Roman Reigns is the WWE Universal Champion, undefeated in 2021. He had always been a household name, but it was in this year that we got to see his true form be unleashed.

He has established himself amongst the great ones in the WWE. The way he transformed from the big dog to the Tribal Chief has been a great transition that drew endless praise from the pro-wrestling world.

While we might know who the Tribal Chief is, fans know little about the man behind the character.

Roman Reigns before WWE

Roman Reigns or Leati Joseph’ Joe’ Anoaʻi was born on May 25, 1985, to Sika and Patricia Anoa’i. The Anoa’i family had been a household name in the professional wrestling world for decades.

However, Roman’s first dream was to play pro football, and he played professionally for a few years. He started his football career in 2007. The first two teams he played for were Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Reigns then moved to Canada to play in the Canadian Football league. Edmonton Eskimos signed him in 2008, but that did not end well because he got released.

Eventually, he retired from football because of a terrible spell. Reigns could have made it big in the NFL. Unfortunately, he discovered he had leukemia, and so did the Vikings.

His battle with leukemia was tough, but that did not stop him from following in his family’s footsteps to become a WWE wrestler.

Hence, he signed with WWE in 2010, and the rest is history.

Where is Roman Reigns from?

The Tribal Chief was born in Pensacola, Florida, where his father ran a wrestling academy. He finished his schooling in Florida before moving to Georgia for college and to play football.

Currently, Roman Reigns, with his wife, Galina Becker, and five children, live in Tampa, Florida, because WWE has a training facility there. Most of the WWE superstars live in or near the Performance Centre.

How Did Roman Reigns’ Brother Die?

Is the Tribal Chief Samoan?

Roman Reigns is of Samoan and Italian descent. Samoans are indigenous Polynesian people from the Samoan islands.

Even though he was born in the US, Reigns constantly acknowledges his Samoan roots. He has traditional tattoos much like The Rock and The Usos to represent his culture.

He was born as a Samoan man and brought up as one, too. So much so, he took up the character of being the Tribal Chief of his people.

Roman Reigns is also related to The Rock, but they are not directly connected. He also has familial relations with Yokozuna, Umaga, Nia Jax, and Tamina Snuka.

The Samoan family in wrestling is a vast lineage, and listing them all down would take days.

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Roman Reigns carries generations of legacy on his shoulder alongside The Usos, and he has descended from the most notable names ever known in professional wrestling.

The Tribal Chief has proven to the entire world that he is worthy of carrying his family’s name on his back. He has cemented their immortal name in history with even more achievements.

Who knows, maybe he could surpass The Rock by the time he retires from WWE.