WWE's Roman Reigns Officially Cleared After Testing Positive for COVID-19

By Connor Casey

Roman Reigns broke the news hours before the Day 1 pay-per-view on Saturday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, his Universal Championship match with Brock Lesnar had to be scrapped, forcing WWE to quickly change plans and add "The Beast" to the four-way WWE Championship match (which he won). Lesnar's had his first challenger for his ninth world championship reign — Bobby Lashley — determined in the main event of this week's Raw, but Lesnar still had his sights set on antagonizing Reigns on this week's SmackDown. WWE then confirmed on Thursday that "The Tribal Chief" was cleared to return and would be back on SmackDown this week. 

Reigns vs. Lesnar, despite the wrinkle of the extra world championship being added in, is still reportedly the plan for the main event of WrestleMania 38 in April. The pair have previously main evented the show at WrestleMania 31 and 34. 

Reigns, having battled leukemia and having several small children at home, opted to step away from the WWE just before WrestleMania 36 back in March 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic was getting underway. He would not return until SummerSlam that August, and within a week he had introduced "The Tribal Chief" persona, aligned himself with Paul Heyman and started a Universal Championship reign that is still ongoing. However, before Christmas Reigns opted to fire Heyman after repeatedly questioning where the "Special Counsel's" loyalties were. Heyman opened this week's Raw by officially reuniting with Lesnar as his "Advocate," then joked about how within weeks of firing Heyman Reigns had gotten sick. 

Heyman gave a number of interviews last year reflecting on his partnership, including one with Sports Illustrated where he admitted he was reluctant to work with anyone else besides Lesnar.

"I cannot begin to convey how reluctant I was to ever do anything in this industry after the eight years, let alone the 18 years, that I put together with Brock Lesnar," Heyman said. "Look at our accomplishments: a 500-day run as champion, multiple world championships, the single biggest, most historic victory in sports entertainment history in the conquering of 'The Streak.' There was very little chance of me ever returning on-screen."

"For me to pursue, in front of the camera, life after Brock Lesnar, the only lure that could seduce me to even attempting such an impossible goal was to do it with someone that would live their life in the pursuit of achieving that impossibility, and that's Roman Reigns," he later added. "And that's why someone, that's why anyone and that's why everyone should watch Roman Reigns. Every micromoment he's in the frame, you are witnessing the pursuit of the all-time greatest career in the annals of sport, in the annals of entertainment and in the annals of sports entertainment."

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