Roman Reigns, known as “The Tribal Chief” and “The Head of the Table,” has been one of the most dominant figures in WWE history. Since his return in 2020 with a new attitude and alignment with Paul Heyman, Reigns has ruled the WWE landscape with an iron grip. However, despite his dominance, there have been several moments when he came dangerously close to losing his championship or crucial matches. Let’s take a look at some of the most intense moments where Roman Reigns nearly lost in WWE.
1. Clash of Champions 2020 – Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso
One of the earliest tests of Roman Reigns’ reign as Universal Champion came against his own cousin, Jey Uso. This match was an emotionally charged battle where Jey refused to acknowledge Roman as “The Tribal Chief.” Jey put up a valiant fight, even stunning Roman with a near-fall, but in the end, Reigns brutalized him to force an unwilling Jimmy Uso to throw in the towel. Despite his eventual victory, this was one of the first times Reigns appeared vulnerable.
2. Royal Rumble 2021 – Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens (Last Man Standing Match)
In one of the most brutal Last Man Standing matches in WWE history, Kevin Owens took Reigns to his absolute limit. At one point, Owens even handcuffed Reigns to a lighting rig, preventing him from standing up before the ten-count. A referee was moments away from counting to ten when Paul Heyman intervened to free Reigns just in time. This was one of the closest moments where Reigns nearly lost his title due to a technical mistake.
3. WrestleMania 37 – Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan
At WrestleMania 37, Reigns faced two of the most dangerous competitors in a Triple Threat match—Edge and Daniel Bryan. There were several instances where it seemed like either Bryan or Edge could walk out as the Universal Champion. Edge even delivered a devastating Con-Chair-To to Bryan and had Reigns pinned before Jey Uso’s interference saved the day. In the final moments, Reigns powerfully stacked both Edge and Bryan before pinning them simultaneously, but this was perhaps the closest he came to losing his title on the grandest stage.
4. Crown Jewel 2021 – Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
In yet another classic battle between Reigns and his long-time rival, Brock Lesnar, the Universal Championship was on the line. Lesnar had Reigns right where he wanted him after delivering an F-5 and appeared to have the match won before the referee was knocked out. By the time the official recovered, Reigns had taken advantage of interference from The Usos and used the championship belt to secure a controversial win.
5. Elimination Chamber 2023 – Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn’s storyline with The Bloodline led to a highly emotional title match in his hometown of Montreal. Zayn came within milliseconds of dethroning Reigns after a Helluva Kick nearly secured the win. However, distractions, interference, and Roman’s resilience allowed him to escape with the title once again.
Despite his dominance, Roman Reigns has had several near-losses that kept fans on the edge of their seats. His ability to survive these moments has only cemented his legendary status in WWE history.
