600 days as Universal Champion: Ranking the 5 best rivalries of Roman Reigns' historic title run so far
Roman Reigns reached 600 consecutive days as WWE Universal Champion on April 22, 2022. Since capturing the title on August 30, 2020 at Payback, The Tribal Chief has had a stranglehold on the main event scene of SmackDown and WWE at large.
The Head Of The Table has gone from strength to strength, and by day 600, he was a double champion. This was after he defeated WWE Champion Brock Lesnar to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 38.
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600 days of Roman Reigns 🔥 #Reigns600
He started with one. Now he has it all. https://t.co/jIbtQlHD9c
The Tribal Chief faced a total of 13 unique opponents during the first 600 days of his reign in a wide array of formats. From months-long emotional rollercoasters to simple but effective short-term filler squashes, this run has had it all. Reigns has battled beasts, demons, legends and youngsters on this all-time great odyssey.
Let's take a look at the 5 best rivalries of Roman Reigns' first 600 consecutive days as Universal Champion in his current reign
#5: Roman Reigns vs Edge vs Daniel Bryan was an epic tale of overcoming career-threatening adversity to return to the pinnacle of WWE
Roman Reigns faced Daniel Bryan and Edge in a triple threat Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 37. The rivalry was originally a one-on-one contest between the two masters of the spear, but later saw Bryan added via continuation of an earlier feud he had with The Tribal Chief.
The promo battles were entertaining, with the three men bouncing off each other to create mayhem. The match itself was more of the same, with Reigns, Edge and Bryan playing their roles as powerhouse, veteran and technical master to perfection. Reigns then achieved one of the most definitive triple threat victories of all time by pinning both his opponents at the same time.
The most amazing facet of this feud, however, was the fact that each of these men had overcome career-ending injuries or illnesses to headline WrestleMania.
#4: Roman Reigns vs John Cena showcased the Tribal Chief's arrival as a true megastar
The first time Roman Reigns engaged in a singles feud with John Cena, he was visibly out of his depth. Although The Big Dog would go on to win their match at No Mercy 2017, the lasting memory of that rivalry was Cena's verbal domination of their promo battles.
Fast forward to July 2021, and the two WWE franchise players feuded again after Cena's return at Money In The Bank. This time, though, The Tribal Chief held his own, trading barbs with the 16-time World Champion before winning their SummerSlam clash. It can be argued that this was the rivalry that elevated Reigns from one of the best of his generation to one of the best of all time.
#3: Seth Rollins got under Roman Reigns' skin in a way no other competitor was able to
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins share a long, complicated history. The former SHIELD brothers have been through times of glory, growth, betrayal, victory and loss over nearly a decade together on the roster. From winning tag team titles together to facing off for the WWE Championship, these former comrades know each other as well as any pair of superstars on the roster.
This is why their feud leading up to Royal Rumble 2022 was so compelling. The Visionary made it a point to remind the world that the Tribal Chief had never beaten him in a singles title match. This forced Reigns to confront the pair's complicated history while preparing for their match.
This came to a head when Rollins used The SHIELD entrance for their bout, repeatedly goading his opponent until Reigns snapped and attacked him with a steel chair. This allowed the champion to retain his title, but he did not get that elusive win against The Architect. This rivalry will surely be revisited in the future.
#2: Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso was a masterful story of fighting for family superiority
Roman Reigns' first feud as Universal Champion was against his cousin, Jey Uso. The Head Of The Table claimed to offer Uso, previously a tag team competitor, a chance to set himself apart and show the world that he could make it as a singles competitor.
However, when Main Event Jey became a bit too much of a threat, Reigns decided to make him "fall in line" and acknowledge him. The feud explored the duo's childhood and family lineage, even involving Jey's injured twin, Jimmy Uso.
It was an emotional rollercoaster that established The Tribal Chief character, his bloodline faction and Jey Uso as a singles competitor in one fell swoop. This rivalry formed the basis for Reigns' legendary 600+ day title run, and is many fans' favorite on this list.
#1: Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns culminated a 7-year long story via intricate long-term storytelling
.@BrockLesnar has only one thing on his mind ahead of #WrestleMania 38. #TeamBrock
@WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle https://t.co/I1QWVpysZ4
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are the two biggest draws in the business today. The duo have been rivals since 2015, when The Big Dog's Royal Rumble victory put him on a collision course with then-WWE Champion Lesnar.
Their WrestleMania 31 main event ended in a loss for both, with Seth Rollins "stealing" the title with the "Heist of the Century". They met again at WrestleMania 34, a contest which The Beast won before dropping the title to Reigns at SummerSlam after barely retaining at Crown Jewel.
When Lesnar returned at SummerSlam 2021, the heel and face dynamics were swapped. Additionally, legendary manager Paul Heyman had switched sides as well. What followed was a winding road to WrestleMania 38 which involved a Heyman defection to The Beast's camp and subsequent betrayal.
Lesnar was also a last-minute addition to the Day 1 WWE Championship match and Reigns' interruption cost The Beast the title. The final twist in this tale was the upgrade of their Show of Shows clash to a Title Unification match.
This felt like a fitting conclusion to perhaps Reigns' greatest rivalry ever, and may come to be known as the peak of his entire record-breaking reign. That it came against the man who held the previous 503-day Universal Title record was the icing on the cake.