Roman Reigns Blasts WWE Talent for Wasting the Spotlight He Left Behind

Just 24 hours before stepping into the 2026 Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, Roman Reigns publicly ripped into the WWE locker room, accusing the current roster of complacency, creative stagnation, and failing to rise during his time away.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show on January 30, 2026, Reigns made it clear he hasn’t been impressed by what’s gone down in his absence from WWE TV. He claimed that younger talent squandered the limelight he willingly vacated and took aim at the creative direction of the product over the past two years. When McAfee asked if it felt like time to return and make everyone “kiss the ring,” Reigns fired off:

“There’s always a mindset like that, but to be honest and transparent, two years ago things changed. What I’ve been doing out there hasn’t been exactly the same as what I did before. I look at it like this—I’m a generous Tribal Chief. I give people plenty of time.”

He then shifted to calling out the next generation of Superstars for not capitalizing on that open space, making it clear that he feels they haven’t evolved at all. Reigns credited WWE CEO Nick Khan for solid leadership but warned that the creative side hasn’t kept pace with WWE’s booming business and mainstream expansion:

“These young talents say we hog all the TV time. They complain about one thing, and then I leave an opening. I give them plenty of space to create whatever type of superstardom they want, to get over with the kids. And now we’re two years in, and we haven’t advanced. We haven’t evolved. We have great leadership in Nick Khan, but creatively we have to be able to keep up with that. That’s why I can’t just sit around and watch mediocrity—especially when I set it up for everyone to slam it home. We’re on Netflix. You’ve got to capitalize.”

And with trademark confidence, the Tribal Chief made it clear the recipe for success still runs through him since he’s got the formula.

“I’ve got the formula. I know how to cook it up. It’s been a tough couple of years for me, but when you come off a run like I had, sometimes you’ve got to pump the brakes.”

As the clock ticks down to the Royal Rumble on January 31, Reigns has already sent a message—he’s not just back to compete, he’s here to shake the system.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.