Just 24 hours before stepping into the 2026 Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, Roman Reigns publicly ripped into the WWE locker room, accusing the current roster of complacency, creative stagnation, and failing to rise during his time away.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show on January 30, 2026, Reigns made it clear he hasnt been impressed by whats gone down in his absence from WWE TV. He claimed that younger talent squandered the limelight he willingly vacated and took aim at the creative direction of the product over the past two years. When McAfee asked if it felt like time to return and make everyone kiss the ring, Reigns fired off:
He then shifted to calling out the next generation of Superstars for not capitalizing on that open space, making it clear that he feels they havent evolved at all. Reigns credited WWE CEO Nick Khan for solid leadership but warned that the creative side hasnt kept pace with WWEs booming business and mainstream expansion:
And with trademark confidence, the Tribal Chief made it clear the recipe for success still runs through him since hes got the formula.
As the clock ticks down to the Royal Rumble on January 31, Reigns has already sent a messagehes not just back to compete, hes here to shake the system.
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