History of Roman Reigns in Timeline

Roman Reigns, whose real name is Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, is a highly acclaimed American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. Performing on the SmackDown brand since 2010, he is considered one of the best in the world. He holds the distinction of having the fourth-longest world title reign in WWE history, with his WWE Universal Championship reign lasting 1,316 days, marking the longest championship reign since 1988. He is also a former football player.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1950: Mid 20th century (1950 − 1969)

Mid 20th century (1950 − 1969)

1969: Mid 20th century (1950 − 1969)

Mid 20th century (1950 − 1969)

1975: Late 20th century (1975 − 1999)

Late 20th century (1975 − 1999)

May 25, 1985: Roman Reigns Born

On May 25, 1985, Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, known as Roman Reigns, was born.

1988: Longest WWE championship reign since 1988

In 1988, this marked the beginning of a long period before Roman Reigns achieved the longest WWE championship reign since then, a feat he accomplished in 2023.

1999: Late 20th century (1975 − 1999)

Late 20th century (1975 − 1999)

2005: Meeting Galina Becker

In 2005, while studying at Georgia Institute of Technology, Roman Reigns met and began dating Galina Becker.

2006: All-ACC Honors

In 2006, Roman Reigns earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors after recording 40 tackles, two recovered fumbles and 4.5 sacks.

May 2007: Signed by Minnesota Vikings

In May 2007, Roman Reigns was signed by the Minnesota Vikings but was released later that month after being diagnosed with leukemia.

August 2007: Signed and Released by Jacksonville Jaguars

In August 2007, Roman Reigns was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars but was released less than a week later before the start of the 2007 NFL season.

December 2007: Birth of first child

In December 2007, Roman Reigns and Galina Becker welcomed their first child, a daughter.

2007: Diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia

In 2007, Roman Anoaʻi was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia during his American Football career.

2007: NFL Stints

In 2007, Roman Reigns had brief off-season stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars in the National Football League (NFL).

2008: Played in CFL

In 2008, Roman Reigns played a full season for the Canadian Football League's (CFL) Edmonton Eskimos before being released and retiring from football.

2008: Played for Edmonton Eskimos

In 2008, Roman Reigns played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

August 19, 2010: Televised Debut in FCW

On August 19, 2010, Roman Reigns made his televised debut in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) under the ring name Roman Leakee in a 15-man battle royal.

2010: Signed with WWE

In 2010, Roman Reigns signed with WWE, marking the beginning of his professional wrestling career.

January 16, 2011: FCW Grand Royal

On January 16, 2011, Roman Leakee competed in a 30-man Grand Royal in FCW but was eliminated.

January 2012: Pinned FCW Champion

In January 2012, Roman Leakee pinned FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Leo Kruger in a non-title match.

August 2012: FCW Rebranded to NXT

In August 2012, WWE rebranded FCW to NXT, marking a shift in the developmental territory.

November 18, 2012: Main Roster Debut at Survivor Series

On November 18, 2012, Roman Reigns made his main roster debut at the Survivor Series pay-per-view as part of The Shield, attacking Ryback and helping CM Punk retain the WWE Championship.

2012: Main Roster Debut

In 2012, Roman Reigns made his main roster debut under the ring name Roman Reigns as a member of The Shield, alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.

January 27, 2013: The Shield at Royal Rumble

On January 27, 2013, The Shield aided CM Punk at the Royal Rumble.

January 26, 2014: Royal Rumble Runner-Up

On January 26, 2014, Roman Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match, eliminated 12 competitors, and finished as the runner-up after being eliminated by Batista.

June 2014: PSA appearance with daughter

In June 2014, Roman Reigns' daughter appeared with him in a PSA.

December 2014: Marriage to Galina Becker

In December 2014, Roman Reigns married Galina Becker. They reside in Tampa, Florida.

2014: Face of the Company Push

From 2014, WWE attempted to establish Roman Reigns as the "face of the company", but it was met with disapproval.

2014: The Shield Disbanded

In 2014, The Shield disbanded, leading Roman Reigns to enter singles competition in WWE.

2014: Heel turn and Universal Championship win

In 2014, after a five-month hiatus, Roman Reigns returned at SummerSlam on August 23. Reigns then aligned himself with Paul Heyman, turning heel for the first time since 2014. At Payback on August 30, Reigns defeated The Fiend and Strowman to win the Universal Championship for the second time.

2015: Won 2015 Royal Rumble

In 2015, Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble match, granting him a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 31.

2015: Royal Rumble Win

In 2015, Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble match.

January 24, 2016: Lost WWE Championship in Royal Rumble

On January 24, 2016, Roman Reigns lost the WWE Championship in the Royal Rumble match after being eliminated by Triple H.

