Ranking All 27 of Roman Reigns' WWE Universal Championship Title Defenses
Roman Reigns has held the WWE Universal Championship for over 930 days in his most recent run, the longest title reign of the modern era. During that time, he has defended the championship 27 times.
He has faced some of the best competitors in WWE while elevating young stars by giving them unique title opportunities.
Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Daniel Bryan have all tested The Head of the Table and fallen short. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Drew McIntyre nearly dethroned the champion in epic clashes.
Jey Uso, Cesaro and Matt Riddle had rare chances to work at the top and rose to the challenge.
These defenses and more have defined the reign of The Head of the Table, who could well see his special title reign end on Sunday, April 2, at WWE WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.
The following is a complete ranking of those 27 defenses from the least exciting to those that have most defined this era of Reigns and The Bloodline on top.
Quick and Easy
1 of 1327. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE Elimination Chamber 2021
This began one of the most important rivalries of Reigns' title reign, but it started with a complete squash match following a grueling Elimination Chamber match. Bryan never stood a chance.
26. Reigns vs. Sami Zayn, SmackDown 12/3/21
Many likely forgot that Zayn challenged Reigns in 2021 at a time when he was still seen as a comedy wrestler. In many ways, this set the course for him joining The Bloodline, but he first had to be decimated by The Head of the Table.
25. Reigns vs. Goldberg, WWE Elimination Chamber 2022
Few would argue that Goldberg was ever a good wrestler, but in his last match in WWE, he barely put up a fight as Reigns steamrolled through a veteran far past his prime.
Disappointing Or Forgettable
2 of 1324. Extreme Rules: Roman Reigns vs. "The Demon" Finn Bálor, WWE Extreme Rules 2021
Bálor and Reigns have always had chemistry, but theatrics completely overshadowed the in-ring action. After a light show, the ring broke, and Reigns survived this challenge. This was supposed to the rebirth of The Demon, but instead, the concept was buried for the next year.
23. Reigns vs. Braun Strowman, WWE SmackDown 10/16/20
Few were more important to The Monster Among Men's growth in WWE, but these two were just not on when they fought in 2020. It was a fine but overlong showcase for The Head of the Table with no drama.
22. Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE Crown Jewel 2021
While The Beast Incarnate was one of The Head of the Table's greatest rivals, their matches have rarely lived up to the hype. Their WWE Crown Jewel match was a bland battle of big men going through the motions.
Solid but Unspectacular
3 of 1321. Winner Takes All: Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE WrestleMania 38
This was a slight improvement on their WWE Crown Jewel match, but that is not saying much. It still could not reach the heights expected of a WrestleMania main event, showing a lack of chemistry between long-time rivals.
20. Hell in a Cell: Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio, WWE SmackDown 6/18/21
This should have been a slam dunk. Mysterio was still working at a high level in 2021. Reigns had rarely faced the legend in the past. Instead, they were relegated from WWE Hell in a Cell to a random SmackDown with limited time to build any drama.
19. Reigns vs. Finn Bálor, WWE SmackDown 9/3/21
Without extra theatrics, Reigns and Bálor put on a solid wrestling match where The Prince got to show off what he had gained from time away in WWE NXT. However, it was never in doubt who would emerge victorious.
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Strong Rivals Not Reaching Full Potential
4 of 1318. Reigns vs. Seth Rollins, WWE Royal Rumble 2022
Few men have more chemistry as rivals or partners than Reigns and Rollins. WWE relied upon that heavily by throwing together this odd pairing of heel vs. heel for WWE Royal Rumble that has mostly been forgotten as the rare (DQ) loss on Reigns' record.
17. Reigns vs. Kevin Owens, WWE Royal Rumble 2023
The Prizefighter has challenged The Head of the Table more than anyone else, and they always know how to put on a show. However, despite a strong build, KO never had a real shot as everyone was more interested in Sami Zayn at ringside.
16. Reigns vs. John Cena, WWE SummerSlam 2021
The Champ did not have much ring rust in his only broadcasted match in 2021. This was a strong veteran battle that helped Reigns continue to rise to Cena's level. The two never seriously sold Cena's chance of winning, though.
