April 20 – Rey Ca$h breaks down Roman Reigns’s unquestioned legacy as a Legend of WrestleMania!

I’m sitting here, a day after one of the most epic, legendary WrestleMania main events of all time, and I can’t help but feel proud. Now, who am I to deserve that feeling? I’m just a fan with no real access or footprint in the business we all love – professional wrestling – but I still can’t help the feeling. And it’s because of one thing.

You all finally see it now.

Roman Reigns is once again your World Champion. Two years after losing the title and the longest championship title reign in 30 years, the Tribal Chief has re-ascended back onto his throne.

And I couldn’t possibly be more proud.

Being a Roman Reigns fan has been a long, arduous, enduring task. See, I’m not one of those fans who joined the bandwagon when everything was good and records were being broken and we were witnessing “cinema.” I’m also not one of those fans who turned on the “Big Dog” post-Shield breakup, and cringe at the mere utterance of “sufferin’ succotash.” I’ve been a true day 1 (ish) fan from the moment the man formerly known as Leakee made his debut on to WWE television.

Roman wrestled a grand total of one match on NXT TV before getting called up as a member of one of the most transformative stables in history – The Shield – but in that one match and the few promos that surrounded it, you could see it. You could see IT. I’ve long argued that as tough as the wrestling business is, the wrestling part is relatively easy. If you have the athleticism and the pain threshold, almost anyone can learn and do the moves. It’s the extra that makes a wrestler into a superstar. And oftentimes, those talents and traits aren’t learned. They’re just in you. And for Roman, he’s always had IT. You don’t have to believe me. Every person who’s ever worked as one of his agents, writers, or bosses have said that. This includes his first real wrestling mentor, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

So, I have real, genuine investment into my Tribal Chief. But that’s not the only reason I’m proud today. I could write a book on the controversy that was Roman’s initial run as the top babyface of the promotion. Mistakes were made, lessons were learned, and everyone left better for it. But let’s not look back on that time and miss the gems and positives that happened. We watched a superstar learn, grow, and ascend during that time. Roman went from being considered a green wrestler going into his first WrestleMania main event at WrestleMania 31 against Brock Lesnar (which would only be his 3rd singles match on pay-per-view), to showing the beginnings of him becoming a ring general. We also saw the impetus for his “Head of the Table” character, and it was all there from the beginning. Roman has always been open and clear about the fact that the only thing that he cares about…the only thing that motivates him…his family. That love for his family elevated him with his brothers-in-arms in The Shield, and it carried him with his initial pairing with his cousins, The Usos, as the Big Dog. But when he stepped away for his health and his safety, his comeback was certified with his re-connection with his Bloodline.

Roman’s greatness has begrudgingly been something that’s had to be cultivated. I think back to the promo that Triple H cut about Randy Orton in the debut of Evolution. He called Orton the clay that he’d mold into the diamond that Orton would eventually become. That very analogy describes Roman’s path to glory. And it’s no more evident than his legendary WrestleMania main event run.

Roman started out as the new, young superstar who was hungry but lucky to be there (WrestleMania 31), to the inevitable top guy who was woefully being coronated (WrestleMania 32), to taking the deed to the Undertaker’s yard (WrestleMania 33), to the biggest humbling moment of his career, losing an expected victory to Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 34). After a bit of a miraculous return after overcoming cancer, Roman did have a match at WrestleMania 35 with Drew McIntyre, but it wasn’t in the main event. And because of his cancer diagnosis and the newly potent Covid-19 virus, he stayed at home during PandemicMania at WrestleMania 36. But he made his return under his new, true persona – The Tribal Chief – at WrestleMania 37, defending against Hall of Famers Edge and (eventual Hall of Famer) Daniel Bryan, where he smashed ‘em, stacked ‘em, and left. That led to one of the greatest 3 year stories ever told.

