Currently, Roman Reigns is the number one guy in WWE, and there is little doubt about how much star power he has accumulated over his recent Universal Championship run as a dominant heel. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for him though, with his years as a singles babyface seeing him receive a huge wave of criticism and negativity.
That being said, Reigns has delivered a lot of strong matches over the years, even when the crowd has been on his back. Whether that be as a member of The Shield, in World Title matches, or in other feuds, Reigns usually rises to the occasion when it comes to a big match, with each year seeing him have plenty of choices to pick as his best.
10 2012: The Shield Vs Team Hell No & Ryback
This six-man match against Team Hell No and Ryback was the debut match for The Shield, with the new faces of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns getting the spotlight for the first time – and they thrived under the pressure.
A big PPV match with a TLC stipulation is a lot for debuting names, but each man showcased how good they were, and what they brought to the table. Reigns offered himself up to be the powerhouse, running through opponents in a great performance which stole the show.
9 2013: The Shield Vs Rhodes Brothers
At Battleground 2013, The Shield were the hired goons of The Authority, and they were set to face the anti-authority babyfaces of Cody Rhodes and Goldust, who were fighting for their jobs. At the time, The Shield were great as hired mercenaries, and with their dominance, acted as the perfect opponents to the red-hot babyfaces.
The emotion in this match was at a high, and all four men put on a great performance, with Dean Ambrose and Dusty Rhodes playing their parts at ringside too. In defeat, Rollins and Reigns weren’t hurt due to the overwhelming popularity of the Rhodes’ victory.
8 2014: The Shield Vs Wyatt Family
This six-man tag team match at Elimination Chamber between The Shield and Wyatt Family was an all-out, electrifying war from start to finish. WWE’s best factions in quite some time went head to a head in a match in which face and heel dynamics were thrown to the wayside as the fans went crazy for both heel teams.
This stole the show, with each man putting on one hell of a performance throughout the contest. The Wyatt Family would emerge victorious, but The Shield were elevated hugely by this match, developing into babyfaces.
7 2015: Brock Lesnar Vs Roman Reigns (Vs Seth Rollins)
Roman Reigns’ first WrestleMania main event was perhaps one of his best. Going into this match, fans were not on board with Reigns as the top babyface and didn’t want to see him defeat Brock Lesnar.
Throughout the title match between Reigns and Lesnar, the fans went from Reigns hatred to becoming hugely invested in this brutal fight between the pair, which exceeded all expectations. It was capped off with a shocking cash-in from Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins, making it a triple threat. This match was booked perfectly.
6 2016: Roman Reigns Vs AJ Styles
After Reigns won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32, his first challenger was AJ Styles, and the pair created some magic with one another. Their first match at Payback was great, but their follow-up at Extreme Rules was even better.
The two men tore the house down in the main event of the show, with the stipulation adding an extra level of excitement and brutality, with the pair having undeniable chemistry. This was a great feud to start Reigns’ title run.
5 2017: Brock Lesnar Vs Braun Strowman Vs Roman Reigns Vs Samoa Joe
Allowing four of the biggest men in WWE loose in a fatal-four-way was the perfect recipe for an absolutely brutal main event match. SummerSlam hosted the battle between these four giants, with the match stealing the show in a car-crash title match.
The action in this match was hard-hitting and non-stop, with everyone coming across as an absolute star and potential winner. Lesnar would pull off the win, but each man came out of this match looking like a complete beast.
4 2018: The Shield Vs The Dogs Of War
The Shield would reunite once again in 2018, this time faced with the heel team of Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler, who christened themselves as the Dogs of War. They weren’t the most creative of enemies, and felt thrown together, but the six men being the hugely talented performers they are, managed to produce some strong matches.
The best of their series came on an episode of Monday Night Raw, following a previous clash at Super ShowDown. While that one was slower paced, this one was quicker and more exciting. Reigns didn’t have too many stand-out matches throughout 2018, but this one was strong.
3 2019: Roman Reigns & Undertaker Vs Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre
After a disastrous match against Goldberg in Saudi Arabia, The Undertaker would seek retribution for his performance, and made a surprise appearance on Raw to save Roman Reigns from an attack by Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre.
McMahon’s run as the top heel in WWE wasn’t well-received, but this match at Extreme Rules was brilliant, with Undertaker looking much better than he did in his previous match. This match opened up the show with a bang, and all four superstars did their job to make this match enjoyable.
2 2020: Roman Reigns Vs Jey Uso
When Reigns returned at SummerSlam 2020, it was with a brand-new attitude, aligning himself with Paul Heyman and quickly becoming Universal Champion as the number one heel in the company. He looked like a star and sounded like a star, with WWE finally getting his presentation right.
One of his first title feuds came against his cousin, Jey Uso. The story leading into their match at Clash of Champions was full of personal and familial emotion, which they carried into their dramatic title match. It was one of the most intense and enthralling bouts for quite some time.
1 2021: Roman Reigns Vs Daniel Bryan Vs Edge
The triple threat Universal Championship match at WrestleMania was everything a main event should be. It had a big-match feel, featuring three of the best in the business, and they put on a fantastic match, which featured big spots, hard-hitting offense, and excitement.
Reigns would win the match by pinning both men at the same time, which was a bold yet incredible way to end the show, helping to elevate him even further as a top star.