Long before Roman Reigns was hailed as The Tribal Chief, there was a time when he was supposedly forced to apologize to the WWE locker room after failing a drug test.
There must be drama when a company’s public image is in jeopardy. In 2016, Roman Reigns violated WWE’s wellness policy and was sent home on suspension. The suspension came just a few days after Seth Rollins defeated him at the Money in the Bank PLE.
Reigns was instructed to apologize to everyone in the locker room as he was on his way out to serve the suspension. Mark Carrano was the one who brought the order, so Triple H must be the one who initially sent it.
I apologize to my family, friends and fans for my mistake in violating WWE’s wellness policy. No excuses. I own it.
— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) June 21, 2016
Triple H was concerned that The Head of the Table might tarnish the company’s image. Reigns was caught doing something he knew would get him in trouble. He needed to apologize to the locker room, as it served as a reminder to him that anyone in the company is replaceable.
According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, the apology was welcomed with a range of responses. Some people believed that Roman Reigns should not have been humiliated in such a public manner, while others agreed with how things were handled.
Roman Reigns will celebrate 1000 days as Undisputed Universal Champion on SmackDown
On this coming Friday’s episode of SmackDown, Reigns will celebrate reaching a significant milestone as WWE Universal Champion.
THIS FRIDAY on #SmackDown
Celebrate 1000 DAYS with @WWERomanReigns!@HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/4hVPhEREHP
— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2023
Roman Reigns has held the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship belt for more than a thousand days at this point. He has successfully defended his title on multiple occasions over the past three years. The ‘Tribal Chief’ gimmick that Reigns uses in WWE is a great hit, and he does an outstanding job in portraying the persona.
Even though he will be participating in the festivities, The Tribal Chief is likely going to be in a sour mood because of how things transpired at WWE Night of Champions.