Roman Reigns Says He Will Start Wrestling Shirtless, New Music Is Coming

Ever since The Shield broke up in 2014, many wrestling fans have wondered why Roman Reigns, the reigning WWE Universal Champion, would not change his in-ring attire and theme music. It seems like they are finally going to get their wish.

The Big Dog himself has confirmed that he will wrestle shirtless against his cousin, Jey Uso, at this Sunday's Clash of Champions pay-per-view. However, Reigns plans to retain his SWAT-style black cargo pants.

"To fans that want me to change my gear, get over it. I'm not going to go out there in trunks. However, if you watch me this Sunday, you'll probably see me with my shirt off. That's the only change I'm making [to my attire]," Reigns said during a Zoom call with Mania Club, who were raising money for Connors Cure.

Reigns, who admittedly used his five-month hiatus to work on his physique, said he's still putting in the hard yards to be "stage ready" in order to wrestle shirtless.

"I'm not perfect or a bodybuilder. But I feel confident to go out there and be a scary-looking athlete. Ever since I entered the wrestling business, I did not want my outfit to become a talking point. I've always felt like the superstar and not just 'a costume guy,'" he added.

As for the new theme music, Reigns urged fans to remain patient since his on-screen character is yet to morph into a true heel.

"There's a lot more to it than just me creating my own music. It requires me to go through a lot of channels. You have to understand I'm not automatically a bad guy now. You've seen it [the change in my character] in gradual steps. You've seen layers of that so far," he stated.

Reigns went onto cite the example of last week's Friday Night SmackDown, when he celebrated with his cousin after they won a tag team match but was also left agitated when Jey Uso grabbed his Universal Championship belt.

"I want all the nuances to add up. As a full time performer, I have to keep things fresh, and do something new every week. That's why we have decided to save the new music. And hopefully down the line, once more drastic things happen, and the story unfolds, you'll hear it," said Reigns.

In the process, Reigns also called out fans who lack the patience for a story to unfold.

"We have a bunch of fast food fans, who complain that they want well-thought out storylines to develop, but when you start doing that for them, they want it all now. I'm cooking a steak here, we're making a very elaborate omelet, so we're in the process of cracking eggs right now.

"You're not gonna get it just yet. We're gonna let the steak stay on the grill and then if you want your cheeseburger, watch Raw. On SmackDown, we do filet mignon," joked Reigns.

During the Zoom call, Reigns was also asked by a fan about his Hollywood aspirations and if he has any upcoming movie projects. Reigns, who played a cameo in Dave Spade-starrer The Wrong Missy earlier this year, will also voice a character in an upcoming animated flick, Rumble.

"No, I don't have any upcoming projects besides the Rumble movie. When I took the break, I had a lot of scripts coming in. However, when I'm under contract with WWE, that is always my 1 A. I never put anything over the day job," said Reigns.

He went onto reveal that WWE paid him in full during his five-month hiatus.

"God bless the WWE. During the pandemic, I was still being paid in full. My family and I were very well taken care of considering the fact that I was staying at home. For me, it didn't feel right to chase other opportunities when I wasn't fulfilling my job role within the company.

"That's why I took the break as, not necessarily a vacation, but as an opportunity to be a better father and husband. I was constantly in the gym, trying to remold my physique. So, when I returned, I had to be ready to go immediately," he added.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.