Conrad Thompson isn’t backing off his Roman Reigns criticism—and JBL gave him a chance to explain exactly what he meant. After Roman praised Cody Rhodes in a Complex interview, the conversation on Something to Wrestle with John Layfield quickly turned into a debate over Reigns’ legacy.
JBL joked that Conrad was the captain of the Roman Reigns hater club, but Conrad said he doesn’t hate the WWE star. He even praised Reigns’ recent matches before making clear he still thinks fans overstate Roman’s place in wrestling history.
“No, I don’t hate Roman. I think Roman’s terrific. I’ve loved all six of his matches this year. He has banger after banger.”
That praise didn’t last long. Conrad returned to his earlier “overrated” criticism and pushed back against fans who point to Reigns’ WrestleMania main-event record as proof that he belongs alongside Hulk Hogan.
“When I said Roman Reigns was overrated, I’m tired of people throwing stats at me and saying, ‘Oh, well, he’s main evented more WrestleMania than anybody.’ Yes, that is factually true. It’s also true that never have I ever seen a Roman Reigns T-shirt out in the wild. Not once.”
Conrad also said he had never heard fans put Reigns on their wrestling Mount Rushmore. He rejected the claim that Roman’s impact on WWE exceeded Hogan’s, while stressing that he wasn’t saying Reigns had failed.
“Roman Reigns is not [in the Mount Rushmore conversation]. Does that mean he’s failed? Absolutely not. They’ve enjoyed incredible success, but it’s apples and pomegranates.”
When JBL pointed to Roman’s record-setting stats, Conrad compared his role to Triple H’s, arguing that strong numbers don’t automatically make someone one of wrestling’s defining cultural icons.
“But I’m saying he is Triple H. He’s Triple H of 2026.”
The argument got sharper when Conrad questioned whether Reigns himself was responsible for WWE selling tickets to WrestleMania and the Royal Rumble. He argued that WWE’s biggest events sell because of the brands themselves, and credited Nick Khan’s negotiating for the company’s financial success.
“People are buying the show because it’s WrestleMania or because it’s Royal Rumble.”
Conrad has made the “overrated” argument before, including on 83 Weeks. Ringside News previously covered his claim that Reigns was the most overrated main-event star in WWE history, and the latest exchange shows he’s still standing by his criticism.
JBL called Conrad out for returning to the same argument, while Conrad insisted that praising Roman’s matches doesn’t mean he has to agree with comparisons to Hogan, The Rock, or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The debate ended with Conrad making his position plain: he respects what Reigns has done, but doesn’t believe the statistics settle the argument about his legacy.
Do you agree with Conrad’s take on Roman Reigns, or do you think Roman belongs in the same conversation as WWE’s biggest legends? Share your thoughts and leave your feedback.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
