Professional wrestling has seen the rise and fall of many over the years, but very few have actually managed to leave a mark or become the face of the sport. Roman Reigns has managed to achieve both within a short span of time. The American professional has reached the pinnacle of success, and he is still going strong. As a professional, he now reigns at the top as one of the highest-paid wrestlers around at present.
The wrestler’s real name is Joseph Leati Anoa’i, but he took on the mantle of Roman Reigns because he became a bit of a villain as he was making his way up the ladder in the world of wrestling. After going pro in 2010, Reigns has carved out a niche for himself in the wrestling ring.
Reigns’ rise to the top has not been easy in any way, and his journey is inspirational, to say the least. In this article, we will take a deep dive into the life of The Tribal Chief.
Roman Reigns’ career and net worth
Born on May 25th, 1985, in Florida, Roman Reigns has both Italian and Samoan roots. Moreover, wrestling runs in the family, as his father and brother were also professional wrestlers.
Reigns was always athletically gifted, and he even played football in college and won the Defensive Player of the Year award as well. He was a prolific footballer, which led to Reigns being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL in 2007. His stint with the Vikings did not last long, as he was diagnosed with leukemia, causing the team to drop him. Reigns moved around between teams a fair bit before he quit football permanently in 2008.
Roman Reigns’ WWE career began in 2010, and he has not looked back ever since. His journey was not the smoothest, and he often found himself at odds with fans. Many felt that the WWE went out of their way to make the American the face of the brand.
2016 proved to be a tough year for Roman Reigns. He was involved in an altercation with fans, where he allegedly yelled at the crowd angrily. Things took an even darker turn when he was suspended from wrestling for a month. While the reason for his suspension was never revealed, many thought it was due to a drug-related incident.
Roman Reigns has appeared in the last three editions of WrestleMania. His pay-per-view has contributed to his growing wealth. According to reports, Reigns’ net worth is around $14 million at present.
Roman Reigns is now one of the highest-paid stars, too. As per Give Me Sport, Reigns earns a base salary of $5 million annually.
Are Roman Reigns and Dwayne Johnson related?
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a popular wrestler and a Hollywood star to boot. But is he related to Roman Reigns? No. The pair are not related to each other by blood, although they come from the same Anoa’i family.
Johnson and Reigns call each other cousins due to their connection. This bond transcends generations, as their grandfathers too were blood brothers. This means that Johnson’s grandfather, ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia, and Reigns’ grandfather, Reverend Amituana’i Anoa’i, swore to treat each other as brothers in a ceremony that involved the mingling of blood.
While The Rock and Reigns might be cousins, they leave their bond behind in the ring. The duo will be headlining WrestleMania at the SoFi stadium.
Roman Reigns will hope for his fame and wealth to continue growing. He will be seen at the Royal Rumble next, alongside Randy Orton, and AJ Styles, among others.
