While he might come from one of the biggest wrestling families in the world, Roman Reigns still didn't start in the business until he signed a WWE developmental contract in 2010. After his main roster debut as a member of The Shield, it's been full steam ahead for one of the pillars of WWE's modern era.
After the end of The Shield, Roman Reigns was predominantly portrayed as a babyface. That was despite a non-stop push from fans to see him as a heel, though that wish has finally been fulfilled. Still, his babyface run had some huge moments.
10 Turning Face With The Shield
When Roman Reigns jumped to the main roster with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, they did so as The Shield. In the minds of many, The Shield is one of the greatest factions of all time. But for most of their run, they functioned as either the top heels or at least working for the top heels on the roster.
Then in 2014, The Shield turned face and began fighting The Authority. Fans got their first taste of Reigns as a good guy, which continued until his 2020 heel turn. Still, Roman at his best might still be as part of The Shield.
9 The Day It Became His Yard
At WrestleMania 33, The Undertaker participated in what many believed at the time was his last match. As it turned out, it wasn't his final bout. The Undertaker's last ride was a cinematic match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36. It was a great final match for one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time.
WrestleMania 33 saw Roman Reigns defeat The Undertaker, much to the chagrin of fans. The next night on Raw, Roman delivered a short but sweet promo, declaring it was now his yard. Fans were angry but it was a hell of a promo.
8 Winning The Royal Rumble
In 2015, Reigns won the Royal Rumble and earned himself a title shot at WrestleMania 31. As usual, fans weren't happy, but it was delightful to see how angry The Authority was. They really didn't want him to win.
Unfortunately for Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, The Rock stepped in and helped Reigns out. After being eliminated, The Big Show and Kane jumped back in the ring to take Reigns out. The Rock fended them off, helping Reigns get the win. Celebrating with The Rock was a huge face moment for Roman.
7 WrestleMania 31
Just a couple of months later, Roman Reigns stepped into the main event of WrestleMania 31 to take on Brock Lesnar. They faced off over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a hard-hitting match.
Nothing makes fans cheer for a wrestler like making him the one to take Brock's title away. That didn't happen, though. Seth Rollins showed up with his MITB contract and cashed it in. He turned the match into a triple threat and then pinned Reigns to win the title. Regardless, being in the main event was still a big deal for Reigns.
6 Beating John Cena At No Mercy
Before Roman Reigns, John Cena was the babyface that everyone loved to hate. That never changed the fact that both men were WWE workhorses in their own distinct eras. While they weren't prominent at the same time, that didn't stop them from facing off at No Mercy in 2017.
After an ongoing war of words between the two main eventers, Roman won a hard-fought match. When it was all said and done, Cena gave Reigns his props and began the process of moving on from WWE. Reigns, on the other hand, took the torch and ran with it.
5 His Universal Championship
While it took a bit of time, Reigns finally went on to win the Universal Championship by defeating Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam in 2018. It was quite obviously a huge moment in Reigns' career.
The biggest reason was the fact that it was his first Universal Championship. But what made that victory even more amazing was the fact that he took the title from Brock Lesnar. Fans always seem to be torn on Lesnar, mainly because of his part-timer status. Roman finally putting him down was key for his development.
4 Taking A Hiatus Due To Leukemia
Roman's major win at SummerSlam should have been the beginning of a big run in his career. But on October 22, 2018, Roman announced that he had been battling Leukemia for 11 years behind the scenes and had to take a hiatus from wrestling for treatment.
Wrestling fans had never turned on a dime so quickly. When Reigns started talking, they booed him as usual. But when he started talking about Leukemia, those boos quickly changed to cheers of support. It goes to show that wrestling fans know where the line is between fiction and reality. For the most part, at least. And when it comes down to it, the WWE Universe truly cares for The Big Dog.
3 Recovering From Leukemia
On February 27, 2019, Roman made his return to WWE on an episode of Raw. It was his first appearance since he took time off to be treated for Leukemia. Fans knew in their hearts he would come back, but it was still a wonderful moment.
Once again, fans showed their support for Reigns while he announced that he had beaten Leukemia into remission. He then eased his way back into his old routine. Eventually, Reigns would even go after the Universal Championship he surrendered when he made his big announcement several months earlier.
2 Reuniting The Shield
The Shield was one of the biggest factions in the history of the business. Together, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns seemed like they could beat pretty much anyone. For fans, it was difficult when they separated. As is often the case in WWE, everything is cyclical.
On two separate occasions, The Shield reunited and tore up the WWE. The final time was after Reigns returned from his hiatus but before Dean Ambrose left the company. It was a special run as it may have been The Shield's final time together.
1 Knowing The Right Time To Turn Heel
Possibly the biggest moment of Roman Reigns' time as a babyface was the moment he finally turned heel. Throughout his time as a face, many fans were not behind him. They felt like Vince McMahon and the WWE were forcing Reigns on them as a main event player whether they wanted him or not.
The heel turn was inevitable and has gone quite well so far. It honestly looks good on him. As crazy as it sounds, the thing that made him an amazing babyface was picking the right moment to turn heel. And he made it work.