top of page
Top 50 Roman Reigns Rivalries

In order to become The Head Of The Table, Roman Reigns has had to make a lot of enemies along the way.

 

Since debuting in WWE's developmental system in 2010 as Roman Leakee and showing up on the main roster about two years later, Roman Reigns has made headlines for his efforts as both a babyface and heel. In addition to being the longest-reigning champion in the promotion since Hulk Hogan's first title run in the mid-1980s, Reigns has captured the WWE and Universal Championships a combined 10 times and has headlined WrestleMania six times.

For this list, we're focusing on storyline rivalries Reigns had with wrestlers and non-wrestlers alike, not speculating on what may have happened backstage..

In counting down the Top 50 Roman Reigns Rivalries, Wrestling Merchandise and Memories looked at the following criteria:

 

  • How prominent was the rivarly?

  • What type of stage(s) did it play out on?

  • How memorable were the matches and/or segments?

  • How much did the rivalry do to advance either person's career?

 

If you'd like to be a part of this conversation, Tweet us at @canadianbulldog using the hashtag #Top50, or leave a comment below.

 

Ready? Here we go!

50.

C J Parker

While Roman Reigns and CJ Parker (the future Juice Robinson) never met in a match on WWE's main roster, they had several bouts back in their respective FCW days. In addition, Reigns had his NXT debut match against Parker in 2012.

48.

Bad News Barrett

In his early days as a singles competitor, Roman Reigns clashed with Bad News Barrett on television and at live events. By 2015, King Barrett had joined The League Of Nations and often found himself on the opposing side of The Big Dog.

46.

Robert Roode

Roman Reigns has faced off against Robert Roode more times than one may realize. They've been in the ring numerous times on television and live events while Roode teamed with Dolph Ziggler, and the two even had a one-on-one Tables Match.

44.

Kane

While he was Director of Operations for The Authority, WWE Hall of Famer Kane often made life tough for Roman Reigns and his fellow members of The Shield. The two big men also had a brutal Last Man Standing Match on Raw in 2014.

42.

Dean Ambrose

Although Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns have more often been allies than rivals, the former Shield members have had a few dust-ups. Most notably, they fought in the finals of the WWE World Title tournament at Survivor Series 2015.

40.

Shinsuke Nakamura

While WWE teased a feud between Shinsuke Nakamura and Roman Reigns following WrestleMania XXXVIII, the two have done battle previously. This includes a match at the 2021 Tribute For The Troops, and being the final two competitors in the 2018 Royal Rumble.

38.

Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler has been a thorn in the side of Roman Reigns more times than most people realize. In addition to having singles matches, Ziggler faced him with King Corbin, Robert Roode and others over the past few years.

36.

The Miz

The Miz has found himself in the sightlines of Roman Reigns numerous times over the past decade. The two have feuded over the Intercontinental Championship, as well as Reigns' Universal Championship, in addition to a litany of tag team matches.

34.

Erick Rowan

Roman Reigns faced off against Erick Rowan during several phases of their respective careers. Whether as The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family, or as Reigns versus The Bludgeon Brothers... the two even had a Lumberjack Match in October 2019.

32.

Finn Balor

In Finn Balor's first match on Raw in 2016, he defeated Roman Reigns en route to becoming WWE's first Universal Champion. They have battled many times since, including Balor unleashing The Demon at Extreme Rules 2021.

30.

Cesaro

Following Cesaro's impressive victory at WrestleMania XXXVII, he became a top contender to Roman Reigns' Universal Championship. The two battled at WrestleMania Backlash 2021 and have had other clashes over the past few years.

28.

Bobby Lashley

The bad blood between Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns dates back to Extreme Rules 2018, where Lashley won clean. More recently, they feuded over Reign's Universal Title in 2022 and also had a Triple Threat Match against Big E.

26.

The New Day

The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E) have been among the most frequent opponents of Roman Reigns over the years. This includes matches with The Shield, The Bloodline and Big E facing Reigns at Survivor Series 2021.

24.

Shane McMahon

In 2019, SmackDown General Manager Shane McMahon pulled out all the stops to get to Roman Reigns, including having people assault The Big Dog and forcing him to have random tag team partners until Reigns paired with The Undertaker to face Shane O'Mac and Drew McIntyre.