Repeat Battles with Great Rivals
5 of 1315. Steel Cage: Reigns vs. Kevin Owens, WWE SmackDown 12/25/20
One of the better steel cage matches of the modern era, KO fought Reigns with passion. The result was never in doubt, but the two continued to build the story of The Head of the Table finding new shortcuts to escape The Prizefighter with his world title intact.
14. Hell in a Cell "I Quit": Reigns vs. Jey Uso, WWE Hell in a Cell 2020
In one of the most important matches of The Bloodline's history, Jey refused to give up until his brother Jimmy Uso got involved. The home stretch was full of theatrics running over too long, but Reigns pushed Jey to one of his best performances.
13. Last Man Standing: Reigns vs. Owens, WWE Royal Rumble 2021
This was a wild brawl that quickly spilled out into the audience. Outside of an unfortunate snafu with handcuffs that slowed everything down, this was an engaging war of top guys, willing to do anything to win.
Unique and Memorable Matches
6 of 1312. Reigns vs. Edge, WWE Money in the Bank 2021
The Rated-R Superstar and The Head of the Table fought with reckless abandon in a physical and technical war. It was one of Edge's most complete performances in the ring. Outside of an overbooked finish, it was one of the most epic battles of Reigns' world title reign.
11. Reigns vs. Matt Riddle, WWE SmackDown 6/17/22
While The Head of the Table and The Original Bro could have had a massive battle at a premium live event, this contest stood out because it was a simpler battle. Riddle sold everyone on his upset with an RKO out of nowhere but fell just short.
10. Last Man Standing: Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE SummerSlam 2022
While The Head of the Table and The Beast Incarnate had many big fights, it was their silly and wild tractor battle that topped it all. From completely lifting the ring to Reigns burying Lesnar under a mountain of tables and chairs, this ended the feud on a memorable high.
The Beginning of the Classics
7 of 139. Reigns vs. Cesaro, WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2021
This was one of the most technical matches of Reigns' title run. He injured the arm of Cesaro early and went after it with complete focus. The Swiss Superman continued to emerge as a main event act, only to fall just short thanks to Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
8. Reigns vs. Kevin Owens, WWE TLC 2020
The first match between Reigns and KO was easily their best. It was a rare match in which The Head of the Table came off as the man fighting from underneath, needing frequent help from Jey Uso. The interference heightened the drama.
The Prizefighter has rarely looked better than this night. He and Reigns have been chasing this level of intensity ever since.
7. Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE Fastlane 2021
No one can get more out of Reigns than Bryan. One of the best in-ring performers in WWE's history, The American Dragon had a clear focus in his final days in WWE. He wanted to raise Reigns' status and help him improve as a technical performer.
Their first truly competitive title clash was the most vulnerable The Head of the Table has ever looked, genuinely tapping out behind the referee's back. The closing stretch was overbooked, but the action was too good to lose much from that.
6. Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul, WWE Crown Jewel 2022
8 of 13Logan Paul put on one of the best rookie performances in WWE history at WWE WrestleMania 38 alongside The Miz against Rey and Dominik Mysterio. He followed up with an all-star singles performance against The A-Lister at WWE SummerSlam.
However, he still had not fully showcased his potential. Against Roman Reigns, he had to show his complete in-ring acumen, and he did just that.
Arguably, this is the most Reigns has ever had to carry a match. While Paul looked great, The Head of the Table was the ring general, keeping the pace and storytelling focus throughout.
Together, they sold a committed crowd on the possibility of one of the biggest upsets in WWE history.
While the final stretch included the classic Bloodline overbooking, the involvement of Jake Paul seemed to set up the possibility of more story to come when the time is right.
It was as big a successful gamble as WWE has ever pulled off, betting on The Ultimate Influencer to compete over nearly 25 minutes with one of the absolute best. He did just that.
5. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Edge, WWE WrestleMania 37
9 of 13Roman Reigns will walk into his third WrestleMania of his WWE Universal Championship reign on April 2, 2023, hoping to live up to his incredible match at WWE WrestleMania 37.
Daniel Bryan and Edge are great dance partners for anyone in WWE, and The Head of the Table had separate great singles matches with each of them.
The added excitement of this bout was seeing Bryan and Edge fight one on one for stretches of this contest. The two had not crossed paths since 2010, and even that match was cut short.
