10 Greatest Pure WWE Wrestlers

Talking of dynastic Samoans who didn’t connect with the fans right away, Exhibit B: the Tribal Chief. Reigns is an FCW/NXT product and perhaps the company’s best testament to date as to the success of its developmental system, but it hasn’t always been a smooth ride.

Reigns found fame as part of The Shield, alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. While the latter two were indie guys with rich histories, Reigns was built for WWE, and the fans knew it. When the group broke up, the hulking company man was always going to get the push over the workhorses, leading to mass fan rejection.

It took a global pandemic to fix things. Roman went away to take care of health and family, and returned months later, at long last, as a heel. The violent, nasty, swaggering Reigns we’ve had ever since has been a masterstroke, with his every move feeling newsworthy, and his status as the top guy only growing the longer he holds the belts.

Uber-bad guy Roman probably isn’t what WWE ever wanted for their passion project, but credit to them, they’ve stayed the course. They’ve built not only a genuine megastar, but a huge moment when someone finally dethrones him.