22.

Chris Jericho

During Chris Jericho's "You Just Made The List" persona in 2016 and 2017, he often found himself opposing Roman Reigns on Raw. In fact, Jericho and Kevin Owens teamed up in a Handicap Match, costing Reigns his WWE United States Championship in January 2017.

20.

Bill Goldberg

WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg was set to take on Roman Reigns for the vacant Universal Championship at WrestleMania XXXVI when Reigns backed out for health concerns. The two eventually locked horns at Elimination Chamber in 2022, with Reigns retaining the championship.

18.

Sheamus

In 2015, Vince McMahon was out to get Roman Reigns and had Sheamus cash in his Money In The Bank contract to quickly relieve Reigns of his WWE World Championship. The two feuded for several months, with Sheamus losing the gold.

16.

The Undertaker

Tensions between WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker and The Shield began in 2013. Of course, their biggest one-on-one battle was the main event of WrestleMania XXXIII, when Reigns actually defeated The Dead Man.

14.

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns have had their share of battles over the years, including a one-on-one match at Survivor Series 2020, as well as the main event at 2022's Clash At The Castle show in Wales.

12.

Randy Orton

While Randy Orton opposed Roman Reigns as part of The Bloodline's issue with RKBro, their roots go back much deeper than that. Orton and Reigns had a one-on-one feud that concluded at SummerSlam 2014.

10.

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan faced Roman Reigns in The Shield's first WWE match in 2012 and was a frequent opponent. Like Edge, Bryan was unsuccessful at WrestleMania XXXVII against Reigns and again later that year in Bryan's final WWE appearance.

8.

Jey Uso

One of Roman Reigns' first challenges in 2020 from his cousin Jey Uso. The two had several bouts, including a brutal Hell In A Cell Match, before Uso acknowledged Reigns and joined him. They parted ways again in 2023.

6.

Braun Strowman

One of Roman Reigns' most frequent opponents over the years has been Braun Strowman, both in singles and tag team matches. The two feuded over the Universal Championship several times and as recently as 2020.

4.

Cody Rhodes

Although Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns faced off during an earlier Brotherhood vs. Shield feud, they resumed their bad blood leading into a huge match at WrestleMania XXXIX. And judging from the finish, their issue is far from over.

2.

Seth Rollins

The Shield has been mentioned numerous times in this list, and when Seth Rollins broke away from the group in 2014, it created a rift between him and Roman Reigns ever since (for the most part). Rollins also successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank contract at WrestleMania XXXI, costing Reigns the World Championship.

49.

The New Age Outlaws

When WWE Hall of Famers The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) reunited in 2014, they were babyfaces pitted against The Shield. But soon, both groups switched sides and faced off in a six-man tag match at WrestleMania XXX.

47.

Elias

Who wants to walk with Elias? Ezekiel's older brother often faced Roman Reigns on both Raw and SmackDown. The musician also answered Reigns' open challenge for the Intercontinental Championship back in 2017.

45.

The Street Profits

Over the past couple of years, The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) have crossed paths with Roman Reigns and The Usos. In fact, Reigns took matters into his own hands in 2021, going one on one with Montez Ford on SmackDown.

43.

Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio was another thorn in the side of Roman Reigns during his run in The League of Nations circa 2015. In fact, The Big Dog faced Del Rio in the semifinal round of a WWE Championship Tournament at that year's Survivor Series.

41.

Goldust

In 2013, Goldust returned to WWE to aid his brother Cody Rhodes in a feud with The Authority. This led to an emotional match at Battleground 2013, where Cody and Goldust (The Brotherhood) topped Reigns and Seth Rollins for tag team gold.

39.

The Big Show

The Big Show often found himself opposing The Shield in six-man tag team matches, including at WrestleMania XXIX, but also in handicap matches against the faction. One on one, Roman Reigns and Show battled in a brutal Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules 2015.

37.

Ryback

Ryback was the very first target of The Shield upon their debut in WWE. The Big Guy teamed with Team Hell No to face The Shield at TLC 2012. In addition, Ryback had to face Reigns and friends in several other early Shield matches.

