Roman Reigns gave the Columbus crowd something viewers at home did not get to see after WWE RAW went off the air on Monday night.
Following his tense contract signing with Jacob Fatu on the May 25 episode of RAW, Reigns stayed in the ring and addressed the fans inside the Schottenstein Center during an off-air moment tied to his 41st birthday.
Fans broke into loud “Happy Birthday” chants for The OTC, who dropped the fight talk for a few minutes and spoke about how difficult it can be when WWE storylines involve his own family. Reigns first thanked the crowd for making the night feel different, especially after spending the televised closing segment at odds with his cousin.
“Well, Columbus, you really know how to make your Tribal Chief feel special. You know it’s tough being in the WWE because it’s a family business. It’s hard to transition when you’re fighting with your family, so I just want to be grateful and have gratitude for all of you.”
The message got even more personal as Reigns spoke about his current place in life and how much the support from fans means to him.
“This ain’t bull**it. This is the real deal. Before I get out of here, man, it’s hard to describe this life. It’s hard to explain, and I just try to pray and be thankful every single day, man. This is the best. I hope everyone back there can feel the way I feel these days, but I feel like a lottery winner.”
Reigns then made it clear that he does not take those reactions for granted, whether they come on his birthday or during any other WWE appearance.
“And like anybody that’s doing well, there’s a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t happen without y’all. So whether it’s my birthday, whether it’s a Monday, a Wednesday, a Sunday, it doesn’t matter. It’s a blessed day. I just want to say thank you, everybody. Please get home safe.”
The emotional speech came only moments after Reigns and Fatu made their World Heavyweight Championship match official for WWE Clash in Italy. During the RAW closing segment, Reigns told Fatu that if he loses their Tribal Combat match, Fatu can become the Head of the Table. If Fatu loses, Reigns said he will have to serve him and learn from him. WWE confirmed the contract signing as the final major confrontation between the two before their title fight.
Reigns will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Fatu in Tribal Combat at WWE Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31, at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy. The show marks WWE’s first Premium Live Event in Italy.
For all the threats and family warfare WWE is building around Reigns and Fatu, this was a rare moment where the man behind The OTC let the crowd know exactly what the night meant to him. With Clash in Italy now days away, Reigns is heading into one of his most personal title defenses after sharing a side of himself fans never saw on Netflix.
What did you think of Roman Reigns’ off-air birthday message after WWE RAW, and do you think Jacob Fatu will take the World Heavyweight Championship from him at Clash in Italy? Let us know in the comments.