The long-term future of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been in question for the better part of 2022. Since inking a new deal with WWE earlier this year, the Tribal Chief has worked on a limited schedule, being completely absent from Monday Night Raw and making part-time appearances on WWE SmackDown. Beyond that, Reigns has only been committed to WWE’s “big four” and international live events, as he did not defend his world titles on shows like WWE Extreme Rules or WWE Money in the Bank. This new schedule has drawn comparisons to the likes of The Rock and Brock Lesnar, who both worked limited dates before exiting WWE altogether.
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While outside of the ring endeavors may be in Reigns’s future, his wrestling days are far from over. Speaking to The Ringer, Reigns noted that he’s approaching the halfway mark of his WWE run.
“I’m right in the middle of it,” Reigns said. “People want these interviews, they want to do these documentaries. But this is the bottom of the third inning to me. We’re in the second quarter of the Super Bowl right now.”
Reigns continued by alluding to the work that goes on behind the scenes, teasing that there’s much larger things at play than just what fans see on the surface.
“We’ve done this in turbulent times, through a pandemic, through the biggest change of all time in this business,” Reigns continued. “And we’ve done it seamlessly. We’ve done it without falter. Down the road, 20 years from now when we start giving out all these crazy details of the inside, inside, there’s just going to be even deeper respect for the performances that we’ve been putting on. Man, it’s been a hell of a journey, but it’s only begun. It’s going to get bigger.”
It’s unclear if the “second quarter” is in reference to Reigns’s entire WWE career or his Tribal Chief persona. If it’s the former, fans could see the Head of the Table on the WWE roster for another decade, while as the latter hints at about two more years until he moves on.
WWE President and co-CEO Nick Khan had previously teased that the company has “big plans” to help Reigns break into Hollywood, if that’s a path he envisions himself taking.
“That’s something I want to dabble in and gain more experience. I want to use these tools that I’ve learned,” Reigns said regarding a potential film career. “[Wrestling] is a young man’s game. You can’t fall down your whole life. You have to get to a point where you can transition and continue to connect and create new fresh and evolved content for your fanbase and supporters. I think I have the ability to do that. I have a pretty good track record with being thrown into the deep end. If that’s what happens in Hollywood, I’m going to swim.”
