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15 Roman Reigns Facts For The Head of The Table

He's one of the greatest wrestlers of all time - but he's more than Universal Champion! Read on and find out why Roman Reigns really is the Chief!

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Beano Team
Last Updated:  May 9th 2024

Roman Reigns has been named as one of the all-time greats by some of the biggest names in Wrestling. His huge list of massive wins, his style, his skill and his personality outside the ring all give him a well-deserved spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. But how much do you know about this head of the Bloodline? Read on and we'll tell you all about his background, achievements, style and more!

Looking for more Wrestling stuff? Check out this SummerSlam quiz, this Charlotte Flair quiz, or even this list of 20 epic wrestling jokes!

Ok, let's find out more about Roman!

1. Roman is not his real name!

WWE Smackdown | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

And Reigns isn't his surname, either! Like most wrestlers he has a stage name - and his actual name is Leati Joseph Anoa'i. So nothing like "Roman Reigns"! Whilst he is Canadian, he has family from Samoa, which is where his name comes from. In fact, his family background is very interesting... very interesting indeed!

2. Wrestling is in his blood!

WWE Smackdown | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

He comes from a famous wrestling family known as the Anoa'i family, which includes his father Sika and cousin Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. His father, Sika Anoa'i, got famous as a former tag team champion and WWE Hall of Famer, known for his role as one half of the Wild Samoans. His older brother, the late Matthew Anoa'i, was also a wrestler, recognized by his ring name, Rosey. So no wonder he's good!

3. Roman the Footballer

Before wrestling, Roman was something of a football star! He started off as a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, then was signed to the Minnesota Vikings, and then to the Jacksonville Jaguars! He even had a stint with the Edmonton Eskimos... before his real calling caught up with him!

4. His WWE Debut

WWE Smackdown | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

...Wasn't as glorious as you'd expect! To get himself warmed up, Roman wrestled under a different name, Roman Leakee. He mostly took part in tagteam matches, and lost a lot. Still, it was great practise for his big break!

5. The Shield

WWE Smackdown | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

Roman rebranded himself as Roman Reigns, and wrestled with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins under the group name "The Shield". They were famous for wearing all black, and bullet proof vests! The Shield had an undefeated streak for a while - but Roman had his eyes on bigger things!

6. The Superman Punch

Roman's signature move is the Superman Punch! Of course, it's always done with plenty of jumping around and theatrics. Other moves he's famous for include the corner clothesline, the Samoan drop, and the scoop powerslam. Roman can do it all pretty much, but those are some of his favourites. And ours, too!

7. He's a big winner!

Roman has won a lot of titles. He's won... take a deep breath:

4 WWE/WWE World Heavyweight Championship
2 WWE Universal Championship
1 WWE United States Championship
1 WWE Intercontinental Championship
1 WWE Tag Team Championship (with Seth Rollins)

Plus a lot of other smaller wins! Phew! Well done, Roman!

8. The Chief's Catchphrase

WWE Smackdown | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

For a wrestler known as the Tribal Chief, Roman needs a good catchphrase. He can definitely chat just as well as other wrestling greats, and a wrestler needs to - both to amp up the crowd and to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. Roman's cathphrase - "Acknowledge Me!" - definitely does both!

9. He makes a big entrance

WWE Smackdown | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

Roman loves to make a dramatic entrance to the ring. He's confident and dignified, and doesn't woop and shout like other wrestlers. You can't call it lowkey though - as his entrances always have loads of fireworks, smoke, music and of course... a giant statue of himself!

10. He's a movie star, too!

Cousins For Life | Nickelodeon

As well as being a big star in the ring - Roman has also acted in lots of movies and TV shows. He starred alongside his cousin Dwayne Johnson in the Fast and Furious movie Hobbs and Shaw, the Wrong Missy, the Jetsons cartoon and even a Nickelodeon show!

11. He cares about fitness

Weights

As you might be able to tell from looking at him - Roman loves to look after himself! He has a strict diet and training routine. But he's not trying to hog all the muscles to himself - Roman often shares workout tips with his fans. Because sharing is caring!

12. He's a family man

@TheRomanReignsEmpire | Youtube

Roman is a proud dad, and has 5 kids to prove it! He always makes sure he keeps time for them after tours and matches. Roman comes from a big wrestling family, so with his care maybe his kids will take up the family business one day? We'll have to wait and see!

13. He gives back

WWE Raw | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

Even though he looks tough when he's wrestling and we wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him, Roman Reigns has a big heart for helping others. He loves making kids smile and often spends time granting wishes with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

14. Leukemia


WWE Raw | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

Roman Reigns has fought more than just other wrestlers. He's been quite open about the fact that he's been diagnosed with cancer... and beat it! On Monday Night Raw in 2018, Roman made a very special announcement... that he was taking a break to focus on his health. So you can imagine his fans happiness when he announced he had beaten the illness!

15. He's an inspiration


WWE Raw | WWE | Fox / Cinemax

There are lots of things that are inspirational about Roman. How he's a Samoan athlete at the top of his game, or how he's a family man, or how he gives to charity, or how he beat back cancer and carried on fighting. It's stuff liek this, as well as all the trophies, that makes Roman such a popular wrestler. We look forward to seeing where he goes from here!