Conrad Thompson is not backing away from his Roman Reigns take. After calling Reigns the most overrated main-event star in WWE history on 83 Weeks, Thompson jumped on X and poured gasoline all over the argument.
The backlash started after Thompson argued that WWE forced Reigns into the top spot for years before Paul Heyman finally helped turn the entire presentation around. Eric Bischoff stunned him by agreeing, and fans quickly fired back at both men.
Thompson answered by pointing directly at Reigns’ WrestleMania history. He argued that the number of main events does not erase how badly fans rejected him before Heyman became part of the act.
“Eleven main events at WrestleMania, five more than Cena and three more than Hogan. Go look at them and compare them pre- and post-Heyman. Holler back at me.”
Thompson then told fans to revisit the night after WrestleMania 33, when Reigns stood in the ring while the crowd unloaded on him for several straight minutes.
“Maybe watch the Raw after 33, where they booed him for seven straight minutes. Heyman made us all forget.”
When another account argued that WWE would suffer if Reigns left, Thompson said the company would simply have Heyman build someone else. He also accused fans of forgetting how badly Reigns was rejected during the WrestleMania 31, 32 and 33 era. Thompson then dropped his biggest compliment of the entire rant, but it was aimed at Heyman—not Reigns.
“They’d just have Heyman make another one.”
“I can’t believe everybody forgets WrestleMania 31, 32, 33, etc., where he was booed out of the building.”
“Convincing the world that Roman was in the GOAT conversation is the greatest trick Heyman ever pulled. Heyman is the GOAT.”
Thompson kept going by claiming no top WWE star has ever gained more from having a manager than Reigns. In his view, Heyman did not simply improve the act. He completely changed how fans viewed Roman.
“Go watch Roman pre-Heyman and holler back at me.”
“No main eventer in WWE history has benefited more from having a manager than Roman. We all saw it and hated it. Heyman made us change our mind.”
He then compared Reigns to Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin, arguing that neither man needed a manager to convince fans that he belonged at the top.
“Hogan didn’t need Jimmy. Austin didn’t need DiBiase. Come on. He ain’t the GOAT.”
Thompson also took a shot at the timing of Reigns’ transformation. He argued that the only thing that stopped WWE crowds from booing Roman was the COVID-era shutdown, when fans were no longer allowed inside arenas.
“The only way they got fans to stop booing him was to stop letting them in the arena.”
When Robin Lundberg defended Reigns by pointing to his four-year title run and WWE’s growth during that period, Thompson fired back with the question at the center of his entire argument.
“What does his career look like without Heyman?”
“Did the fans get behind him and then he got a push? Or did they boo him until Heyman sat beside him on SmackDown?”
Thompson is not denying that Reigns became one of WWE’s biggest stars. His argument is that the transformation did not happen because fans finally recognized Roman’s greatness on their own. He believes Heyman rebuilt the character, changed the public perception and dragged Reigns into the GOAT conversation.
The debate is not slowing down, and Thompson clearly has no interest in softening his position. In his eyes, Roman Reigns’ legacy cannot be discussed without giving Paul Heyman most of the credit.
Do you think Paul Heyman is the main reason fans finally accepted Roman Reigns as a top WWE star, or is Conrad Thompson giving him too much credit? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
