Wrestle Pedia
Roman Reigns, the dominant Tribal Chief of WWE, has long been known for his commanding presence and outspoken demeanor. During the COVID-19 era, there were indications that he considered himself retired from wrestling.
During the pandemic and leading up to WrestleMania 36, Roman Reigns chose to step away from WWE to prioritize his health and safety, as well as that of his family. While WWE programming continued, Reigns remained at home.
It wasn’t until SummerSlam 2020, with WWE transitioning to the ThunderDome, that Reigns made his dramatic return. His alliance with Paul Heyman was unveiled on the following episode of WWE SmackDown, marking the beginning of his reign as the Tribal Chief.
While speaking to Raj Prashad of Uproxx, Paul Heyman revealed that Roman Reigns considered himself retired during his absence as part of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He considered himself retired. He wasn’t coming back. I was executive director of Monday Night Raw, and Roman was assigned to SmackDown. But every week I heard all the SmackDown writers and producers and personnel saying, ‘God, I just wish Roman would come back.’ And I would ask, has anybody talked to him? Yeah, he says he’s retired. He’s not coming back. No way. Thanks a lot. Done. Finished. Goodbye. So the fact that he came back for this run, for what we have accomplished, is nothing short of a miracle because as far as he was concerned, he was out.”
Roman Reigns is set to headline both nights of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. On night one, he will team up with The Rock to take on Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Then, on night two, Reigns will defend his WWE Universal Championship against Rhodes in the main event. Only time will tell if Roman Reigns will walk out of WrestleMania 40 as the champion in the end.
Are you glad Roman Reigns did not retire from in-ring competition during the pandemic? Sound off in the comments section below!