Roman Reigns Says He Wants to Show “The Difference” a Megastar Makes With a Championship

Two years removed from his historic 1316-day WWE Championship reign ending at WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns is heading into WrestleMania 42 with a clear and specific mission. Speaking to Nico Leonard, Reigns articulated exactly what motivates him to keep pushing at the elite level when there are no accolades left to chase — and the answer centers on the unique statement a megastar makes when a championship is placed in their hands.

“There is not any accolade I can win in wrestling now, but I can take a championship and showcase what happens to a championship when you put it on a megastar. That’s my goal. Showcase the difference when I have a title and when everybody else has one. There is a difference,” Reigns said. He also acknowledged the internal struggle that comes with maintaining elite-level motivation after everything has been accomplished. “There are some days, when I’m trying to get back into that elite level mindset or fitness, I think to myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ I’m very happy with what I’ve done over the past few years and I could hang my hat on that, but I know I still have more to offer.”

Roman Reigns Challenges CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 Night Two

Reigns challenges CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 on April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — a match that represents his first world championship opportunity since his historic Tribal Chief reign came to an end. The specific language Reigns used about showcasing what a championship looks like on a megastar suggests he views the World Heavyweight title as an opportunity to begin a new defining chapter rather than simply adding another reign to an already historic résumé.