Roman Reigns will main event WrestleMania for the eleventh time, challenging CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He has a notable history of both exceptional and disappointing matches at WrestleMania.
Key points
Roman Reigns will main event WrestleMania for the eleventh time
He is challenging CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Reigns has a history of both great and disappointing WrestleMania matches
He has held the world championship six times
His longest title reign lasted 1,316 days
Roman ReignsCM Punk
Various portraits of Roman Reigns in his Tribal Chief gimmick.
Photos Courtesy of WWE
Roman Reigns was pegged for singles stardom from the moment he debuted in WWE in 2012 as part of the trio known as the Shield. Since then, the man known as the Big Dog, the Guy (remember that one?), the Head of the Table, the Tribal Chief, and the OTC, has held the world championship on six occassions, including a 1,316 reign, fourth-longest all time behind Bruno Sammertino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan.
Perhaps more impressive are his WrestleMania stats. On Sunday, Roman Reigns will main event Mania for a record-settng eleventh time, when he challenges CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Through the years, heâs had his ups and downs at the Showcase of the Immortals. Reigns has been involved in some of the best WrestleMania matches of all time and some of the most disappointing main events in the showâs history. Letâs take a trip through the years. This is Every Roman Reigns WrestleMania Match, Ranked.
13.
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, WrestleMania 34
Q&A
How many times has Roman Reigns main evented WrestleMania?
Roman Reigns has main evented WrestleMania a record-setting eleven times.
Who is Roman Reigns facing at WrestleMania this year?
Roman Reigns is challenging CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.
What are some of Roman Reigns' best WrestleMania matches?
Roman Reigns has been involved in some of the best WrestleMania matches of all time, showcasing his talent and popularity.
What is Roman Reigns' championship history in WWE?
Roman Reigns has held the world championship on six occasions, including a notable 1,316-day reign.
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One of the weirdest and worst main events in WrestleMania history. A poorly booked stinker with a terrible case of finisher spam best remembered for how the audience turned on it. The crowd reaction shifted from anticipation during the opening introductions to fatigue and apathy once the bell rang. Soon, they were chanting âBoring!â and âThis is awful!â The end mercifully arrived after Lesnar hit a bloodied Reigns with a sixth F5 for the pin.
12.
Roman Reigns vs. Triple H, WrestleMania 32
Reignsâ ascent to the main event following the dissolution of the Shield was filled with starts and stops, bad booking, and was ultimately rejected by fans, culminating in Seth Rollinsâ swooping in and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. But that didnât stop WWE from trying to make Roman happen again and again.
After losing the title in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, Reignsâ crowning moment was now scheduled for WrestleMania 32 against Triple H. A totally predictable thing happened next: The Arlington, Texas crowd sided with the supposed heel. The match was a slow, plodding affair in front of a hostile crowd that didnât come alive until Reigns speared Stephanie McMahon in an overly convoluted and telegraphed spot. After 27 long minutes, Reigns hit a Superman punch and spear for the win and the title.
11.
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre, WrestleMania 35
After returning from five months away to treat his leukemia, Reigns entered a feud with Drew McIntyre, who was determined to prove that Reigns had come back too soon and that WWE was no longer the Big Dogâs yard. The result was a middling, heatless match in the middle of a long night before a restless crowd at Met Life Stadium; cameras caught fans leaving their seats, presumably for the bathrooms or concessions, throughout the match. Reigns won with a spear about ten minutes in.
10.
Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker, WrestleMania 33
Booked as the last stand of the Undertaker, Reigns dominated the Dead Man for the bulk of the match, hitting him with one high-impact move after another. And yet the Undertaker refused to stay down. Incredulous, Reigns eventually speared him for the win. After the match, Taker left his gloves and coat in the ring, signalling his retirement though he would return a year later at WrestleMania 34.
The match itself was slow and sloppy with a few glaring missteps including a botched Tombstone spot. Though it lacked the emotional impact of Shawn Michaels hitting Ric Flair with one last Sweet Chin Music, Reignsâ final spear for the win was a nice touch in an otherwise disappointing affair.
9.
The Shield vs. The New Age Outlaws and Corporate Kane, WrestleMania XXX
The Shield were caught in booking limbo after a hot mini-feud with the Wyatt Family in early 2014. So, where did that leave them for WrestleMania XXX? A hastily put-together six-man match against a trio of dinosaurs from the Attitude Era. WWE made the best of a tricky situation though with a fun, squash match that left no doubt that the Shield were superior and would soon be turning babyface.
8.
The Shield vs. The Big Show, Sheamus, Randy Orton, WrestleMania XXIX
The Shield ran roughshod all over WWE following their debut at Survivor Series 2012, going undefeated against different combinations of six-man teams. But would face their toughest competition in the WrestleMania XXIX opener, facing a trios team composed of three former World Champions.
The story here was simple: Could the cohesive unit defeat the All-Star collection of individuals? The Shieldâs answer: a resounding yes. Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose were a well-oiled machine here, isolating their opponents in their corner, making quick tags, double-and-triple teaming their larger, more experienced rivals. In the end, a Reigns spear finished Orton for the sudden pin. A fun opener that further elevated the Shield and put over their teamwork and solidarity.
