment (2019) – Reigns returns to Raw and announces that his leukemia was in remission[30]
- Florida Championship Wrestling
- FCW Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mike Dalton
- New York Post
- Storyline of the Year (2022) – part of The Bloodline and Sami Zayn[31]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Comeback of the Year (2019)[32]
- Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2018, 2019)[33][32]
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2016)[34]
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2015)[35]
- Tag Team of the Year (2013) – with Seth Rollins[36]
- Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2016 and 2022[37][38]
- Wrestler of the Year (2022)
- Sports Illustrated
- Wrestler of the Year (2021)[39]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Box Office Draw (2022, 2023)[40][41][42]
- Feud of the Year (2023) as part of the Bloodline vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn[42]
- Best Gimmick (2021) as "The Tribal Chief"[43]
- Most Improved (2013)[44]
- Tag Team of the Year (2013) – with Seth Rollins[44]
- Most Overrated (2016)[45]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2013) – as part of The Authority vs. Big Show[44]
- WWE
- WWE (World Heavyweight) Championship (4 times)[b][46]
- WWE Universal Championship (2 times)[47]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[48]
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)[49]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Seth Rollins[50][51]
- 28th Triple Crown Champion[52]
- Ninth Grand Slam Champion (under current format; 17th overall)[52]
- Royal Rumble (2015)[53]
- WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2015)
- Elimination Chamber (2018)
- Slammy Award (7 times)[54]
- Breakout Star of the Year (2013) with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield[55]
- Extreme Moment of the Year (2015) – Post-TLC rampage[56]
- Faction of the Year (2013, 2014) with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield[57]
- Superstar of the Year (2014)
- Trending Now (Hashtag) of the Year (2013) – #BelieveInTheShield with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield[55]
- "What a Maneuver" of the Year (2013) – Spear[55]
- WWE Year-End Awards (2 times)
- Bumpy Award (1 time)
- Superstar of the Half-Year (2021)[59]
Footnotes
change- ↑ WWE also acknowledges the NWA (before 1993) and WCW titles as world championships, listing Reigns as the sixth-longest reigning world champion in professional wrestling history
- ↑ The title was named "WWE World Heavyweight Championship" during his first three reigns and simply "WWE Championship" during his fourth reign..
References
change- ↑ "Leakee". Florida Championship Wrestling. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Roman Reigns". Cagematch. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Roman Reigns". WWE. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Van Der Griend, Blaine (December 28, 2011). "Islanders put family first in wrestling business". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ↑ Reedy, Joe (March 30, 2023). "Hail to the Chief: Inside Roman Reigns' 3 years as WWE champ". Associated Press. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 ESPN.com (December 26, 2023). "Pro Wrestling 2023 awards: The best male and female wrestler, feud, faction, promo and more". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ↑ "'He's redefined himself with no audience' - John Cena shares big praise for Roman Reigns". GiveMeSport. April 26, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ↑ Zucker, Joseph (June 9, 2021). "WWE's Roman Reigns Praised by The Undertaker: 'I Think He's a Great Heel'". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ↑ Van Doom, Daniel (March 11, 2016). "This weekend WWE will face its toughest opponent: The wrestling audience". CNET. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ↑ "Vikings Release Two Linemen". Scout.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ↑ "Ex-Eskimo finds new pro career". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2013-11-08.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Florida Championship Wrestling Results - February 6, 2011". WrestleView. Archived from the original on 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ↑ "Survivor Series News: NXT stars debut in PPV main event angle, plus other news from annual PPV". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ↑ Mrosko, Geno (2016-02-13). "Reigns sends adorable early Valentine's Day message". Cageside Seats. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ↑ Roman Reigns Happy Valentine's Day to Message his Lovely Wife, retrieved 2022-10-27
- ↑ Lisciandrello, Carl (February 26, 2019). "With leukemia in remission, WWE's Roman Reigns announces return to ring". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ↑ "WWE® Superstars Alberto Del Rio, Titus O'Neil and Roman Reigns Take on the Importance of Being a Dad in National Public Service Campaign". Ad Council. June 6, 2014. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ↑ Sonny, Julian (June 7, 2014). "WWE Badass Roman Reigns Has A Heart-Warming Tea Party With His Daughter (Video)". Elite Daily. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ↑ "'That Was My Introduction to Manhood': Roman Reigns Opens Up About His Battle With Cancer". USA Insider Official Site. 2022-09-14. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ↑ "Video: Roman Reigns celebrates with Dean Ambrose and The Usos and dedicates his victory to his daughter - Superfights". superluchas.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
