"He wasn't really interested in it" - Anoa'i family member discusses Roman Reigns' unlikely path to wrestling stardom (Exclusive)
Former WWE wrestler Lloyd Anoa'i recently spoke about how Roman Reigns was as a child.
Roman is one of the biggest attractions in pro wrestling today. However, this wasn't always the case. He started as a football player and was signed by top NFL teams such as the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars. After his stint in the NFL, he pursued wrestling and started his career at FCW, WWE's then-developmental territory.
During this week's UnSKripted podcast, Llyod Anoa'i mentioned that Roman was a quiet kid. He spoke of Reigns' closeness with The Usos and how they had been inseparable since childhood. He recalled how wrestling was never a goal for the young Tribal Chief, and he was into other sports, such as football.
"He's always been quiet. Ever since he was younger, Roman's been quiet. He was always to himself. Him and the twins [The Usos], they were inseparable. They were always hanging out because they all lived in Pensacola, Florida, together. So they were around each other every day. Joe [Reigns] was... I've never seen him, really, to be honest with you, I never thought he'd get into the wrestling business because he never looked that way. He never focused on it. He wasn't really interested in it."
Lloyd mentioned that wrestling worked out for Roman Reigns after his NFL career ended due to his battle with leukemia.
"After college, when he got drafted to the NFL, I was like, 'Alright, here we go.' Then, of course, everything happened with the sickness he had, and he couldn't pass the test for the NFL, and things happened. So then his next step was, why not get into wrestling? It's only natural." [From 7:02 - 8:00]
You can watch the full interview here:
Lloyd feels Roman Reigns has made the family proud
During the same conversation, Anoa'i clarified that the entire family is proud of what Roman Reigns has achieved in the business.
He explained that Vince & Co. were also happy with Roman becoming a huge draw for WWE.
"He's making our family very proud. I'm very proud of him... I mean, he's selling records. Vince McMahon and WWE, they're all happy with him because he's putting the behinds in seats and he's selling out."
Since Summerslam, Roman Reigns has not been on TV but is well-represented every week by Paul Heyman, Solo Sikoa, and Jimmy Uso. He is currently advertised to be on the October 13 episode of SmackDown.
What do you think about Lloyd's comments on Roman? Let us know in the comments section below.
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