Paul Heyman On The Origins Of Roman Reigns' WWE Catchphrase 'Acknowledge Me'
After Roman Reigns defeated "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt and Brawn Strowman to win the Universal Championship at WWE Payback in August 2020, he entered a feud with his cousin, Jey Uso. It was there that Reigns blossomed into "The Tribal Chief" and stumbled upon a new catchphrase: "Acknowledge me."
During a recent appearance on "Tetragrammaton," Paul Heyman explained the origins of the two-word tagline, which is often directed toward the live crowd Reigns appears in front of on WWE programming.
"Roman had said, 'Well, you know what I really want from Jey? I don't want his love. I have that. I don't want his admiration. I don't even want his obedience. I'll take that from him. You know what I need? I'm the 'Head of the Table.' I am 'The Tribal Chief.' I need him to acknowledge me.' And the moment he said it, we all got chills because we knew this is bigger than this moment," Heyman said.
"This is the declarative statement. This is the definition of the character. What does the character want? What does 'The Tribal Chief' need? What does the 'Head of the Table' seek? Acknowledgment," said the "Special Counsel."
Though Reigns' statement may be seen as a command, Heyman clarified that it's actually a plea.
The Tribal Chief Needs An Acknowledgment
"[Roman is] the most confident performer, the best-looking man, the guy that looks like a champion, the one guy that can handle Brock Lesnar, the D1 athlete, a second-generation Samoan American wrestler, and he's needy. He's a 'Tribal Chief.' He's 'The Head of the Table.' He runs the family. He's the biggest star, but he's needy. He needs you to acknowledge him," Heyman said.
Upon closer inspection of Reigns' on-screen character, Heyman revealed "The Tribal Chief" wasn't motivated by love, affirmation, or even hate. All he desires is acknowledgment from the audience.
With his two-word plea, Reigns empowers the audience to respond back any way they want, whether it be in the form of cheers or boos.
"It's a beg from a man who doesn't beg. From a man who rules. From a man who commands 'The Island of Relevancy.' 'Please acknowledge me. Please, just acknowledge me. I don't just want it, I need it from you.' And when you do it, do it authentically."
According to Heyman, Reigns' catchphrase serves as a "psychological twist" to humanize him. Reigns recently surpassed 1,000 days as the Universal Champion and has shown no signs of ending his reign anytime soon. He continues to compliment his domination with a sense of vulnerability in his spurts of anger, and his "needy" catchphrase.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Tetragrammaton" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.