- ↑ "WWE News: Roman Reigns on why WWE pulled him from tour last year". Sportskeeda. December 12, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ↑ "WWE's Roman Reigns Wants to Go Back to Work But Gotta 'Protect' My Kids". TMZ. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
- ↑ "Roman Reigns: WWE, CML and me". Leukaemia Care. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ↑ Gagnon, Joshua (2020-03-28). "Roman Reigns Gets Involved With Blood Health Campaign". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ↑ "Roman Reigns joins Becky Lynch as WWE 2K20 cover superstars". ESPN.com. 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ↑ "Roman Reigns relinquished the Universal Championship after revealing his battle with leukemia". WWE. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ↑ Sunder, Gautam (June 27, 2020). "WWE's Roman Reigns talks fatherhood, family and making a comeback into the ring". Hindustan Times. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
- ↑ Brookhouse, Brent (January 2, 2021). "2020 CBS Sports Wrestling Awards: Drew McIntyre stands out as Wrestler of the Year". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Pro Wrestling 2022 awards: The best male and female wrestler, feud, faction, promo and more". ESPN. December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ↑ "ESPY Awards: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- ↑ Staszewski, Joseph (December 27, 2022). "The Post's 2022 pro wrestling awards". New York Post. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 @OfficialPWI (January 14, 2020). "PWI on Twitter" (Tweet). Retrieved October 4, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ↑ "AJ Styles y Becky Lynch lideran los premios PWI 2018". Super Luchas. January 2, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ↑ Bhutia, Jigmey (January 15, 2017). "PWI's 2016 WWE wrestler of the year and most hated wrestler announced". International Business Times. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ↑ "PWI Awards". pwi-online.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "The PWI Awards". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 34 (2): 42–43. 2014.
- ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2016". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ↑ Lambert, Jeremy (September 14, 2022). "Roman Reigns Tops 2022 PWI 500, Second Time At Number One". Fightful. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ↑ Barrasso, Justin (January 6, 2022). "The Top 10 Wrestlers of 2021". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ↑ Jaymond P (24 February 2023). "2022 Wrestling Observer Awards Results". WrestlePurists. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (February 2023). "February 2023 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 2022 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards". Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 Meltzer, Dave. "February 26, 2024 Observer Newsletter: 2023 Observer Awards issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (February 18, 2022). "February 21, 2022 Observer Newsletter: 2021 Awards issue, Cody and Brandi Rhodes leave AEW". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Meltzer, Dave (January 27, 2014). "Jan 27 2014 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2013 Annual awards issue, best in the world in numerous categories, plus all the news in pro-wrestling and MMA over the past week and more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 1–37. ISSN 1083-9593.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave. "March 6, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2016 Awards issue, talent departing TNA, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 11. ISSN 1083-9593.
- ↑ "WWE (World Heavyweight) Championship". WWE.
- ↑ "WWE Universal Championship". WWE.
- ↑ "WWE Intercontinental Championship". WWE.
- ↑ "WWE United States Championship". WWE.
- ↑ "The Shield's first WWE Tag Team Championship reign". Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.
- ↑ "WWE Tag Team Championship". WWE.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 "The new Grand Slam winners: The 10 Superstars who have won every active championship". WWE. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
- ↑ "WWE.com Roman Reigns won 2015 Royal Rumble Match".
- ↑ "What is a Slammy?". WWE. February 23, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 "2013 Slammy Award winners". WWE. December 8, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ↑ "2015 Slammy Award winners". WWE. December 21, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ↑ Martin, Adam (December 8, 2014). "Early 2014 WWE Slammy Award winners announced". WrestleView. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 Thomas, Jeremy (December 23, 2018). "WWE Announces Year-End Awards on Instagram". 411Mania.com. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ↑ "WWE presenta the Bumpy Awards 2021". August 4, 2021.
Other websites
change- Roman Reigns on WWE.com
- Joe Anoaʻi on IMDb