Before His Dominating Presence Over the WWE Roster, Where Did Roman Reigns Get His Start in Wrestling?

Roman Reigns is arguably the greatest name in WWE as of now. Considered the face of the company after John Cena, he has been positioned as the top star for several years. Despite facing backlash from the fans for his face run, his heel turn has been heavily applauded by both fans and critics alike.

However, much like Dwayne Johnson, football was his first love but he soon transitioned to wrestling. So let’s trace his origin in the sport of wrestling.

Roman Reigns debut as Roman Leakee at FCW

After a shot lived football career, Reigns turned to wrestling. He signed with WWE in 2010 and began training in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). Reigns debuted as Roman Leakee in a 15-man battle royal in August 2010 and then competed in a 30-man Grand Royal in 2011.

His run at FCW was unlike his recent run. He initially struggled, losing matches and failing to capture titles. However, 2012 saw a turning point. He impressed in a non-title match against a champion, won a Triple Threat contender match against Seth Rollins and Jon Moxley aka Dean Ambrose, and eventually clinched the Tag Team Championship with partner Mike Dalton.

Finally, with NXT replacing FCW, Anoaʻi re-debuted as the villainous Roman Reigns, marking the start of his ascent to stardom with NXT.

Read more: Delving Into Roman Reigns’ Dominant Showing at the Royal Rumble PLE Over the Years

FCW was later rebranded as NXT in 2012 when Reigns was still a part of FCW. He made his debut at NXT with a villainous character, defeating CJ Parker in his first match. However, he didn’t stay in the NXT brand for long as he was quickly elevated to the main roster.

Roman Reigns debut and ascension to the top

Roman Reigns made his main roster debut on November 18th, 2012, at Survivor Series as part of The Shield alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, making an iconic entrance by powerbombing Ryback. Despite WWE’s high hopes, his forced babyface run and frequent main event appearances led to fan backlash, culminating in being booed even with support from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. However, Reigns’ battle with leukemia shifted public sentiment.

He made a dramatic return to WWE at SummerSlam 2020, attacking Bray Wyatt and aligning with Paul Heyman. His appearance had changed after his leukemia hiatus, and he returned as a heel. Since then, he has reached new heights, becoming The Tribal Chief and leader of The Bloodline, fulfilling Vince McMahon’s expectations and becoming a dominant force in wrestling.

How would you rate Roman Reigns’ career so far?

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