From The Editor's Desk
Some stories earn their ending. Four years ago, when Paul Heyman pitched the idea of Roman Reigns as a cold, calculating Tribal Chief, nobody — not even the most optimistic booking committee — could have predicted what it would become.
We dedicated more resources to this issue than any in our publication's history. Three writers. Two photographers. One mission: do justice to the greatest long-form story professional wrestling has ever told.
Four years. Twelve title defenses. One Tribal Chief. How Roman Reigns built the greatest reign in modern wrestling history — and what happens now that it's over.
The numbers alone tell a story that defies belief. 1,316 days as Universal Champion. Forty-eight title defenses. A match quality average that, across the entire run, rivals the best stretches in WWE's fifty-year history.
But numbers never told the full story of Roman Reigns. The real story was the transformation — from the most-booed man in wrestling, an unwilling hero the company insisted on pushing against the crowd's wishes, to the most compelling character sports entertainment has seen in a generation.
The change happened in August 2020, at a Performance Center show held without fans. Reigns emerged with Paul Heyman at his side, with a new music, a new look, and a new attitude. Nobody knew it then, but they were watching the beginning of something historic.
"I told them I knew exactly who this character was," Reigns would later reveal. "I'd been playing the wrong version of myself for years. This was the truth. This was real."
"I AM THE
GREATEST
OF ALL TIME"
MaxxedOut: Roman, looking back now, when did you know the Tribal Chief character would resonate this deeply?
"From the first promo. I sat down with Paul [Heyman] and we just talked — really talked — about what I wanted this to be. And it clicked immediately. This wasn't a character. This was the version of Roman Reigns that was always there. We just finally let him out."
MO: The WrestleMania match was described by many observers as a once-in-a-generation bout. How did you approach it?
"I approached it like a final chapter should be approached. Everything that came before — every promo, every betrayal, every moment — had to pay off in that ring. And I think we delivered."
THE SAMI ZAYN
TIMELINE
How a beloved underdog became the Bloodline's heart — and broke it.
Sami Zayn is inexplicably welcomed into the Bloodline. The comedy of it masks the deeper storytelling to come.
Sami delivers. The crowd goes nuclear. A storyline that was played for laughs suddenly has genuine emotional stakes.
Jey Uso turns on Sami. The moment lands with the emotional weight of years of character work paying off simultaneously.
Sami and Kevin Owens vs. The Usos for the Tag Titles. The defining match of the year. A crowd that refused to sit down for a single second.
WRESTLEMANIA
IN PICTURES
Photography by Sarah Chen & Domingo Reyes · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · April 6–7, 2024
WHAT COMES
NEXT
The Bloodline is over. The Road to WrestleMania 41 begins now. Our writers break down what to expect.
Cody Rhodes: The New Standard
With the title finally in hand, Cody has the opportunity to define a new era. The question isn't whether he can — it's who steps up to challenge him first.
Roman's Next Chapter
After four years on top, what does Reigns do for an encore? Our sources indicate a return at SummerSlam in a program that could be even more personal than anything that came before.
Sami Zayn: The Babyface Run
The most over wrestler on the roster. The machinery is finally pointing in the right direction. A first WWE Championship run feels inevitable — the only question is when.
CM Punk Changes Everything
The wildcard nobody can predict. Punk's presence reshuffles every card in the deck. The next six months could be the most unpredictable in WWE history.
BY THE NUMBERS
On stands May 2024. Subscribe now to get it first.