10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About The Triple H Vs. Roman Reigns Rivalry
Mia Smith The Roman Reigns vs Triple H rivalry had several chapters and notable moments in WWE, with the pair feuding a few times over the years. It was a feud which had some ups and downs, starting back during Reigns’ days in The Shield as he battled Triple H’s reunited Evolution faction, all the way until the time when Reigns was a singles competitor, challenging Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
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With their rivalry having multiple chapters and some significance in the journey of Reigns' rise to the top, there are certainly some things that fans should know about their time in which they were working together in WWE.
10 Triple H Used Roman Reigns As A Lackey
The first instance of Triple H and Roman Reigns crossing paths wasn’t actually as rivals. In 2013, Triple H’s reign over WWE in The Authority was under threat from the likes of Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and more.
The Shield were used as lackeys and paid goons for The Authority, with Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose doing a lot of Triple H’s dirty work at the time. Eventually, The Shield would become sick of being used in this way, which would lead to their eventual face turn, sparking some conflict between Triple H and Reigns for the first time.
9 Roman Reigns Pinned Triple H To Win The Shield’s Feud Vs Evolution
A turning point for The Shield members becoming huge stars came in their rivalry against Evolution - the legendary faction led by Triple H. The Shield won both matches - both in great clashes at Extreme Rules and Payback in 2014.
In an elimination match at Payback, it was Roman Reigns who scored the decisive winning pinfall, standing tall over Triple H. This was a clear sign that Reigns was the one who WWE wanted to push as the next big babyface.
8 Roman Reigns Was Briefly Popular As A Babyface During Feud With Triple H
Roman Reigns’ time as a babyface saw a lot of turbulence. Fans often rejected WWE’s attempts to paint him as the successor to John Cena’s top spot in the company. However, amidst the years of boos, Reigns managed to briefly get over properly against Triple H.
After losing at the TLC PPV to Sheamus, Reigns unleashed a brutal assault on Triple H. For once, WWE got Reigns’ presentation correct, with him looking like a beast as he beat down his rival. From there, fans got behind Reigns for a month or so, with him receiving a deafening ovation as he defeated Sheamus for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
7 Triple H Eliminated Roman Reigns From The Royal Rumble
Roman Reigns had the odds stacked against him going into the Royal Rumble in 2016, with him having to defend his WWE Title from the number one spot. Triple H entered at number 30 in a surprise appearance.
Triple H would eliminate Roman Reigns from the match in a major moment, though this wasn’t the fina spot of that match, much to the surprise of everyone in attendance. Dean Ambrose was left in the ring, and went back and forth with Triple H before getting dumped out too.
6 Fans Wanted Dean Ambrose To Take Roman Reigns’ Spot
Following on from Dean Ambrose’s runner-up position in the Rumble, he entered a feud with Triple H which led to a great match at the Roadblock event. The WrestleMania title match was set to be Triple H vs Roman Reigns, but the popularity built up for Ambrose led to fans wanting him to be in that position instead.
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There was a huge push for Ambrose to be entered into the title feud, but fans had to settle for a rivalry with Brock Lesnar instead.
5 WWE Used Blood During The Triple H Vs Roman Reigns Feud
Following a brutal match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho back in 2008, WWE took a step back from using blood on their shows, especially with the move to the PG Era.
WWE had an exemption in 2016 when Triple H beat down Reigns, with the decision made to bloody up Reigns. It wasn’t clear if this was a blood pack or a blade job, but it did add to their feud in a way to see a rare case of blood on WWE TV.
4 Fans Expected Roman Reigns To Turn Heel After Triple H Match
The main event match at WrestleMania 32 between Roman Reigns and Triple H was among the more predictable matches in the show’s history, and that was exactly why fans expected some sort of catch.
Due to the backlash that Reigns had been receiving from fans, there was some belief that he would turn heel following the main event, either cheating to win or turning on The Rock, who also attended the event. Instead, Reigns simply beat Triple H and stood tall as a babyface to close the show.
3 Apart From The Rumble, Triple H Never Defeated Roman Reigns
Triple H may have won the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble, but this was the one and only occasion that the multi-time World Champion got the upper hand over Roman Reigns when it came to their battles in the ring.
Out of their five other matches (including live events), Reigns emerged as the winner. Given that Reigns is the younger name, this is a good thing from a booking perspective.
2 Triple H Cost Roman Reigns The Universal Championship
Although WrestleMania 32 seemed to be the end of their story, later that year they would cross paths yet again. When competing in a fatal four way for the vacant Universal Championship, Triple H interfered and attacked Roman Reigns.
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This led to Triple H helping Kevin Owens to victory. In terms of their on-screen rivalry, this ensured that Triple H got the last laugh.
1 Had A Match For The Intercontinental Championship
Triple H may not have wrestled often on TV, but he occasionally popped up now and again to compete on house shows in the last few years of his in-ring career. In December of 2017, Triple H took on Roman Reigns one last time.
At that point, Reigns was the Intercontinental Champion, and he successfully defended the gold against The Game at an event in Abu Dhabi, marking their final encounter.