The two were incredible together, battling with the fervor of two veterans who knew chances like this were running out for both of them. Reigns found his windows against the two men but was shockingly outmatched in stretches.
Forced to get tactical to survive both wily veterans, Reigns played them against each other, then stacked them both up for a win that he could sell as more dominant than it was.
The Head of the Table may not have been the lead man in this match, but he came out looking better than ever.
4. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE SmackDown 4/30/21
10 of 13Daniel Bryan challenged Roman Reigns in ways no one else has in his entire title reign. While the lack of a true crowd was felt, everything else about this match was perfect.
The American Dragon went after the right arm of The Head of the Table, challenging him to keep his power despite the pain. He wore the champion down with confidence, knowing he could make the champion tap out as he had before.
Reigns had to get serious, battling back with a clear focus on Bryan's head and neck. The two went nearly 30 minutes in this complete technical clash.
What made it stand out even more was the lack of interference. Reigns had to show he was the better man on his own after twice escaping Bryan by the skin of his teeth.
When it came time to make his statement, The Head of the Table did just that. He switched to his undamaged left arm to lock in a Guillotine Choke and forced the challenger to pass out, ending Bryan's run in WWE.
This is one of the most impressive notches in Reigns' belt. It showed that he could defeat anyone in his way without help, and he was given the honor of ending the time of The American Dragon in WWE, at least for now.
3. Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre, WWE Clash at the Castle 2022
11 of 13After Roman Reigns won the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar, unifying the world titles, he looked unstoppable. It was clear that only a special talent could defeat him, and only on a special night.
Drew McIntyre was the first to step up who looked poised to dethrone The Head of the Table. In the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, The Scottish Warrior was the legendary hero fighting for every single fan in attendance.
This had the epic big-fight feel usually reserved for WrestleMania. Even those who did not expect McIntyre to win bought in as this contest raged on.
McIntyre was larger than life in that arena. The Head of the Table was outmatched. Reigns' confidence, built over the past two years as champion, had been shattered.
It was a spectacular scene, built off the history of these two stars and their shared rise to the top. When Solo Sikoa interfered and saved Reigns, it was almost shocking. No one could believe that McIntyre had not pulled it off.
This is one of the few matches that will forever define this reign, and many even look back on it as a missed opportunity.
2. Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn, WWE Elimination Chamber 2023
12 of 13Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn was eerily similar to The Head of the Table's battle with Drew McIntyre. However, this went one step further thanks to a weighty story built over months.
The Honorary Uce became the most popular star in wrestling by joining The Bloodline. His massive personality was infectious, and the crowd fell in love with him long before he turned on Reigns.
The atmosphere in Bell Centre in Montréal, Quebec, Canada was once in a lifetime. Nothing could match the energy of the moment as Reigns and Zayn circled each other, testing the crowd's reactions.
The two knew just how to play off the crowd. The near-falls were unforgettable. When The Head of the Table won, the entire crowd went silent in shock. It was an eerie experience.
The only real downside to this match was the frequent interference of The Bloodline. The closing stretch got a bit too cute. Still, this is the match most everyone will remember first when discussing The Head of the Table as champion.
1. Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso, WWE Clash of Champions 2020
13 of 13Roman Reigns has had many great title defenses over the years, but none was more important than the very first.
The Head of the Table had just returned to WWE, playing a heel for the first time since his Shield days. He took the WWE Universal Championship from Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman with a confident focus in his first match back.
It still was not clear how Reigns would play this role. That all changed when he put his title on the line for the first time against Jey Uso.
With Jimmy Uso hurt, Jey was struggling to find a place in WWE. He was too good to wait on the sidelines, but WWE had not done enough to make him stand out from his brother.
At WWE Clash of Champions, Jey became a star. Reigns came in confident but found his cousin a truly worthy rival. Without the backup he would later acquire, Reigns had to find his own ways to get ahead against a motivated rival.
Many of the tactics he would use in this match helped define him as a heel as well as set up The Bloodline to come. Jey fought with main event passion and is still a star all his own to this day.
This is a feud that could be revisited at any time, and the two might even better this match. However, no match between them can be as important. No other match in Reigns' title reign would be as special without this one as the very first.
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