35

CM Punk

While The Shield were originally introduced as allies of CM Punk, that soon changed when all three members of the group regularly faced Punk and various partners. They also had a singles match just days before Punk left WWE for good.

33.

Matt Riddle

As part of the feud between RKBro and The Bloodline, Riddle often got in the face of Roman Reigns. The two battled for Reigns' WWE Undisputed Universal Championship in June 2022, with Riddle coming up short in his challenge.

31.

Samoa Joe

There have been many battles between Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns (a Samoan named Joe), including a bout at Backlash 2018, a Fatal Four Way at that year's SummerSlam, and a feud over Reign's Intercontinental Championship.

29.

Rusev

In 2016, Roman Reigns interrupted Rusev and Lana's wedding celebration on Raw and then went after Rusev's United States Championship. Reigns won the gold at Clash of Champions and faced Rusev in a rematch at Hell In A Cell.

27.

John Cena

Roman Reigns and John Cena have had two matches on PPV; both were big ones. In 2017, Reigns defeated Cena in a passing of the torch moment and in 2021, Cena returned to WWE to challenge The Tribal Chief at SummerSlam.

25.

Stephanie McMahon

While Stephanie McMahon never faced off in the ring against Roman Reigns, she has been a constant thorn in The Big Dog's side, berating him while running Raw, sending him into difficult matches and being in the corner of Triple H.

23.

Vince McMahon

Of all the McMahon family members, Vince McMahon has had the most bad blood with Roman Reigns. At Survivor Series 2015, he helped Sheamus win Reigns' newly-captured Universal Championship and continued to mess around with The Big Dog's career.

21.

AJ Styles

One of the first rivalries AJ Styles had in WWE was against Roman Reigns, leading to a match at Payback 2016. They also battled as part of their respective factions (The Bloodline and The Club), and Styles also challenged for the Universal Title in 2020.

19.

Rey Mysterio

The rivalry between WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio and Roman Reigns dates back to 2013, when The Shield battled Mysterio and The Usos. Things took a more violent turn when Reigns went after Dominik Mysterio, leading to a Hell In A Cell match against Rey in June of 2021.

17.

Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin challenged Roman Reigns when The Big Dog first jumped to SmackDown, even trying to humiliate Reigns by spreading dog food on him. The two had a Falls Count Anywhere Match at Royal Rumble 2020.

15.

Paul Heyman

Although Paul Heyman later became Special Counsel to Roman Reigns, that happened only after he engineered a years-long rivalry between Reigns and his then-client Brock Lesnar. Their feud even became an issue again in early 2022.

13.

Jimmy Uso

While not as long a feud as the one Roman Reigns had with his brother Jey, Jimmy Uso has found himself facing The Big Dog in tag team matches involving The Usos and The Shield and when Jimmy opposed The Bloodline.

11.

Edge

WWE Hall of Famer Edge first targeted Roman Reigns after winning the 2021 Royal Rumble, and battled him in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania XXXVII. Unsuccessful, Edge faced him again at that year's Money In The Bank.

9.

Bray Wyatt

In 2015, Bray Wyatt screwed Roman Reigns out of a Money In The Bank contract, saying he wanted "anyone but you, Roman" to be champion. This led to a lengthy feud that included a Hell In A Cell Match between the two men.

7.

Sami Zayn

While Sami Zayn was once The Honorary Uce in Roman Reigns' Bloodline, the honeymoon ended at Royal Rumble 2023 when Zayn finally broke free from the faction. Zayn then challenged Reigns to a match at that year's Elimination Chamber.

5.

Triple H

The working relationship between WWE Hall of Famer Triple H and The Shield ended in 2014, with The Game re-forming Evolution to batte them. Roman Reigns defeated Triple H in the main event of WrestleMania XXXII.

3.

Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns first began feuding in 2016, when both were on Raw. Years later on SmackDown, the two had a bigger feud over Reigns' Universal Title, leading to matches at both Royal Rumble 2022 and 2023.

1.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns have fought each other numerous times and arguably each other's worst enemies. They've battled in the main event of three separate WrestleManias and several other pay-per-views, with neither competitor dominating the other in this seemingly "fight forever" battle between two of WWE's top stars of this generation.

Learn More About Canadian Bulldog

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
bottom of page