Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Roman Reigns

How Roman Reigns built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, known as Roman Reigns, is a prominent American professional wrestler, actor, and former football player. He has been with WWE since 2010. Reigns is considered one of the best wrestlers globally, holding the WWE Universal Championship for a record-breaking 1,316 days. This is the title's longest reign, WWE's fourth-longest world title reign ever, and the longest championship reign recognized by WWE since 1988. He currently performs on Raw part-time.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

January 24, 2016: Reigns lost WWE Championship at Royal Rumble

On January 24, 2016, Roman Reigns was forced to defend his WWE Championship in the Royal Rumble match, where he lost the title after being eliminated by Triple H.

January 9, 2017: Reigns Loses United States Championship

On January 9, 2017, on Raw, Roman Reigns lost the United States Championship to Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens in a handicap match, ending his reign at 106 days.

January 22, 2018: Reigns loses Intercontinental Championship

On January 22, 2018, during the 25th Anniversary of Raw, Roman Reigns lost the Intercontinental Championship back to The Miz, ending his reign at 63 days.

December 31, 2019: Appearance on Fox's New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey

On December 31, 2019, Roman Reigns appeared on Fox's New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey, where he defeated Dolph Ziggler in a pre-taped match.

January 26, 2020: Reigns defeats Corbin in Falls Count Anywhere match and enters Royal Rumble

On January 26, 2020, at Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns defeated King Corbin in a falls count anywhere match with assistance from The Usos. Later that night, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match as the 26th entrant but was the last competitor eliminated by Drew McIntyre.

2020: Turned face for the first time since 2020

In 2020, Roman Reigns turned face for the first time since 2020, marking a significant shift in his on-screen persona.

January 31, 2021: Reigns Defeats Owens in Last Man Standing Match

On January 31, 2021, Roman Reigns successfully defended his title against Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing match at Royal Rumble.

January 1, 2022: Match with Lesnar canceled

On January 1, 2022, Roman Reigns' scheduled match against Brock Lesnar at Day 1 was canceled after Reigns tested positive for COVID-19.

January 18, 2023: Longest WWE Championship Reign Since 1988

On January 18, 2023, Roman Reigns' Universal Championship reign reached 871 days, surpassing Gunther's NXT UK Championship reign and marking the longest reign of any WWE championship since 1988.

January 27, 2024: Reigns retains titles at Royal Rumble

On January 27, 2024, at Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns successfully defended his titles against LA Knight, Randy Orton, and AJ Styles in a fatal four-way match, pinning Styles.

January 6, 2025: Reclaims Ula Fala and Tribal Chief Title

On January 6, 2025, at the Raw premiere on Netflix, Roman Reigns defeated Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat to reclaim the Ula Fala and Tribal Chief title. After the match, The Rock presented Reigns with the Ula Fala, ending their feud.

January 31, 2026: Wins Royal Rumble

On January 31, 2026, at the Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns entered the match at number 26 and won by last eliminating Gunther, securing a world championship match at WrestleMania 42.