Roman Reigns Calls Out WWE Booking: “They Used Me for the Pop”

With the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble set to go down tomorrow night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Roman Reigns made it clear—he didn’t fly halfway across the world just to sit on the sidelines.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, the former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion didn’t hold back when asked about potentially winning this year’s Royal Rumble, which would be his first Rumble victory since 2015.

“I didn’t come all the way out here for nothing. From Miami, this is a long travel day.”

Reigns admitted that despite being a top guy for years, the Royal Rumble has often eluded him—and not by accident. But this year feels different. This year feels personal.

“I haven’t been able to pull this off in over 10 years now. For the longest, I felt like I was the gatekeeper, the runner-up guy. They would spam me and try and get the big pop for the babyface or whatever.”

“But this feels like me. It feels like me. I think there’s so many different fingers and signs pointing to this.”

Reigns framed his current mindset as a reflection of what the WWE Universe is demanding from the product—more dominance, more legacy, and more Roman Reigns.

“I think we’re at a place where our fans are demanding more. I set us up, I put us in position to be fulfilled in the promised land, to be in a position to break records and make an ungodly amount of money. We’re at that point that our fans are craving that.”

And if there’s one thing Reigns wants fans to remember—it’s that he’s already proven he’s the guy.

“They already know, it’s a proof of concept with me. They know what they’re getting with me.”

The Tribal Chief has spoken, and his words suggest tomorrow’s Royal Rumble could be more than just a comeback—it might be a reclaiming of the throne.