November 2016: Birth of twin sons

In November 2016, Roman Reigns and Galina Becker welcomed twin sons.

2016: PWI 500 No. 1

In 2016, Roman Reigns was ranked at No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI 500 list of the top 500 singles wrestlers.

2016: Drafted to Raw Brand

In July 2016, at the WWE draft, Roman Reigns was drafted to the Raw brand.

January 9, 2017: Lost United States Championship

On January 9, 2017, Roman Reigns lost the United States Championship to Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens in a handicap match.

January 22, 2018: Lost Intercontinental Championship

On January 22, 2018, Roman Reigns lost the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz on the 25th Anniversary of Raw.

2018: Royal Rumble Eliminations Record Broken

In 2018, Braun Strowman broke Roman Reigns' previous record for most eliminations in a Royal Rumble match.

2018: Sharing about chronic myeloid leukemia

In 2018, Roman Anoaʻi shared that he had been living with chronic myeloid leukemia, an incurable but treatable form of blood cancer.

2018: Royal Rumble and Universal Championship pursuit

In 2018, Roman Reigns competed in the Royal Rumble match on January 28, being the last man eliminated. At Elimination Chamber on February 25, Reigns won a match to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34 on April 8, but was unsuccessful. He lost a rematch at the Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27. After defeating Samoa Joe at Backlash on May 6 and Jinder Mahal at Money in the Bank on June 17, Reigns feuded with Bobby Lashley, losing to him at Extreme Rules on July 15. Reigns won a number one contender's match against Lashley and at SummerSlam on August 19, Reigns defeated Lesnar and won the Universal Championship.

February 25, 2019: Leukemia in remission and Shield reunion

On February 25, 2019, Roman Reigns returned to Raw, announcing his leukemia was in remission. Later that night, Reigns and Rollins helped Ambrose fend off an attack. This marked a significant moment in Roman Reigns' career as he overcame a major health challenge and reunited with his Shield brothers.

December 2019: Last Pinfall Loss Before July 1, 2023

In December 2019 Roman Reigns suffered his last pinfall loss before July 1, 2023 which was when Reigns and Sikoa lost to The Usos in a "Bloodline Civil War" tag team match after Reigns was pinned by Jey

2019: SmackDown Draft and Feud with Shane McMahon

In 2019, Roman Reigns was drafted to SmackDown on April 16, establishing him as a key figure for the brand. Reigns then attacked Elias and Vince McMahon. Later, he feuded with Shane McMahon, leading to matches at Super ShowDown on June 7, where he lost due to interference, and at Stomping Grounds on June 23, where Reigns won. At Extreme Rules on July 14, Reigns teamed with The Undertaker to defeat McMahon and McIntyre.

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.

Loading Video...

January 26, 2020: Feud with King Corbin

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

March 2020: Birth of another set of twin sons

In March 2020, Roman Reigns and Galina Becker welcomed another set of twin sons.

2020: Villainous Character Transformation

Between 2020 and 2024, Roman Reigns was repackaged as a villainous character, which was generally well-received.

2020: Returns as The O.T.C

In 2020 after a four-month hiatus, on August 3, Reigns made his return at SummerSlam under the new moniker "The O.T.C" ("The Only Tribal Chief" or "The Original Tribal Chief"), attacking Sikoa and helping Rhodes retain his title in a Bloodline Rules match, turning face for the first time since 2020.

January 31, 2021: Universal Championship defense against Kevin Owens

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

January 1, 2022: COVID-19 diagnosis and Universal Championship reign

On January 1, 2022, Roman Reigns' match against Brock Lesnar at Day 1 was cancelled due to Reigns testing positive for COVID-19. Despite this setback, Reigns surpassed Lesnar's reign to become the longest reigning Universal Champion on January 16.

2022: PWI 500 No. 1

In 2022, Roman Reigns was ranked at No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI 500 list of the top 500 singles wrestlers.

January 18, 2023: Longest WWE championship reign since 1988

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

January 27, 2024: Retains titles in a fatal four-way match

On January 27, 2024, Roman Reigns defeated LA Knight, Randy Orton and AJ Styles at Royal Rumble to retain the titles in a fatal four-way match.

2024: End of Villainous Character

In 2024, Roman Reigns's villainous character ended.

2024: Sikoa Takes Over The Bloodline

In 2024, after Roman Reigns took time off from television after losing the titles, Sikoa appointed himself as the de facto leader of The Bloodline. On the April 26 episode of SmackDown, Paul Heyman announced that Reigns voluntarily withdrew from the 2024 WWE Draft. Sikoa removed Reigns from the leadership of The Bloodline, declaring himself as the new "Tribal Chief".

2024: Vote for Republican president Donald Trump

In the 2024 United States presidential election, Roman Anoa'i voted for Republican president Donald Trump

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

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