Roman Reigns is 5-0 in 2026 after defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam in what many are calling a classic.
His latest performance comes during a remarkable year that has seen him win the men’s Royal Rumble, capture his seventh world title, and headline his 11th WrestleMania.
But how does Sunday’s showdown compare with Reigns’ previous matches this year?
Here’s a ranking of the Tribal Chief’s best work thus far.
No. 5: vs. Jacob Fatu, Clash In Italy
The sequel to their match earlier in May at Backlash earned Reigns a different kind of acknowledgement
from wrestling legend Jim Cornette.
“This was a indie fuckin’ wrestling match with big names,” Cornette said on his podcast, adding, “This brought to my mind everything that I don’t like about modern fuckin’ wrestling — all in the same match.”
Cornette also called out Reigns’ selling, pointing to the Tribal Chief pulling up his pants as he and Fatu were “walk fighting.”
After slamming the bout for many things, including a “glacial” pace, Cornette seemed ready to move on from Reigns and his family drama.
“The Bloodline was the thing you slowed down for. There’s more exciting shit going on now,” he said.
No. 4: The 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble
Roman Reigns’ journey back to the top of WWE has seen him take a different path. Rather than rely on his family to help him coast, Reigns has made it his mission to prove he can win on his own.
In the “every man for himself” Royal Rumble, Reigns did exactly that.
Instead of turning to his Bloodline, he eliminated them, tossing out Jacob Fatu and Jey Uso. In total, the Tribal Chief had five eliminations, last eliminating Gunther to claim his second Rumble victory.
But perhaps the only thing more satisfying to fans than his victory was seeing Reigns encourage Uso to “run it back” and yeet, only to haul off and blast Uso in the face.
No yeet.
No. 3: vs. Seth Rollins, SummerSlam
As he would at WrestleMania 42 (wait for it, we’re getting there), Reigns may have saved another WWE PLE, this time SummerSlam 2026. Against Seth Rollins, Reigns helped deliver an epic worthy of their storied history, far exceeding its build.
Reader feedback at Cageside Seats was overwhelmingly positive, with one person writing, “This was the art of wrestling in its purest forms. Like it’s been a while since a match made me feel so many things. Five stars. No questions.”
However, there were some inconsistencies, mainly with the officiating, that proved distracting. While Reigns defeating his former Shield partner and longtime rival was the right call, the finish was overly melodramatic, with Rollins seemingly accepting his fate before Reigns put him away with a spear.
Still, even those who aren’t generally impressed by Reigns were able to give him his due.
“I’m biased because I’m not a ‘Roman holding the title fan’ & I can still say the match was good. Not my complete cup of tea as I thought the last 5-10 mins drug on. Still, I understand why so many loved it,” wrote another reader.
No. 2: vs. CM Punk, WrestleMania 42
Regardless of how one feels about polarizing writer Dave Meltzer and his star-rating system, know this: Meltzer, notoriously stingy when it comes to awarding WWE matches one of his highest honors, gave this a 5-star rating.
“Reigns’ win over Punk was clean, and among the best matches in WrestleMania history,” Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Such praise isn’t without merit.
Before this match, WrestleMania 42 was on pace to be the worst Mania of all time. Described by many as soulless, fans inside Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and viewers watching at home were bombarded by an endless stream of in-show ads. In the lead-up and through night one of the two-night event, fans suffered through the involvement of Pat McAfee.
Punk and Reigns arguably saved the show, while giving fans something they hadn’t seen from Reigns in years on WWE’s grandest stage: a clean win in a hard-fought contest.
“I think, probably, Roman was really motivated to look great in this, coming back, especially that he’s going to be around for a while now,” said Matt Hardy after the show on his podcast, The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy Podcast. “He was really motivated to come back and kill it in a WrestleMania main event.”
No. 1: vs. Jacob Fatu, Backlash
Few wrestlers in my 41 years watching wrestling have impressed me more than Reigns (you could read one of my reasons why here), which is why I’ve taken a particular interest in covering his matches as often as I do.
Having watched every broadcast match during his historic 1,316 day world title reign, including his work at live events, Reigns’ match with Jacob Fatu at Backlash is one of the best of his career, and one that serves as a proper introduction to those unfamiliar with the OTC.
Besides their family dynamic, there was a genuine sense of curiosity surrounding this bout. Surely, Fatu wasn’t going to win, but how could he lose?
From the start, Reigns appeared poised, confident, and focused. He looked like a champion. The action was intense, and expertly paced to sell the effects of war. In many respects, it was reminiscent of wrestling matches from the 1980s featuring a charismatic champion against a monster heel.
After winning the title at Mania, he promised to do things on his own, and this was a test of his word. While the finish wasn’t without controversy — he rammed Fatu’s head into an exposed steel turnbuckle — it was defensible. After all, he was facing a man who said he’d do anything to win.
Reigns did too, but he did it on his own. The way Fatu lost, followed by his violent post-match assault, kept “The Samoan Werewolf” strong enough in defeat to warrant an immediate rematch at Clash in Italy.
