WrestleMania: Roman Reigns talks about the Bloodline and how leukemia changed him

His name is Roman Reigns. Acknowledge him.

That’s what thousands of fans in arenas across the country have been doing the last three years, after Reigns won the WWE Universal title on Aug. 30, 2020. When Reigns enters the SoFi Stadium ring on the second night of WrestleMania on Sunday, he will have been champion for 945 days, the fifth-longest reign (no pun intended) in WWE history. You have the go back to the glory days of Hulk Hogan in the mid-1980s to find a longer tenure as champion. He even added the WWE title during that span, unifying the two most important titles in the organization.

And when he grabs the microphone Sunday and says “Los Angeles, acknowledge me!” well, just open a window if you aren’t at the event and you will likely hear the chorus of boos and cheers. It has become one of the best promo openers of all time.

“All the greats, they all have that opener,” Reigns told the Los Angeles Times. “And I was like, ‘Man, if I can get that out of the way and get some sort of hook, I won’t ever have to worry about how to start a promo or segment.’ At one point I just figured it was never going to happen. And then it just happened out of nowhere as I’m beating up Jey [Uso], I was just yelling, ‘Acknowledge me,’ at him, and it just stuck.”

Reigns hasn’t always been on top of the wrestling world. After he spent three years as a member of the popular the Shield, WWE tried to make Reigns its top babyface, the wrestling term for a good guy, in 2014 and every year after that, but fans rejected him. They wanted their favorite, usually Daniel Bryan, to get the top spot.

Many fans believed Reigns was being force fed to them, and they resented it. And they wanted the Shield reunited. He was booed at arenas but was being positioned as WWE’s top babyface. It could be sad and embarrassing to watch. At times, WWE would reunite the Shield, to the happiness of fans.

“With a Shield reunion being out of bounds,” after one of the members, Jon Moxley, left WWE for a rival company, “that took that fantasy away,” Reigns said.

Things began to turn in late 2018, when Reigns, real name Joe Anoa’i, revealed he would be stepping away for a while because of a recurrence of leukemia, in which he was first diagnosed in 2007. Suddenly, a real-life situation took over the scripted storylines. Fans were in shock. Reigns was given a standing ovation after announcing it during WWE’s live “Monday Night Raw” TV show. He returned a few months later to another standing ovation, and the boos were gone. Reigns seemed to be a different wrestler with a more relaxed attitude. He seemed more himself.

“I kind of call that my ‘just happy to be here’ portion of my career, you know what I mean?” Reigns said. “Where I was just taking it all in, you know, the things we take for granted. Just being happy that I can get my ankles taped today, that means I’m gonna get in the ring. That’s when my mindset changed. I was thinking, ‘So happy to be here. How can I make this easy for you?’ The gratitude remains in place.”

In late 2020, a new storyline began for Reigns, one that has parallels to the classic TV show, “The Sopranos.” Reigns slowly brought his family members into a group called the Bloodline, with Reigns positioned as the “Tribal Chief.” First, legendary manager Paul Heyman, who many remember as Paul E. Dangerously, aligned himself with Reigns, solidifying him as a heel.

Then his cousins, twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso joined, with both having to be beaten by Reigns in and outside of the ring to be convinced to join. Sami Zayn came along as an honorary member, eventually outcast for not being loyal, and cousin Solo Sikoa joined as the silent enforcer of the group.

Reigns was the boss who rarely got his hands dirty, sending his family out to deliver beatings to his upcoming opponents, weakening his competition before Reigns defended his titles.

The Bloodline storyline, which culminates at WrestleMania weekend when the Usos defend their tag team titles against Zayn and Kevin Owens, and Reigns defends his titles against Cody Rhodes, has been one of the most compelling WWE angles in years.

And Reigns knows how important the Bloodline has been to him, on camera and off.

“Solo, we could talk about physical stuff, but I don’t think that’s the most interesting part of him,” Reigns said. “Obviously he’s a tough kid, but I think he represents the future and he also showcases our depth. And he continues to showcase every single week how quickly he learns and adapts.

“Jimmy wants a good time. He’s our social butterfly, and you can see it the way he talks. If we all go somewhere, he’s going to be the one that makes best friends while me and Jey keep to ourselves.”

Reigns, speaking as Tribal Chief and veteran of the game, tries to explain how the twins, Jimmy and Jey, fit into the dynamics of the group.

“Jey is the most charismatic of the group,” Reigns said. “And I think he also has more potential than all of us. What people often don’t understand about most twins is, they do have a hierarchy. There is an older brother, there is a younger brother, and they do believe in that.

“Jimmy really is the older brother. So with Jey there comes those weird, layered insecurities and that little man syndrome that Jey can have because he’s always trying to prove himself. And me and Jimmy have always been able to knock him down. That’s why he carries such a big chip on his shoulder and why he is one of the more layered characters of the Bloodline.’

Reigns also believes that Heyman is the glue that makes this gimmick work.

“Paul Heyman is the wise man,” Reigns said. “He’s been with our family since we were little guys. He’s done everything you can do in this business and the skeletons in his wrestling closet are vast. He is my secret weapon. He is crucial when it comes to anything that isn’t on screen. And what he brings on screen is just icing on the cake.”

What is happening onscreen is that Reigns will be in the main event for the seventh time at WrestleMania, tying Hogan’s record.

“It’s weird, because before John Cena top stars were sort of in and out,” Reigns said. “Steve Austin, the Rock, they didn’t overstay their welcome. Their primes weren’t that long. Cena (main event of five WrestleManias) kind of changed the whole game and created a whole different mindset of the top guy being the top guy for so long. But I didn’t think seven was going to happen.”

The question that most wrestling fans want answered is who would win between the Shield and the Bloodline?

“That’s easy,” Reigns said, tactfully aware of the current storyline and respectful of the past one. “I’m so much better than the old Roman Reigns. The Bloodline has the twins and their teamwork. That’s something you would want, but Moxley and Seth Rollins are both former heavyweight champions. There lies another huge problem. But I’m such a better competitor and performer now. That’s where the big swing goes. So I’ll go Bloodline.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.