Roman Reigns was the latest interviewee for Stephanie McMahon on her WWE-produced podcast.
In a wide-ranging interview on the “What’s Your Story? With Steph McMahon” podcast, Reigns (Joe Anoaʻi) offered insight into his career, personal philosophies, and the advice he received from former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Reigns touched upon his controversial run as a babyface, his ambition to successfully juggle WWE and a leading-man film career, and his past struggles with leukaemia.
The Influence of Vince McMahon
Reigns spoke about his professional relationship with Vince McMahon, noting that while he may not have had as much time with him as previous top stars like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the lessons he learned were profound.
He highlighted two key pieces of advice from McMahon that have shaped his approach to life and business. The first was a reminder to maintain a work-life balance.
“He would always tell me, and this is when I was so locked in at work… ‘you gotta be present when you go home. You have to be present'”. Reigns admitted that he took this advice so much to heart that the challenge has now reversed, and he finds it difficult not to be present with his family, even when he is away for work.
The second major business lesson was about innovation and timing. “[McMahon would] always say you want to be ahead of the curve, but not too far ahead… Slightly ahead of the curve. Never too far ahead… and certainly never behind,” Reigns recalled. He stated this principle has been a guiding light for him in creative and business strategy.
Reigns’ reflections come at a time when Vince McMahon is no longer with WWE or its parent company, TKO Group Holdings. McMahon resigned from his position as TKO Executive Chairman in January 2024 following a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant. The lawsuit contains graphic allegations of sex trafficking, emotional abuse, and sexual assault against McMahon. McMahon has denied the allegations and stated his intention to vigorously defend himself.
Reigns on His Polarising ‘Babyface’ Era
Stephanie McMahon prompted Reigns to discuss the period in his career where he was positioned as the company’s top babyface but was often met with a negative crowd reaction. Reigns offered his perspective on what he termed a “failed baby face” run.
“Everybody looks at that time and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, they just booed him’,” Reigns said, before clarifying that the situation was more nuanced. He claimed that on non-televised live events, he would win the crowd over by the end of the night. He attributed the persistent negative reactions on television to a creative friction, where WWE was not “going with the flow” of the audience’s sentiment.
Reigns revealed that during that time, he often rejected creative ideas and lines that he felt were “low-hanging fruit” or “cheap”. “I feel a little more sophisticated than that,” he explained. “I feel like my communication can be a little more intellectual… I should be able to put some stuff together that isn’t necessarily the stuff you’d hear on the corner”. He said this desire to be more clever and sophisticated was a challenge he set for himself within a PG product.
The Tribal Chief on Family and Future Goals
A recurring theme of the conversation was Reigns’ focus on family and his future ambitions. He stated his goal is to simultaneously lead a movie and main event a major WWE pay-per-view. “I don’t want to stop being a WWE superstar in order to wear other hats,” he asserted. “I’m always gonna be a WWE superstar. I’m always gonna be Roman Reigns”.
He contrasted his approach with that of John Cena, who, by his own admission, prioritised his career over his first marriage. Reigns emphasised that he had to be “authentic to who I was” and prioritise his family, even if it meant not being as universally available as Cena was before him.
Reflections on Health, Faith, and Mentors
The discussion also turned to Reigns’ battle with cancer. He recounted being diagnosed with leukaemia while at a Minnesota Vikings training camp after a physical revealed a highly elevated white blood cell count. At the time, he said, he was so focused on trying to make the football team that he didn’t “even accept the news properly”. He credited his mother for carrying the “brunt of the stress” during that difficult period. “Thank God I had her,” he said.
His former Georgia Tech teammate, Calvin Johnson, provided a video message for the podcast, highlighting Reigns’ character. “He was a man of faith,” Johnson said. “And that’s what I love most about Joe. Because with that faith, without that faith, I don’t know where Joe’s story goes”. Johnson added that he believes it was Reigns’ faith and support system that allowed him to turn a “huge obstacle” into a “big win”.
Reigns confirmed the importance of his faith, calling it “everything”. “I think it’s important that we have like a true North Star, a belief in something bigger,” he stated.
