Roman Reigns believes WWE’s younger wrestlers no longer have the same opportunity to learn from established veterans that previous generations did. The World Heavyweight Champion pointed to the company’s modern bus system and his own changing role as reasons why today’s talent cannot use him as an everyday resource.
“The OTC” made the comments during a recent interview with “Complex” while discussing his responsibility to help WWE’s next generation. After working with major names including The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and CM Punk, Reigns said his role can now be about more than having a marquee match or helping another wrestler get a victory.
He explained that he wants younger talent to benefit from his experience and understand what has made him successful. Reigns said:
“I do think with where I’m at, there is a responsibility to try to tap into the future. Give them time to tap into my experience and my mindset and what makes me tick and what allows me to be successful.”
The issue, according to Reigns, is partly connected to how WWE’s touring setup has changed. In previous generations, top stars did not have the same private bus arrangement that many of the company’s biggest names have today. Veterans spent considerably more time around the wider locker room, giving younger wrestlers more chances to approach them, watch how they conducted themselves, and learn from them informally.
The Undertaker has previously spoken about the changes brought by talent buses, noting that the modern setup means there is less reason for the entire roster to gather together in the same locker room. Reigns used his former locker-room presence as a contrast with his current situation.
“The Undertaker, before the bus system came around, he was always in the locker room, so he was able to have that godfather effect,” Reigns said. “I’m not just in the middle of all the talent anymore, so these guys can’t really use me as the resource.”
Roman Reigns Wants To Pass His Experience To WWE’s Next Generation
(Photo by Cooper Neill/WWE via Getty Images)
“The Head of the Table” believes working with younger wrestlers in the ring can help bridge that gap. He said there is a difference between simply having a match with him and being positioned to benefit from the experience and attention that comes with sharing the ring with the World Heavyweight Champion.
“It’s one thing to have a match with me. It’s another to be the guy that we’re working towards to transition from me, or to use my equity to then put a rocket on that guy’s back,” Reigns said.
He added that a wrestler’s value can increase simply by sharing the ring with him, while stressing that he cannot manufacture a connection or ability a performer doesn’t already have.
“You put them with someone like me, and I’ll be able to exploit it and then try to magnify and make it even greater,” Reigns said. “But they got to have that thing going for themselves already.”
Reigns is already working with wrestlers outside WWE’s traditional veteran-youngster dynamic. He successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Penta in Mexico City on September 14, and LA Knight is now set to challenge him for the title at Money in the Bank on October 10.
For “The OTC,” those matches can serve a purpose beyond the immediate result. While the days of having constant access to veterans like The Undertaker may have changed, he still sees opportunities to pass on what he has learned whenever he shares the ring with the next generation.
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