Roman Reigns is the "Tribal Chief" and at the "Head of the Table" in WWE and could enter Hulk Hogan territory, should he remain the champion Sunday night at WrestleMania 39.
Reigns is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and will be on the cusp of a 1,000-day reign as the top champion in the company if he beats Cody Rhodes. Should he have his hand raised at the end of the night, he would be on pace for the sixth reign of at least 1,000 days and the first since Hogan held the belt for 1,474 days from 1984 to 1988.
Roman Reigns holds up the WWE Universal Championship after defeating Jey Uso during a match on Oct. 25, 2020, in Orlando, Florida. Reigns and Cody Rhodes will be in the main event of WrestleMania 39 on April 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (WWE via AP)
It would be his 944th consecutive day as champion.
"You set goals and have visions of where you view yourself and what you’d like to accomplish. But, I couldn’t have written the past three years any better," Reigns told the Associated Press on Thursday. "It feels good to come from a wrestling family that has been performers for a long time. To represent such a prestigious title reign at the tippity top of the mountain, there’s no comparison."
Aside from the emotional promos between Reigns and his opponent, both competitors are generational figures in the pro wrestling industry. Rhodes’ father, Dusty Rhodes, was a major figure in the business until his death in 2015, but his legacy is everlasting.
A WrestleMania sign hangs over the crowd during the WWE Monday Night RAW event, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
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Dusty Rhodes trained Reigns when he was coming up in WWE’s developmental program.
"He’s critical early on as far as instilling confidence. He saw the man I would become, opposed to what I was looking at in the mirror. I’ve lived with that and carried that with me anytime I have doubts," Reigns said.
Should Reigns lose, it’s unclear where he could go from there. He could end up feuding with the members of The Bloodline faction, as the storyline appears to show a fracturing stable. Regardless, Reigns made clear he still plans on wrestling for a long time.
Roman Reigns enters the ring to face Brock Lesnar during WrestleMania 38 in Arlington Texas, April 3, 2022. Reigns and Cody Rhodes will be in the main event of WrestleMania 39 on April 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (WWE via AP)
"I feel good. I take care of myself. I’m not running around doing anything crazy. I raise children and dominate the wrestling game," Reigns added. "f they keep cutting these insane checks, I’ll stay around."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.