Roman Reigns may look like one of the most physically impressive stars in wrestling, but he says he deals with the same body-image struggles as a lot of other people. Even after years of being at the top of WWE, Reigns admitted he’s still his own biggest critic when it comes to how he looks.
Speaking to Men’s Health, Reigns opened up about the pressure of maintaining his physique, why it’s impossible to stay in peak condition all year long, and how body dysmorphia still affects the way he sees himself.
Looking back at the Royal Rumble, Reigns admitted he wasn’t nearly as lean as he’d be heading into WrestleMania. Even when the interviewer told him he still looked great, Reigns said that’s not always how he sees himself.
“Oh yeah. I mean, for Rumble, like two months ago, pretty watery, you know what I mean? Thank you. And sometimes that’s like, you know, we all got a little bit of body dysmorphia, right? We’re all fighting this little, you know, critic in our head.”
Reigns explained that years of training mean he’ll always have muscle, but wrestling is an appearance-driven business, and that’s simply part of what comes with the job. At the same time, he doesn’t think it’s realistic to look like you’re ready for WrestleMania every single day of the year when you’re also out there taking bumps and telling stories in the ring.
“So luckily, I have a lot of time in, so I will always carry some muscle mass. But, you know, I’m in an aesthetic business, and this is what I signed up for. So there’s nobody to blame. This is the troublemaker here. But yeah, it’s not always perfect, and that’s the hard part. No offense, Brock, but, like, we’re not just standing on a stage. We have to go out there and display, like, crazy emotions.”
He also admitted he’s never been one of those people who stays shredded without trying. In fact, he joked that his body seems to hold onto water if he so much as looks at a donut.
“The demands that we’re asked—it is hard to stay, unless that’s just the way you are. That’s your genetics and you’re one of those brothers that are just ripped year-round, and there are guys like that. Hard gainers, you know, where they just kind of always stay shredded. I’m not one of those guys. I can—I look at, like, you put a donut right there and I’ll just start accumulating water on me for some reason. I could just look at it and get chubby.”
For Reigns, looking your best isn’t just about training harder. He said injuries, stress, family life and everything happening outside wrestling can all have an impact, pointing out that wrestlers are dealing with the same everyday responsibilities as everyone else.
“But no, I think there’s ebbs and flows, and I think it goes back to: how do you feel? You know, are you injured? Are you beat up? And then is that affecting you mentally? What’s going on personally? Do you have a family? Do you have a wife? How many kids do you have? What’s going on personally there?
We’re humans just like everybody else. We have our day-to-day. We’re paying our bills. We’re taking our kids to school. You know, we’re doing all the normal stuff. So I think that can get the better of a performer too, and it can kind of dictate how they’re looking depending on the year. But when we get to this season, you got to be in it. It doesn’t matter.”
Later in the interview, Reigns was asked if he ever looks back at photos of himself from his early 30s and tries to chase that version of himself. Interestingly, he said he actually believes he’s in his physical prime now. Even so, he admitted body dysmorphia still makes him focus on the things he wishes were different instead of everything that’s going well.
“I think I might be one of those guys, when I’m at my best, I think I’m in my prime, like, physically. And this is my body dysmorphia, though. You know, we all have those little areas that—that’s the first thing you look at. You know what I mean? Whatever your area is. You can have the best shoulders and arms in the world, but I look at, you know, my stomach or whatever it may be. That’s a part of that body dysmorphia that we’re all struggling with.”
Despite all of that, Reigns said he tries not to let one moment define the bigger picture. As far as he’s concerned, there’s always room to improve as long as you’re willing to keep putting in the work.
“If you just keep working at it, don’t let whatever time frame you’re under right now dictate what you can continue to work at and progress at, because it’s not done until it’s done. Like, until we’re not here anymore, there’s something that we can still do.”
While Reigns admitted body dysmorphia is something he still battles, he also made it clear that he doesn’t let those thoughts stop him from improving. Instead of chasing perfection, he’s focused on continuing to put in the work and reminding himself that the process isn’t over yet.
What did you think about Roman Reigns opening up about body dysmorphia? Let us know in the comments below.
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.
