Roman Reigns refused to name Cody Rhodes as his greatest ever rival, but old comments from the Tribal Chief may explain why he holds one WWE star in higher regard.
Reigns has faced some of WWE’s all-time greats, including Rhodes in a two-part WrestleMania rivalry that many consider to be among the greatest, comparable to The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. But the former Undisputed WWE Champion didn’t mention the American Nightmare when asked to name the best opponent of his career.
Roman Reigns: My Life Changed Facing “Intimidating” WWE Star
Rhodes, who named Reigns his greatest rival, isn’t the only WWE star who has faced the OTC multiple times at WrestleMania. In fact, the latter squared off against the Beast, Brock Lesnar, on three occasions at the Show of Shows. While two of those matches came during his early struggles getting over as a babyface, they collided when the Head of the Table was at his peak as the hottest heel in the business.
The 40-year-old recently spoke to ESPN to discuss WWE’s “game-changing” deal with the broadcaster. He was asked to name the best rival of his career:
“Brock Lesnar. My whole career changed once I got into the ring with him.”
The pair first squared off in the main event of WrestleMania 31 after Reigns had won the Royal Rumble to challenge Lesnar for the WWE Championship. But neither left Levi’s Stadium with the gold as Seth Rollins pulled off the Heist of the Century to steal the title.
Reigns has previously recalled stepping into the ring with the former UFC heavyweight for the first time. He said in an interview with Pro Wrestling Sheet five years ago:
“When you work with Brock Lesnar. When you are in the ring with Brock Lesnar, it puts you, it jumps you multiple jumps. My life changed in 2015. WrestleMania 31, it hasn’t been the same.”
Their next WrestleMania main event arrived three years later at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It seemed for all the world that Reigns would sleigh the beast, but Lesnar surprisingly retained his title.
Reigns commented on the type of performer Lesnar was and alluded to John Cena’s previous praise of the 10-time world champion:
“A lot of love for Brock. He’s a great performer. A lot of people heard the statements that John Cena made about him. I’m not sure if he was wrong. You know, I mean he’s one of the few guys that people really really believed. Even as a performer, you have to always keep your eyes on him. If you watch, when I am in the ring with him, I never take my eyes off Brock because you just never know.”
Reigns finally defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 at AT&T Stadium and this win came as the Tribal Chief and Paul Heyman by his side. He concluded:
“That’s a type of competitor. That’s an intimidating man, that he is.”
The pair may very well soon re-ignite their rivalry following Lesnar’s shock return at SummerSlam last weekend, although he’ll likely first be feuding with Cena. The Beast Incarnate attacked the Greatest of All-Time to end the two-night PLE, at which Reigns opened night one with a tag team victory alongside Jey Uso over Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.
“A F***ing Superstar” – Brock Lesnar Saw The Potential In Roman Reigns
It’s not often Lesnar praises his colleagues or even sits down for an interview, but he gave an honest assessment of his longtime rival ahead of their WrestleMania 38 back in March 2022. He said (via New York Post):
“I see a f–king superstar, I see a guy who came into his own and is a real threat as a person and as a character. … Roman has the ‘It’ factor, has had it. It’s exciting to me. I get goosebumps just thinking about this match.”
Reigns arrived on the main roster in November 2012 as part of The Shield alongside Rollins and Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley in AEW). He was the powerhouse of the group, who WWE soon pushed, but perhaps too quickly, as Vince McMahon looked to find his next Cena.
Fans struggled to connect with Reigns due to his character portrayal and the overly produced promos, which felt too forced. However, aligning with Heyman, who oversaw Lesnar’s rise in WWE, saw his career skyrocket, as he held the Undisputed WWE Championship for 1,316 days and became one of the most famous wrestlers in the company’s history.
