Best Roman Reign WWE Matches

Ever since he first became a singles star, Roman Reigns was clearly in WWE’s mind as the next number one guy to lead the company, and fast forward to 2024, and he is undoubtedly their most prominent name today. Over his time in WWE in the last decade or so, Reigns has had a variety of great matches.

Some of these are better than others, and TheSportster’s ratings will look at which 10 of his matches are the best of the best throughout the years. Ratings will be compared to other systems such as Cagematch.net and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

UPDATE: 2024/05/05 14:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

Roman Reigns is known more for his star power and presence rather than his ability to steal a show in terms of match quality, and this trait is very important in a company such as WWE. However, 2024 saw Reigns compete in one of the best matches of his entire career to this point at WrestleMania 40, meaning that the list of Reigns’ matches needs to now be reevaluated. This also provides an opportunity to take a look at some more of Roman Reigns’ most noteworthy and entertaining matches throughout the course of his WWE career too.

18 Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE SummerSlam 2022

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.25/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.66

Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar’s rivalry has experienced a lot of ups and downs, but their final match was certainly on the up side. Reigns and Lesnar clashed in a physical Last Man Standing match which had a lot of fun moments such as Lesnar jumping off his tractor, and also upturning the ring with it too in a spot which has never been done before in WWE history. It was a lengthy match which didn’t tire once, and even with some annoying interference, it was still a good way to close out their feud for good. The crowd was arguably not as hot as it should’ve been for such a fun match though.

17 Roman Reigns Vs. Jey Uso, WWE Clash Of Champions 2020

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.25 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.29

Roman Reigns’ first steps into becoming The Tribal Chief really took a leap here as his dominant persona, trash-talking personality, and unforgiving offense was brought to life and shown off for the first time on a PPV stage. Reigns took on his own family in Jey Uso in what was a hugely emotional match with such a rich story. They utilized the lack of fans to their advantage, with it feeling more like a movie than a match at times, which is why the crowd reaction rating gets a boost. The in-ring work wasn’t overly flashy or impressive, but the focus on story certainly was.

16 Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Hell In A Cell 2020)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 7.86

The second match in the series between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso was just as emotional and enthralling as the first, with much more focus being put on the conflict felt inside Reigns as he delved further into heeldom. Reigns’ performance here was masterful, with him even shedding tears at the pain he was inflicting on his own family. The pace was methodical, but they made the most once again of the lack of fans in the arena, allowing focus to be put on their acting abilities and trash talking. This match was hugely important to the development of The Bloodline storyline too.

15 The Shield Vs. Cody Rhodes & Goldust, WWE Battleground 2013

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.23

The Rhodes Family battling The Authority had become a great storyline, and having to battle through The Authority’s hired goons in The Shield was a good part of that. It led to this electric and much anticipated Tag Team Championship match at Battleground 2013 which had the crowd invested and a lot of exciting action. It may not have been right at the top tier of in-ring work, but everyone worked together well and the Rhodes Brothers were wonderful in their role as babyfaces. In the end, they scored a hugely satisfying win, with even Dusty Rhodes getting involved at ringside.

14 Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar Vs. Braun Strowman Vs. Samoa Joe, WWE SummerSlam 2017

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.73

Four of WWE’s most prominent “big guys” went at 100mph in this insane clash of giants. There wasn’t really much story to this outside of Braun Strowman’s inhuman ability to survive a lot of punishment, as this was more about four monsters throwing all they had at each other in a hard-hitting battle. This second half slowed down a little bit, and followed much of the formula of “two in two out” fatal four way trope which affected some of the pacing, but overall the crowd loved it and went wild for everything they saw. Both Strowman and Samoa Joe, even in defeat, looked very strong coming out of this one.

13 Roman Reigns Vs. Logan Paul, WWE Crown Jewel 2022

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.75/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.21

In just Logan Paul’s second ever singles match, he rose to the occasion on the big stage and looked like a star as he challenged for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He matched Reigns at several points in the match, performing moves and displaying psychology far better than he had any right to.

Sure, it wasn’t perfect and his inexperience did show at times, but it didn’t take much away from the match. They masked much of this with big spots such as an insane announce table splash from Paul, and a lot of interference in the final stretch. It wasn’t overdone, and it felt like a great showcase of “sports entertainment”.

12 Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Clash At The Castle 2022)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 7.78

At the time, the result of this match left a very sour taste in the mouths of fans, affecting the atmosphere at the closing stretch and giving the match a worse reaction than it deserved. The big fight feel was pulsing through this match though, as the wild UK audience treated these two like major stars, rooting for McIntyre and giving fire to his performance. They traded big moves, there were sensational near-falls, and whilst it was frustrating, the debut of Solo Sikoa was memorable.

11 Roman Reigns Vs. Sami Zayn, WWE Elimination Chamber 2023

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.36

This match gets propped up a great deal by a thunderous crowd who were raucous for Sami Zayn’s hometown main event, but in truth the match itself wasn’t as special as some may have made out. Zayn played a good underdog against Reigns’ more dominant presence, but like most Reigns matches in his Undisputed WWE Universal Title reign, this was slow, methodical, and it dragged at times.

Everything was simple yet effective, and the crowd made every move feel more impactful and meaningful. The result was not satisfying though, as Bloodline interference led to a flat crowd reaction right at the end.

