Seth Rollins Recalls Moment His Dynamic Changed With Roman Reigns

Before they were "The Architect" and "The Big Dog" of one of WWE's most recognized stables, The Shield, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns first met in the company's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. While Rollins had already grown close with the third member of the group, Dean Ambrose — now known as Jon Moxley in AEW — he didn't have a true connection with Reigns.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Rollins admitted he admired the work ethic of Reigns during their time in FCW, but didn't feel quite on the same wavelength with him. That changed when the two united to deliver a stellar performance for WWE coach Terry Taylor.

"You had five or ten seconds to blow yourself sky high," Rollins said about a specific training drill. Up until that point, no one had managed to perfect the grueling task until Rollins and Reigns were placed together. "We both looked at each other from across the ring, and there was this clarity and communication between the two." 

Reigns, though, remembers the incident a little differently. "I beat the hell out of him," said Reigns. Rollins concedes that "The Tribal Chief" took the pair out of the sticky situation, "Roman knew how to bring it, and he got us out of this drill." 

After that moment, Rollins' dynamic with Reigns shifted. "There was a different level of respect between the two of us and a different understanding," he said. Moxley feels the trio left an indelible impression on pro wrestling thanks to the work ethic that they created, which he thinks still impacts the wrestlers of today.

Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose later united to make their official on-screen WWE debut on November 18, 2012, at Survivor Series and proceeded to go on a legendary run in the company, solidifying themselves as one of the best factions of all time.