Roman Reigns is at the head of the table and the top of WWE as the reigning Universal Champion.
Reigns has been the face of the company for years, but has been taken to a new level as the Tribal Chief.
Speaking to Pat McAfee on the Pat McAfee Show, Reigns discussed how he balances protecting himself with making sure others are able to eat.
"It's a fine line where you have to protect yourself, value yourself, and be strong in your fight for creative and the stories you want to tell. At the same time, I've raised everybody's stock. That's why it's the island of relevancy. Anyone who steps in the ring with me, there is a priority and obligation for me to make them better for when they leave. To be able to lift everybody is a special trait I think I have as a performer; to make everyone more relevant, make them a better performer, and get more attention and more eyeballs on them; hence why John Cena picked me. That weird and delicate juggling game you have to play to protect yours but also make everything better to stay in that top position," he said.
After headlining four straight WrestleMania events, Reigns was moved down the card at WrestleMania 35. He was on track to be in a main event match at WrestleMania 36 before taking a leave of absence due to the pandemic.
"Once my leukemia relapsed and we went through that and the process to get back and even the process of, once I was back, there was a year-long portion where I was almost treading water and going with the flow and creative was just happening. I was just trying to be a team player and make it as easy as possible for the creative situation," he said. "That was a portion of time where I was like, 'I want to be able to prove that I can do this and do it at a high level and consistently for a long time.' I was able to do that and still doing it. It got to the point where it wasn't just about being really good anymore. I wanted to go further and wanted to be great. That's what this whole chapter has been since I came back last SummerSlam. I wanted to raise that bar, and not just be a guy with a lot of potential, but to let that potential play out and be fleshed out in front of our audience so they can experience that greatness. That's what I'm trying to do every single day. It's a grind. Every week is a battle. It's a huge show and a huge machine. We all have our opinions and our path that we see for our characters and the stories that should be laid out. It takes a lot of experience and creativity to be able to push your narrative the way you want it."
Reigns has found much more creative freedom in his new role as he's able to get away with lines such as "missionary position." You can find Reigns' comments on his current freedom by clicking here.
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