4 rare videos of Roman Reigns before he became a top WWE Superstar
Roman Reigns may be the biggest star in sports entertainment today. The Tribal Chief is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. He main-evented six WrestleManias and defeated the best professional wrestling had to offer.
When Reigns debuted as a member of The Shield back at Survivor Series 2012, one could tell that the Samoan Powerhouse was destined for greatness in WWE. His fans couldn't have been more right. The Head of the Table boasts an impressive list of accolades and is a sure-shot future WWE Hall of Famer.
A man living in #GODMode.
#Smackdown #WWECastle https://t.co/wEvufucUiI
In this listicle, we pay homage to Roman Reigns by taking a quick peek at four videos of the reigning Unified WWE Universal Champion before he became a top star.
#4 "It's Roman Reigns' time." These were the Big Dog's first words in WWE
Like most WWE Superstars, Roman Reigns spent some time on NXT before jumping ship to the main roster as part of The Shield. After FCW (more on that later) was rebranded as NXT in 2012, the Big Dog made his debut as a villain.
His first words on the black-and-yellow brand, and by extension WWE, were: "It's Roman Reigns' time." Donning a suit, the powerhouse looked extremely confident and arrogant while uttering the bold proclamation. Almost ten years later, it is hard to disagree with the Head of the Table.
Given that he was relatively inexperienced at the time, it was an impressive and solid introduction to the casual fan for it was befitting of his awe-inspiring character.
#3 Roman Reigns reminisces his time briefly playing football
Before he became a professional wrestler, Roman Reigns, who went by his real name Joe Anoa'i, was a football player. The member of infamous Anoa'i Family was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2008.
He played only one season for Eskimos before he was released. After his release, Anoa'i retired from professional football and entered the realm of sports-entertainment, where he became a massive global Superstar.
In a rare video that surfaced a couple of years ago, Roman Reigns reflected on his time in the CFL. During a brief interview, Reigns claimed that his football career put his back against the wall. Comparing his football career with his time in wrestling, the Tribal Chief made the correct decision to become a WWE star.
#2. Before Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns was the Boss.
@3dxchetan Roman Reigns promo in FCW 2012.
This roman we need against MJF https://t.co/VBK4OytbAa
Although a separate brand, NXT is considered WWE's development territory, or at least it was in 2012. Before the black-and-gold brand, there was Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). It included many bright superstars like Seth Rollins, Erick Rowans, Corey Graves, and even Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief called himself "The Boss"- a moniker reserved for Sasha Banks - during his time in FCW. In a rare gem shown above, the arrogant "Boss" cuts a promo, putting the entire locker room on notice. Summer Rae also males a short appearance, handing him the microphone.
While he may not be "The Boss" today, Roman Reigns has now become the Head of the Table. Indeed, he has come a long way.
#1 Roman Reigns battled Corey Garves in FCW
Currently, Corey Graves is one of the most highly praised and consistent color commentators. But before calling out matches, he was wrestling against the likes of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in FCW.
In yet another rare Hidden Gem uploaded by the company's official YouTube channel, Reigns, then known as Leakee, battled Graves in FCW. The video only shows a small section of the match.
Unfortunately, Graves had to retire in 2014 during his prime. He has, since, become a successful color commentator. Reigns, on the other hand, is a man who needs no introduction because he is one of the company's biggest stars.
Will Roman Reigns beat Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle? Give your thoughts in the comments section below.