Roman Reigns has won just about everything there is to win in WWE, but the Tribal Chief has one big regret about his rise to the top. Appearing on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay, Reigns admitted he wishes he had found the courage to stand up to WWE creative earlier in his career and reject ideas he didn’t believe in.
Roman Reigns (Credits: RingSideNews)
Asked if he would change anything about his WWE run, Reigns said he probably would have said “no” a few more times in his early years. The problem was leverage: he was still trying to prove he belonged in the main event scene, still auditioning, still earning his equity within the company. Turning down the writers simply wasn’t an option yet.
The “Suffering Succotash” Ghost
Reigns then brought up one of the most infamous moments of his career — the much-mocked “suffering succotash” promo. More than a decade later, fans still quote it back at him, no matter how much he has achieved since. “I have delivered unbelievable work since then, but still, I will be tied to that,” he said, pointing out that the line is now 12 to 14 years old.
It’s a telling example of why he wishes he had pushed back. One bad promo line, delivered when he couldn’t say no, followed him through a legendary career.
Two or Three Moments He’d Change
Looking back, Reigns said there weren’t many things he’d erase, but there were a handful of promos, segments and even match finishes he would handle differently now that he has the influence and standing he does today. As he colorfully put it, he’d go back and develop the nerve to say, “Nah, not today, brother.”
These days, Reigns is one of WWE’s biggest stars and enjoys far more creative input than he did during his early years on the main roster. Hearing him admit that even he — one of the most successful performers of his generation — still replays a few career missteps shows how much those early compromises stuck with him.
It’s worth remembering how much Reigns’ relationship with the fans has transformed since those early days. When he first broke through as part of The Shield in 2012, WWE positioned him as the next face of the company — and the crowd pushed back hard, booing him through Royal Rumble wins and WrestleMania main events. Looking back, it’s striking that some of the damage was self-inflicted by a creative process he didn’t yet have the standing to challenge.
The turnaround only came when Reigns returned in 2020 as The Bloodline’s Tribal Chief, a character he had far more ownership over — and that version became one of the defining acts of the modern era. The contrast says it all: when performers have the leverage to shape their own stories, the results speak for themselves. For Reigns, that leverage simply arrived years later than it should have.
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Source: RingSideNews — read the full story there.