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes are two sides of the same coin. Both men are second generation superstars. Both men excelled at another sport before jumping into the squared circle (Roman’s football career has been well documented, but Cody was a state champion wrestler). But Cody wanted nothing more to follow in his father’s footsteps. Roman did everything he could to not repeat the mistakes of his. Cody started at the very bottom, working his way to midcard success, but eventually reached the glass ceiling that he was unable to shatter, and decided to bet on himself. Roman was marked as the next guy from day one, and on his main roster debut, interfered in the main event of a “Big 5” PLE. In the time that Cody left, Roman led WWE into it’s greatest period of success and acclaim ever, even in the midst of Covid. Cody became “The Man” in the Independents, eventually helping create the WWE’s greatest competition since Ted Turner and WCW – All Elite Wrestling.

So at WrestleMania 38, one man was making his vaunted return to the company that created him, against one of the best in the business, finally as the version of himself he always envisioned. And the other was in the main event, completely accepting of the man he had become, finally overcoming the one obstacle in his career he could never surmount. The irony of that show being the starting point of the next two years that would be encapsulated by three words – finish the story.

Cody, wanting to do the one thing his father never did in winning a WWE World Title, and Roman being the litmus test in the midst of a legendary title run, were on a collision course from the moment Cody returned. And at WrestleMania 39, the entire world thought Roman was done. Hell, even I picked Cody to win. And he didn’t. Consequently, in one of wrestling’s greatest ironies, Cody looked at Roman outside of the ring in defeat after his first WrestleMania main event in the exact same manner that Roman looked at Brock after his first WrestleMania main event defeat. Roman had usurped the story. That is until “The Final Boss” made his return, and the earth-shattering WrestleMania 40 double main event was made. Roman and The Rock used their influence and gravitas to defeat Cody and Seth Rollins in night one, making the odds for Cody to finally defeat Roman the next night nigh insurmountable. But, as he’s said, Cody went from undesirable to undeniable as he finished his story and ended the 1,316 day title reign of the Tribal Chief. Even in defeat, I was still proud of what my favorite wrestler had accomplished.

These last two years, however, have seen a very different side of Roman. Upon his return from his break after WrestleMania 40, he saw something he’d never seen before – unanimous appreciation and support. Fans finally believed in him the way I had and the company had hoped for. And after a lengthy battle with his cousin Solo Sikoa over the leadership of the family and the Ula Fala, enter Roman’s next big opponent and deepest fear and adversary – CM Punk.

See, while Roman and Cody are two sides of the same coin, Roman and Punk are polar opposites. They explained this eloquently during their promos heading into this past WrestleMania. But there is some deep seeded hatred and scars between the two. Roman blames Punk for making his initial run much harder, with Punk’s comments on then friend Colt Cabana’s podcast. Punk blames Roman for being the latest in line in holding him back from being the top guy. And during Punk’s 10 year exile, Roman did nothing but become bigger. He became inevitable. So the two polar opposites were on a collision course to clash. They did initially at WrestleMania 41, with whom they both consider their little brother, Seth Rollins. All three men would have a classic, but it’d be Paul Heyman – the best friend of Punk, the Wiseman of Roman, and the impetus for the match – who would decide the winner, joining with Rollins.

And that brings us to yesterday. After a passionate, vitriolic, emotional build…both men had to fight. And fight they did. Roman Reigns and CM Punk wrestled a match so great, that even famed WWE-hater Dave Meltzer has called it one of the best in WrestleMania history. And despite Punk’s best efforts, Roman was able to outlast him. I use that word outlast specifically because Punk had Roman beaten, but in a fantastic call back to the build, Punk’s age and attrition caught up with him. He literally had nothing left to give, and Reigns put him down to finally win the World Heavyweight Championship.

And here I sit. Proud. Content. Affirmed. Yes, my favorite wrestler won. But my favorite wrestler is also finally appreciated for his greatness. And my favorite wrestler is finally loved for his talent. But most of all, my favorite wrestler, MY Tribal Chief, has finally taken his rightful place back at the Head of the WrestleMania Table.

FIN
@itsreycash