7.
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, WrestleMania 38
The third time would be the charm for Roman Reigns when it came to conquering Brock Lesnar. Billed as the âBiggest WrestleMania Match of All Time,â this was a winner-take-all bout for Reignsâ WWE Universal Title and Lesnarâs WWE Championship. A lot had changed since their disastrous match in New Orleans at WrestleMania 34. Reigns had grown into his character and was now a fully formed heel â the Tribal Chief of the Bloodline. He also now had Paul Heyman in his corner. Lesnar, meanwhile, was now a jolly, yet terrifying, babyface.
The action and layout mirrored their previous encounters: a sprint of high-impact moves with each combatant hitting multiple finishers early on. This time, however, Reigns would come out on top. Following an epic pep talk from his Wiseman, Reigns hit Lesnar with a spear out of nowhere for the clean win to unify the territoryâs top titles.
6.
Roman Reigns and The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, WrestleMania XL, Night One
Though this one came in with a super hot angle and high stakesâwhether the Night Two main event would be Bloodline Rulesâthe match itself was overlong, overbooked, and featured a few too many dead spots. Still, it was amazing seeing The Rock in full Final Boss glory, an updated, enhanced version of his character from his Attitude Era prime. In the end, Rock pinned Crybaby Cody after a Rock Bottom. But there was no reason for this match to go 44 minutes.
5.
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes, WrestleMania 39
A sold-out SoFi Stadium was ready to watch Cody Rhodes finish his story and lift the one championship that eluded his late father, âThe American Dreamâ Dusty Rhodes. But the main event of night two of WrestleMania 39 turned into a nightmare for both Cody and his devoted fans. Though it was a great back-and-forth match, it suffered from a little too much outside interference (first from Solo Sikoa, and then from the Usoâs, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn) and a bummer of a finish. After previously being ejected from ringside, Solo Sikoa sneaked back in and hit Rhodes with the Samoan Spike, allowing Roman to cover Rhodes and extend his reign over WWE.
4.
Edge vs. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan, WrestleMania 38
Reigns entered WrestleMania 37âthe first WWE event in front of live fans in over a yearâlooking unstoppable. After returning from his pandemic-related hiatus, he claimed the Universal title, turned heel, aligned with Paul Heyman, won PLE matches over The Fiend and Braun Strowman, Jey Uso (twice), Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and Daniel Bryan (twice), and recruited Jey into Bloodline 1.0. He was presented and received as the monster heel he was destined to be following his previous ill-received singles pushes. The question lurked: Could anyone stop him?
Enter 2021 Royal Rumble winner Edge, and Daniel Bryan, who, despite losing consecutive PLE matches to Reigns, was shoehorned into the main event. The result: a great WrestleMania title match that featured creative spots (such as Edge and Bryanâs dueling submission on Reigns), and a clear, dominant finish. Adhering to his pre-Mania pledge, Reigns smashed âem, stacked âem, and pinned both of his opponents like they were a pair of freakinâ Jabronis.
3.
Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk, WrestleMania 41
The story here is that three of the territoryâs biggest stars, all boxed out of the World Title picture, and all with long-standing personal and professional beefs with each other battle it out for supremacy. . . and the services of Paul Heyman? Though the pre-match build and finish revolved a little too much around a manager, this triple threat delivered a great WrestleMania main event. From the opening bell, they all worked at an intense pace, brawling into the crowd before bringing it into the ring for a series of finisher reversals, near falls, and high drama. As expected, Heyman got involved but he turned on Punk and Reigns to align with Rollins, who took advantage of a Heyman low blow and curb stomped Reigns for the pin.
2.
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (vs. Seth Rollins), WrestleMania 31
The most shocking ending to a WrestleMania began as a traditional one-on-one hoss fight between challenger Roman Reigns and the dominant World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar. At first, this unfolded like the typical Lesnar match with Reigns, who had something to prove following the tepid reaction to his Royal Rumble win, standing toe-to-toe with the Beast. They traded stiff blows until both men were sporting bruises and Lesnar was bloodied. But just when it looked like Lesnar would retain, Rollins sprinted down the ramp and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Then Reigns hit Lesnar with a spear, before eating a curb stomp from Rollins for the finish in what came to be known as the Heist of the Century.
1.
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes, WrestleMania XL, Night Two
For 1,316 days, the Tribal Chief had been World Champion, the longest reign in over four decades and the fourth-longest in WWE history behind just Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan. His opponent: The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes, desperate to Finish His Story after coming up short at the previous WrestleMania. A night earlier, Reigns and The Rock defeated Rhodes and Seth Rollins, ensuring that this would take place under Bloodline Rules, meaning no disqualification, telegraphing the inevitable interference that marked Reignsâ Bloodline-era matches.
Though not as fast-paced as Cody-Roman I, the rematch is the perfect distillation of Sports Entertainment: a blend of long-term booking, emotional storytelling, flashy presentation, and capital-M Moments. The WWE equivalent of Avengers: Endgame featured interference from Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, John Cena, The Rock, The Undertaker, and Seth Rollins in Shield gear, leading to the big finish: Cody slaying the Big Bad with a trio of Cross Rhodes to send the fans home happy.