In the world of theWWE, “making history” is an expression that is often overused. However, it’s undeniable that some achievements let certain Superstars stand head and shoulders above others, andRoman Reignsis certainly one of the chosen few. While most fans believe Roman’s crown jewel was his incredible championship reign that lasted 1,316 days, which stands as the fourth-longest in WWE history, and ushered in the extremely successful Netflix Era, the Tribal Chief will achieve perhaps even a bigger feat at this year’sWrestleMania 41.
In a scripted form of entertainment such as pro wrestling, the metrics to gauge the success of a performer are, by nature, complex. Championships are surely a certificate of the trust the company puts in a Superstar as the representative of the brand, but they are also subject to the whims of creatives and storylines. One thing that can’t be discussed, however, is the fact thatmain eventing WrestleMania means being at the top of the mountainin WWE, and one person has done it more than anyone else.
Roman Reigns Will Main Event WrestleMania for the 10th Time
The Tribal Chief Stands at the Top of the WWE in This Metric
Heading into the main event of Night 1 ofWrestleMania 41, where he will face CM Punk and Seth Rollins to decide “the future of the company” and, more importantly,where Paul Heyman’s loyalty truly stands, Roman Reigns will achieve the impressive record ofmain eventing a WrestleMania for the 10th time, which puts him solidly at the top of this specific list. He is followed by Hulk Hogan (8 main events), Triple H and The Rock (7), all performers who have retired (sort of, as Rock still wrestles occasionally) and have no chance of catching up with the Tribal Chief.
What’s most impressive, perhaps, is that looking at the top 20 list of WrestleMania main eventers, the only contemporaries of Roman Reigns are Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens, who stand at 3 and 2, respectively. Even John Cena has “only” main evented ‘Mania five times. More than anything else he has achieved, this record speaks volumes of Roman Reigns’ relevance and just how much he has carried the company over the last decade. The only two main events he skipped since 2015 have beenWrestleMania 35,when he had just come back from battling leukemia and was understandably out of the title picture (it was also the first ‘Mania with a women’s main event) andWrestleMania 36, where he had to stay away due to the COVID pandemic.
It’s undeniable thatRoman Reigns is the biggest star in the WWE right now, and thisWrestleMania 41main event only confirms what the legions of his fans already knew. However, it may be worth wondering if what we are seeing now is truly his crowning achievement, or rather, one last blaze of glory before beginning the ride into the sunset.
The Tribal Chief May Be Near the End of His Run
After Achieving So Much, What’s Left for Roman Reigns?
At the moment,Roman is out of the world title picture, and with the big John Cena retirement story left to tell in 2025, it’s unlikely he will be back there anytime soon. The reactions the Tribal Chief is receiving position him solidly as a babyface, but the company has spent the last couple of years building Cody Rhodes for the role of top “good guy”. Also, Roman’s attitude and demeanor are at their best when he’s a heel.
So, what’s left to do for the OTC? He can surely have plenty of amazing stories and feuds, and fit the role of an “attraction” similar to that of the Undertaker, but is that really enough for the man responsible for bringing WWE to the heights it’s enjoying today? A betrayal by Paul Heyman atWrestleMania 41could be the turning point to transition Roman to a new role. After all,he’s already left without a Bloodline, if he also loses his Wiseman, then the words “Tribal Chief” would lose most of their meaning. And if he is not the world champion, can he truly call himself the “Head of the Table”?
At 39, Roman Reigns is by no means old, and he could still have many years of his career ahead. However, he is also a man who has battled a terrible illness, and he may want to decide to focus on his health and family (or perhaps, it’s time for him to try Hollywood for real), transitioning into the “part-timer” role that fans hate so much. After all, even as a champion, Roman appeared only sporadically, which did not sit well with part of the audience. This is all speculation, of course. What’s certain is that the outcome ofWrestleMania 41’s Night 1 Main Event will tell us a lot aboutRoman Reigns’ future in the WWE.
