Roman Reigns has opened up about his unique relationship with former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, describing what it was like to be one of the last true “Vince McMahon guys.”
Speaking on the What’s Your Story podcast with Stephanie McMahon, Reigns explained that his dynamic with Vince differed from that of past top stars like Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and The Rock.
“That’s who I cut my teeth negotiating with, doing business with—your dad. I’m not intimidated by anybody anymore. There were times 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. I didn’t have that relationship like a lot of the other guys were afforded and the time. Compared to Hogan or Steve or Dwayne, 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 didn’t realize it.”
Reigns also revealed two life lessons from McMahon that continue to guide him both inside and outside the ring.
On being present at home:
“He would always tell me, when I was so locked in at work that I wasn’t holding up my end at home, ‘You’ve got to be present. When you go home, you have to be present. It doesn’t matter what you do out here.’ I took that to heart so much.”
On staying ahead of the curve:
“He’d always say, ‘You want to be ahead of the curve, but not too far.’ Especially in business, that has just rang true.”
As the face of WWE’s modern era, Reigns acknowledged that his journey with Vince required him to earn trust differently than his predecessors. Still, he credits McMahon’s mentorship as instrumental in shaping both his career and his personal life.
The full interview with Roman Reigns is available below.