10 Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar (Vs. Seth Rollins), WWE WrestleMania 31

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.76

Despite the huge hatred towards Roman Reigns from the audience, this match exceeded all expectations. It was one of the more physical and hard-hitting WrestleMania main events in history, and Brock Lesnar in particular was made to look like a monster here. Reigns took a lot of punishment and dished out a lot back to his opponent. The overarching thread of Reigns laughing at Lesnar was a bit odd and didn’t really work, but it was a decent attempt at trying something new. Of course, the final stretch with a bloodied Lesnar nearly losing and Seth Rollins’ breathtaking cash-in was iconic.

9 Roman Reigns Vs. AJ Styles, WWE Extreme Rules 2016

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.25/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.64

This came during the period of Roman Reigns being the victim of scorn from the audience, and their hatred of him despite his babyface role made for a strange dynamic to this one for sure, but either way it was still a great match. Reigns was able to utilize his size, swatting away the smaller Styles who looked world class in everything he did, performing moves to crisp perfection and bumping all over the place. The use of weapons and the chaotic interference from the allies of both men added some excitement and somewhat of an Attitude Era feel to the bout too, which was a good thing.

8 The Shield Vs. Evolution, Extreme Rules 2014

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.70

Two generations collided at Extreme Rules 2014 as The Shield took on Evolution. These men had developed a great storyline leading in, and this played into what ended up being a wild and chaotic match. Things started slow, but soon devolved into brawling in the crowd, dives from high up, and a fun and exciting finish in which the younger stars scored a huge victory. Everyone involved got their own chance to shine and showcase their talents, but it was The Shield who were handed more of the spotlight with the veterans putting them over in a big way.

7 Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa Vs. The Usos, WWE Money In The Bank 2023

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.38

The Bloodline engaged in “Civil War” at Money in the Bank 2023 in front of a red hot UK crowd who elevated this match a great deal. The slower pace at the start of the match was drowned in chants and fan interraction with the likes of Roman Reigns, and this added to the spectacle. There was certainly a distinct big fight feel here, and things really kicked into full gear in the last stretch of the bout which featured big moves, near-falls, and a finish that no one saw coming. For the first time in over three years, Roman Reigns was pinned in the middle of the ring, with Jey Uso scoring a historic victory.

6 Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa Vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens, WWE Night Of Champions 2023

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.39

The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships once again headlined a 2023 PPV as Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens continued their war with The Bloodline, this time against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. The electric crowd cheered on the babyfaces, stirred up by Zayn’s ralling cry in Arabic, which was a great moment. The match did follow a typical Bloodline formula, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t still great. It was easy to feel the tension between the two sides as they gave their best shots, and it was great to see The Usos finally turn on Reigns too. Zayn & Owens scoring a win over Reigns was a great way to close out the show.

5 Roman Reigns Vs. Edge Vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE WrestleMania 37 Night Two

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.90

The desperation for both Edge and Daniel Bryan to win the match and take out their frustration on Roman Reigns was great, but it was ultimately their downfall as Reigns took advantage of this (with the help of some interference). At the time, The Bloodline’s interference wasn’t a huge issue, but in hindsight it did feel a bit jarring. Either way though, the physical nature of this match, the fun sequences, and the big fight feel was certainly on show during this great WrestleMania main event. Reigns grew to a new level of star power, taking out both men and pinning them both simultaneously.

4 Roman Reigns Vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE SmackDown 04/30/2021

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.75/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.82

Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan have had several top class matches, but arguably their best was their last one together on an episode of SmackDown in which Bryan’s career was on the line. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and the fight shown by both men ensured that this felt like an authentic battle. Even in the ThunderDome, the tension was felt, and the trash-talking from Reigns was top class as usual. Bryan showed a lot of desperation but displayed his ever-present technical masterclass, but in the end it was Reigns who emerged victorious, putting an emotional end to Bryan’s WWE career.

3 Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes (WWE WrestleMania 40)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.18

This match will go down as one of the craziest, most hectic, and era-defining main events in WWE history. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes both put their best foot forward in terms of crisp wrestling and delivering impactful moves, keeping an electric audience hooked for half an hour. The latter stages of this match will be what is most remembered though, as a sea of interferences from the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock, and John Cena led to a memorable close that felt like it was right out of the Attitude Era. Most importantly, Cody Rhodes ended the legendary 1316 day title reign of Roman Reigns, completing a historic match.

2 The Shield Vs. Team Hell No & Ryback, WWE TLC 2012

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.22

Roman Reigns’ first ever main roster match in WWE was one of his best. Everyone involved here played an important role, with Dean Ambrose’s crazed brawling, Seth Rollins’ high flying ability, and Reigns’ powerhouse dominance, all working in tandem together like a wild pack of dogs as they took on their babyface opponents. This perfectly introduced the characters of The Shield, and the likes of Daniel Bryan in particular brought out some great character work too. It was a wild brawl full of great spots (including a crazy bump through tables off a ladder from Rollins). There may be no debut match better than this in WWE history.

1 The Shield Vs. The Wyatt Family, WWE Elimination Chamber 2014

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.25 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.22

Just as good as their debut match, if not better, was The Shield’s battle with the Wyatt Family in a match that the crowd was crazily hot for. Every member of both teams got to shine, with The Shield finally feeling like the underdogs in what was a fun switch in dynamics. The Wyatt Family looked dominant, Roman Reigns looked like a badass, and both Rollins & Ambrose displayed some wonderful babyface energy that the group was only just beginning to tap into. It went at a great pace, quickening as the bout went on. It is for sure one of the best multi-man matches of all time in WWE.