WWE Champion Roman Reigns opens up about John Cena & The Rock’s influence on his career

Roman Reigns addresses the current phase of his WWE career.

Roman Reigns is one of the listed stars for the WWE RAW October 5 episode. Fans expect the reigning WWE Heavyweight Champion to share his take on LA Knights and current storylines around the Bloodline and 946 before the upcoming PLE.

But in his recent interview with Men’s Health, Reigns spoke more about his post-wrestling career, already raising concerns over his longevity with the Stamford-based promotion.

The Tribal Chief spoke candidly about The Rock and John Cena, two WWE legends who successfully transformed themselves into major Hollywood stars. Rather than hiding his ambition, Reigns admitted that he hopes to reach a similar stage in his own career.

Roman Reigns sees John Cena & The Rock as his mentor

The Head of the Table has spent more than a decade building one of the most dominant legacies in WWE. But as the “OTC” enters another intriguing phase of his career, the World Heavyweight Champion appears ready to explore a path that two of his biggest mentors already walked — Hollywood.

Reigns described John Cena and The Rock as “superhero guys” and acknowledged the influence both men have had on him. For someone who spent years watching them headline WWE, their success outside the ring provides an obvious blueprint.

“These two are special humans. You’re talking about, even in their leaned out stages, they’re still superhero guys, these are my mentors. These are the guys that I watched come before me. So these were guys who had a great imprint and left a great impression on me.

They were also great influences to look at. If you’re going to steal from somebody, from their playbook, John Cena and Dwayne Johnson are two of the very best you can do it from.”

Moreover, Reigns mentioned that he hopes to get to the place in his career where he can match the duo mentioned and then swiftly move to Hollywood.

The timing could hardly be better. Reigns will play the role of ‘Akuma’ in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. Interestingly, Reigns believes there are similarities between Akuma and his “Tribal Chief” persona, making the role feel more natural than it might appear.

However, Reigns isn’t suggesting that his WWE career is finished. In fact, he still sees several years of potential stories ahead. He has also embraced a different responsibility within WWE — helping identify and elevate the next generation of stars.

That could make Reigns’ next chapter particularly fascinating. However, Reigns still has unfinished business inside the WWE ring.

Roman Reigns heading into Money in the Bank 2026 for his fifth title defense

Before Hollywood completely takes center stage, the World Heavyweight Champion will defend his championship against LA Knight at WWE Money in the Bank 2026. The main event will take place on October 10 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

It’s important to note that Reigns had this match set back in Mexico City, where he defended his title against Penta. Following the match, Knight confronted Reigns and stunned him with a BFT, making it clear that he intended to take the championship. WWE subsequently made their title clash official for Money in the Bank.

That puts Reigns in an intriguing position. He is simultaneously looking toward a possible Hollywood future while remaining one of WWE’s biggest attractions and carrying the World Heavyweight Championship.

If Reigns defeats Knight, his reign continues and so does the possibility of more major WWE stories. But if Knight pulls off the upset, it could dramatically alter the trajectory of the OTC’s current run — and perhaps accelerate the next phase of his career.

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