Ranking all of Roman Reigns' previous SummerSlam matches, from worst to best
Roman Reigns, the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, is undeniably one of the biggest stars in sports entertainment today.
Since returning after a four-month hiatus at SummerSlam 2020, the Tribal Chief has run roughshod over the entire roster and shattered records.
The Head of the Table will defend his titles against a familiar foe, Brock Lesnar, in a Last Man Standing Match in the main event of SummerSlam this year. However, this will not be the first time Reigns closes out the Biggest Party of the Summer, as he has performed in multiple high-stakes encounters in previous editions.
Excluding his brawl with Rusev at SummerSlam 2016, Roman Reigns has competed five times at the second-biggest annual premium live event.
This listicle ranks each of these matches from worst to best.
#5 Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper (SummerSlam 2015)
In the summer of 2015, Roman Reigns tussled with Bray Wyatt, after the Eater of Worlds cost him the Money in the Bank contract.
Reigns faced Wyatt at Battleground event, where The Big Dog lost due to outside interference by Luke Harper (Jon Huber), and Reigns later turned to his Shield brethren Dean Ambrose for backup as the two duos collided at SummerSlam.
However, compared to his other outings, this one was quickly the least memorable. There wasn't anything particularly entertaining about this match, and the fans' hatred and apathy towards Reigns aggravated the issue.
After executing a Spear on Wyatt, the former Shield brethren picked up a victory to the boos of a sold-out crowd.
The tag-team match was quickly and easily forgotten on a night when Seth Rollins and John Cena tore the house down in an instant classic.
#4 Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton (SummerSlam 2014)
Roman Reigns' first major singles feud was with the Viper, Randy Orton. They had battled each other several times during the rivalry between the Shield and Evolution, but their animosity reached a climax at SummerSlam 2014.
Reigns and Orton battled in a hard-hitting, back-and-forth contest at the Biggest Party of the Summer. Far from a borefest, the packed crowd at the Staples Center was invested.
Highlights included a mid-air RKO from the Viper and a Spear-turned-into a Powerslam. Eventually, the Big Dog landed a massive Spear to pick up the most significant singles victory of his career.
At SummerSlam 2014, Reigns held his own against the savvy veteran in Orton. The two rivals told a fantastic story, and the massive victory established the powerhouse as a main-event caliber superstar.
#3 Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (c) for the Universal Championship (SummerSlam 2018)
August 19th, 2018.
On this day, one year ago, @WWERomanReigns captured the Universal Championship for the first time in his career after defeating Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. After many attempts in trying to defeat Lesnar, Roman finally had his moment last year. Never forget. https://t.co/66msS4rC26
SummerSlam 2022 will not mark the first time Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar go to war at the Biggest Party of the Summer. The Beast and the Big Dog collided for the Universal Championship in 2018.
However, the roles were reversed then as Reigns entered as the heroic challenger and Lesnar as the despicable champion. As most fans had anticipated, this wasn't a technical masterpiece but a straight-out fight between two brutal warriors.
WWE wisely used Mr. Monster in the Bank, Braun Strowman, to keep the crowd invested and prevent a mini-riot.
Towards the end of the match, Lesnar avoided a Spear which turned into an accidental Suicide Dive on Strowman. The Beast would then attack The Monster Among Men, incapacitate him with an F5 and toss his briefcase into the entranceway.
However, the assault allowed Reigns to recuperate, who executed one last Spear on the champion as he entered the ring to win his first Universal Championship.
#2 Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena for the Universal Championship (SummerSlam 2021)
Since last year at #SummerSlam … everything has been elevated.
#Smackdown.
The Universal Championship.
The Main Event.
Tonight, I elevate @JohnCena and then smash him back to reality. #TeamRoman https://t.co/0w3i6KIcos
The Tribal Chief's last SummerSlam match was against John Cena, who was desperately looking for his record-setting seventeenth world championship. After weeks of quirky verbal exchanges, the two titans eventually agreed to face each other. The match had the added stipulation that Reigns would have to leave WWE if Cena won.
"Either I'm leaving that stadium as Universal Champion or I'm leaving @WWE." - @WWERomanReigns w/ @HeymanHustle to @JohnCena #SmackDown https://t.co/60LG4QRecZ
Reigns vs. Cena was a spectacle that lived up to the immense hype. They told a great story at the Allegiant Stadium. The Head of the Table dominated the sixteen-time World Champion for most of the match, but the resilient veteran kept coming back for more.
From an Attitude Adjustment (AA) through the announce table to a Super AA, Cena dug deep into his arsenal. In the final moments, The Champ went for the Spear only to be countered with a Superman punch and a definitive Spear from Reigns for the victory.
#1 Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship (SummerSlam 2017)
The Universal Championship picture was red-hot in the summer of 2017. Three Goliaths, Reigns, Strowman, and Samoa Joe, were gunning for Lesnar's title. At the time, the Monster Among Men was overwhelmingly popular. The Samoan Submission Machine was rising from the ranks and The Big Dog was perhaps the most despised figure on WWE television.
At SummerSlam, the four titans stole the show in a brutal war that took extreme wrestling to another level. It was a fast-paced brawl that had the WWE Universe on the edge of their seats for its entirety. Strowman was the star of the match, but the others played their role to perfection.
Ringside was a wreck with broken announce tables, a buried Beast under two of them, wrecked barricades, flying chairs, and incapacitated powerhouses.
Unfortunately for Reigns, towards the end of the match he was on the receiving end of a ring-shattering F5 that allowed the Beast to retain his championship.
Let us know what's your favorite SummerSlam moment of The Trible Chief in the comments section below.