AJ Styles Says Today’s Roman Reigns Is Completely Different From the Star WWE Pushed in 2016

By Jitu Jangir

August 24, 2026 at 4:47 PM IST

11.1K

3 min read

AJ Styles Says Today’s Roman Reigns Is Completely Different From the Star WWE Pushed in 2016

AJ Styles believes Roman Reigns has completely changed since their first meeting in WWE, explaining that the version fans see today has earned his position instead of feeling like someone the company selected for them.

Speaking on The AJ Styles Show, Styles discussed Reigns remaining near the top of WWE ten years after their first encounter. Styles made his WWE debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble Match, entering at No. 3 and immediately coming face-to-face with Reigns, who was defending the WWE Championship from the No. 1 position.

Styles acknowledged that Reigns was already presented as WWE’s leading star at the time, but the audience had not fully accepted him in that position. He explained that fans believed Vince McMahon was forcing Reigns upon them instead of allowing their response to determine his place.

“The Roman Reigns that I ran into in 2016 wasn’t what the fans wanted. It was what Vince wanted,” Styles said. “Not to say that he wasn’t capable of being that guy, that top guy. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying the fans felt like, ‘You’re pushing this guy down our throats.’”

Styles and Reigns moved from their Royal Rumble meeting into a WWE Championship rivalry several months later. Reigns retained the title against Styles at Payback on May 1, 2016, before defeating him again in an Extreme Rules Match on May 22.

At that point, Reigns was still working as the heroic “Big Dog” despite receiving mixed reactions from WWE crowds. His character changed after he returned at SummerSlam in August 2020 and aligned with Paul Heyman.

Reigns became The Tribal Chief and began presenting himself as the leader of his family. His work with The Usos, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn and Heyman turned The Bloodline into one of WWE’s longest-running stories.

Styles believes Reigns’ development since 2016 has removed any doubt about whether he belongs in his current position.

“But now, Roman is so dialed in. It’s unbelievable,” Styles continued. “He is the top guy for sure. There’s no doubt about it. So, I think that’s the biggest difference between now and then, 10 years ago.”

The former WWE Champion’s comments were not meant as criticism of Reigns’ ability in 2016. Styles instead argued that fans rejected the way Reigns was being presented under McMahon. Ten years later, he believes Reigns has found the character and confidence needed to make the role his own.