Roman Reigns Reflects on Lessons Learned from Vince McMahon – Roman Reigns, one of the final top stars hand-picked by Vince McMahon to represent WWE for a new generation, recently opened up about his unique bond with the former Chairman. Speaking with Stephanie McMahon on the What’s Your Story podcast, Reigns revealed how his relationship with Vince differed from that of legends like Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and The Rock.
Reigns explained that being the youngest of McMahon’s “top guys” meant he had to approach their relationship differently. “That’s who I like, cut my teeth, negotiating with, doing business with, was your dad, and that’s how I feel. I’m not intimidated by anybody anymore. There were times where I had to get used to him, and we had to learn each other’s ways. But I’m the youngest of all his top guys, you know. So I didn’t have that relationship like a lot of the other guys were afforded and the time, but for the compared to like anybody else, you know, Hogan or Steve or Dwayne those guys, I don’t think I got as much of his time, but I was picking up as much knowledge as I could, even if he he may not even realize it.”
According to Reigns, two key lessons from McMahon have shaped his outlook both inside and outside the ring. The first was the reminder to always be “present” with his family, something McMahon emphasized during times when Reigns was fully consumed by work. “He would always tell me, and this is when I was so locked in at work that I wasn’t holding up my end on the other side. And he would just tell me, You’ve got to be present. When you go home, you have to be present. It doesn’t matter what you do out here. You have to be present. And I took that to heart so much.”
The second was a business philosophy of staying just ahead of the competition without moving too far beyond the audience. “He’d always say, you want to be ahead of the curve, but not too far… And in just so many different ways, and especially in business, that has just rang true.”
For Reigns, these lessons remain central to his career and personal life, shaping how he balances his role as WWE’s “Tribal Chief” with his responsibilities away from the spotlight.
Roman Reigns Reflects on Lessons Learned from Vince McMahon
