2 current WWE Superstars Roman Reigns disliked and 3 he's friends with in real life
Roman Reigns has gone from being one of the most hated WWE Superstars to one of the greatest of his generation. The former Shield member has been on WWE's main roster for almost a decade and in that time, has managed to make many real-life friends and enemies.
Superstars often create special bonds because of how much traveling is involved in their day-to-day job. This means that many co-workers become friends for life, but it also means that WWE Superstars who are portrayed as friends or enemies on-screen are not always the same in real life.
Roman Reigns has created some lasting friendships over the past decade as well as having a number of altercations with several members of the current roster.
#5. Roman Reigns and AJ Styles have developed a lasting bond in WWE
Roman Reigns has worked with AJ Styles several times on WWE TV and it appears that The Tribal Chief has been able to learn from Styles both inside and outside the ring. The veteran has been part of the business for more than two decades and brings a wealth of experience with him to the ring.
Reigns has been able to sit under that learning tree and noted in a recent interview with Fightful that if he had to choose just one star to wrestle for the rest of his career, then it would be AJ Styles:
"I think both AJ and I know what we had going on and we can both say that it was special. And I'll wrestle AJ for the rest of my life. I'll go out on a limb and say that I would have no problems being in that ring with him...there's a reason why he's in the WWE. There's a reason why he's used the way he's used and it was an absolute pleasure to be in the ring with him." Roman Reigns said.
Roman Reigns and AJ Styles are currently on opposite brands, but he could be a worthy challenger for the Universal Champion following WrestleMania.
#4. Roman Reigns and Randy Orton have had their differences
Reigns was considered 'green' when he first came up to the main roster back in 2012 and learned a lot about the business from being teamed with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. The three men dominated WWE for several years, but in the process, it appears that Reigns rubbed Randy Orton the wrong way.
A botched spot at a WWE live event reportedly led to a backstage altercation between the two men, before Reigns claimed that The Viper was intentionally using his "crowd killing style" to “kill" his push as part of their feud in 2014.
The two men have shared the ring several times and have been able to remain civil throughout, but it's clear that there is no love lost between the two men outside of the ring.
#3. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have remained close friends throughout their career
Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns debuted on the main roster together and the two men have since worked side by side in WWE. Rollins pinned Reigns to win his first world championship. The Visionary has recently been a thorn in The Tribal Chief's side as part of his historic Universal Championship reign.
The chemistry in the ring is attributed to their friendship in real life and Reigns himself has noted in an interview with Bleacher Report that the two men are still close outside the ring, but he's not as close with Ambrose anymore after his move over to AEW:
“I talk to Seth a little more than I talk to Mox right now. He’s off doing his thing. Probably when I found out he was having a baby was when I texted him, when I found out they were pregnant. He’s funny. He goes, ‘What the heck am I supposed to do?’ ‘It’s simple, man. You feed them, you change them, you love them. That’s it.’ He texts back, ‘You make it sound so simple.’ We’re all still good, dude,” Roman Reigns said.
Rollins is the one superstar that Reigns has been unable to defeat as Universal Champion, which could be building towards a much bigger feud in the future.
#2. Roman Reigns famously had backstage heat with Riddle
Riddle has only been on the main roster for a few years and in that time he has already rubbed a lot of superstars the wrong way.
The current RAW Tag Team Champion managed to upset Roman Reigns when he made comments about him as part of an interview with Bleacher Report:
“No disrespect to Roman, he seems like a swell fella, but at the same time, it's like when people say they're a good parent. You know what? If you were a good parent, your kids would be telling you you're a good parent. When he's saying 'Acknowledge me' or 'I move the needle,' no, you don't. You're related to The Rock. Shut up. Like, I'm not impressed, I can beat you up in a real fight. So, shut your mouth," said Riddle.
Riddle himself later admitted that he had gone too far and apologized to Reigns, even noting that Randy Orton helped him with the apology. The two men are now part of very different storylines in WWE and haven't crossed paths since the interview.
#1. Roman Reigns has made it clear that R-Truth is like family to him
Roman Reigns has a lot of family members in WWE including The Usos, Tamina, and even Solo Sikoa in NXT. Whilst Reigns is surrounded by his real bloodline, the current Universal Champion has noted that he considers one WWE Superstar to be as close as blood to him.
As part of a 2019 interview with Sports Illustrated, Reigns revealed that he has been riding with R-Truth for most of his career and sees him as the greatest of all time:
"Ronnie is my best friend. He's right there with The Usos, he's like blood to me. We first started riding together six years ago. He used to always tell me, 'Be that babyface, baby. Always be kind to people.' We've been tight for a long time, and he's one of the greatest of all time," Roman Reigns said.
R-Truth recently turned 50 and is considered to be a veteran in WWE. The former 24/7 Champion has been instrumental in many careers behind the scenes and it appears that he has played a role in Reigns' success.