Roman Reigns, is a name you must have heard of if you are a die-heart WWE fan. He was born into the Anoa’i family, a Samoan-American wrestling dynasty which makes him a wrestling royalty.
He began his journey in wrestling in the WWE developmental system where he mastered his skills and worked up to the top rank. Now he has become one of the most dominant and centrepiece WWE wrestling superstars. He commands respect from The Bloodline and defends the WWE Universal Championship as The Tribal Chief.
When Roman Reigns started his career in the developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, he used the ring name Roman Leakee. Back then, he had short black hair and a clean-shaven face, which gave him a very different look from his current appearance as a rugged adventurer.
Roman Reigns brief NFL career
Very few know this but before becoming a WWE superstar and The Tribal Chief, Reigns had a different career in his mind. He played as a defensive tackle for his college football team at Georgia Tech and was titled with first-team All-ACC.
During the NFL draft of 2007, he didn’t get selected so he signed as a UDFA player with the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately during the physicals, he was diagnosed with leukemia so the Vikings released him.
Additionally, Reigns also joined the Jacksonville Jaguars but they cut him off at the season’s beginning. So he switched to CFL and played for the Edmonton Eskimos in 2008. After playing that season, he left his football career and aimed to pursue professional wrestling.
Reigns’ battle with leukemia
In October 2018, Roman Reigns revealed to his fans his leukaemia diagnosis, which is a type of blood cancer. He was first diagnosed with his disease when he was 22 years old in 2008 and ever since then, he has been fighting this disease.
He announced that he’d take a leave from wrestling and WWE to prioritize his health.
After receiving the proper treatment and support from his friends, family and fans, Reigns made a triumphant return to WWE in 2019. He showed his gratitude to the WWE Universe by thanking them for their love and blessings. He then mentioned that he finally was absolutely ready to resume his wrestling career after receiving proper treatment.
Roman Reigns’ family, wife & children
The WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns has a loving and supportive family behind him. He is married to Galina Becker, a fitness model and former track and field athlete. They met at Georgia Tech, where they both studied and played sports.
The couple tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in the Bahamas, in 2014. They have five children, named Joelle, the eldest daughter born in 2008 and two sets of twins born in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
They are very private about their personal lives and rarely share any pictures of their kids on social media. Roman has said that his family is his motivation and inspiration, especially during his battle with leukaemia. He also credits his wife for being his rock and his best friend.