9 Wrestlers Who Had Backstage Heat With Roman Reigns
Explore the backstage conflicts between Roman Reigns and fellow wrestlers over the years.
The Original Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, is one of the most dominant and successful personalities in all of pro wrestling. Despite a rocky start to his singles run, his heel turn in 2020 and the Tribal Chief character gave him the momentum to turn the tables and command the respect of his fans and peers.
Beyond his journey as an on-screen character in WWE, Roman Reigns showcased tremendous growth behind the scenes and became a highly respected locker room leader. However, in a chaotic environment like a pro wrestling locker room, tensions are bound to rise, and the wrestlers are prone to end up not seeing eye to eye with each other over certain disagreements and controversies.
Roman Reigns also had his fair share of backstage disputes with some of his coworkers over the years, with most issues stemming from creative differences, resentments, unprofessional conduct, and heat-of-the-moment reactions. However, not all problems remain unresolved, as The Original Tribal Chief put business first whenever necessary and was willing to work with those he had previously clashed with.
These stories highlight the dynamics of the WWE backstage environment and showcase Reigns' ability to navigate these challenges while solidifying his role as the face of the company.
9. Nia Jax
Remember when Nia Jax made Lana's life hell by putting her through the commentary table every week?
"The Irresistible Force" looked to do the same to poor Lana at Survivor Series 2020 despite them being on the same team in the traditional Raw vs. SmackDown elimination tag team match. However, WWE had to cancel the spot when Roman Reigns convinced the officials to do so since he had a similar table spot during his champion vs. champion match against Drew McIntyre in the main event.
WWE then booked Nia Jax not to let Lana enter the ring throughout the match, but the latter ended up in the right place at the right time in the final moment as Bianca Belair and Jax get counted out, and she ended up being the sole survivor.
Lana recalled the incident while talking on Chris Jericho's Talk Is Jericho podcast. Nia Jax was reportedly not pleased with Roman Reigns' antics and had an intense argument with "The Tribal Chief" backstage. But Reigns got his way and went ahead with the table spot during his match against Drew McIntyre.
It seems Jax held on to that resentment for some time, as during her time away from WWE, she even took a shot at Roman Reigns while answering fan questions on Instagram. But she must've changed her mind as she proudly held up the "We The Ones" sign during the 2024 Hall of Fame ceremony as Roman Reigns made his way out to induct Paul Heyman.