5 times Roman Reigns failed when it mattered most 

Roman Reigns has a knack for overcoming the odds, no matter how highly they're stacked against him. Over the years, the WWE Universe has witnessed The Tribal Chief snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on several occasions.

His ability to withstand extreme pain and remain unfazed against any threat has helped him emerge victorious in his battles against legends like The Undertaker, Goldberg, and John Cena.

However, there have been times when The Head of the Table couldn't live up to his reputation. Reigns has missed out on several massive accomplishments in his career due to a lack of focus and self-awareness.

He even had moments stolen away from him because certain individuals were able to get into his head. In this article, let's look at five times Roman Reigns failed when it mattered most.

#5. Roman Reigns lost to Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank 2016

Seth Rollins is someone who's always had Roman Reigns' number. While he might not be as physically strong as The Big Dog, The Architect has always been ahead of his former Shield buddy in mind games.

In May 2016, The Visionary returned from a devastating knee injury to challenge Reigns for his WWE Championship. The two stars faced each other at Money in the Bank 2016 in a match where Seth Rollins pushed Roman Reigns to his limits.

Despite his opponent not being at his best, The Head of the Table came up short in this contest. Rollins, who had been out of action for months, totally outclassed The Tribal Chief in this encounter.

Rollins countered most of his moves, punished him with impressive maneuvers, and even kicked out of The Spear. The Visionary kept his opponent in an unsettled position throughout the contest, which eventually led to Roman's defeat.

#4. Roman Reigns was brutalized by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34

WrestleMania 34 was supposed to be the culmination of a long-running rivalry between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. The Big Dog went into this contest intending to fulfill the job he left incomplete at WrestleMania 31.

Unfortunately, things didn't pan out like The Tribal Chief wanted. The Beast Incarnate was at his most violent that night. He dominated the majority of the contest, destroying Reigns with German Suplexes and F5s.

However, The Tribal Chief refused to stay down even after such a vicious beatdown. The challenger's resistance frustrated The Universal Champion, who then proceeded to remove his gloves.

The Beast delivered some barehanded blows to bust open Reigns' head. With his face covered in blood, The Tribal Chief stood up again to hit Lesnar with a couple of Spears. It seemed like all the punishment Reigns had taken would get paid off with a victory over his arch-nemesis.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case as The Beast survived his opponent's counter-attack to retain his championship. Despite giving everything he had, Roman Reigns failed to leave New Orleans that night as the Universal Champion.

#3. The Head of the Table failed to win the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2015

Roman Reigns competed in his first and only Money in the Bank ladder match in 2015. The bout also comprised former world champions like Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Kane, meaning The Big Dog had a huge task to overcome.

At one point, The Head of the Table found himself alone in the ring. He was in a prime position to unhook the briefcase and become Mr. MITB. As he began his ascent to the pinnacle of the ladder, Bray Wyatt appeared and pushed him off the top.

The Eater of Worlds then planted him with a Sister Abigail, nullifying his chances of returning to the contest. Had Reigns been a bit more prepared for outside interference, he might have become Mr. Money in the Bank that night.

#2. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion failed to put Seth Rollins away at the Royal Rumble 2022

Roman Reigns seems to be out of luck when it comes to his battles with Seth Rollins. Earlier this year, the two megastars again faced off at the Royal Rumble premium live event.

During the buildup to this match, The Architect constantly reminded The Tribal Chief of all the times he'd failed to beat him whenever the stakes were the highest.

The Champion went into this high-profile contest to prove that notion wrong. However, the task was never going to be easy against a mastermind like Seth Rollins, who had already begun playing mind games even before the match started.

He entered the arena wearing his Shield vest, reminding everyone (and especially Roman) of his cold-hearted betrayal. Throughout the contest, Reigns never looked like his usual confident self. He seemingly had doubts over his ability, which was something Rollins used to his advantage.

The Tribal Chief soon reached his breaking point and held onto his submission even though his opponent had already grabbed the ropes. The match ended via disqualification, further strengthening Rollins' claim that Reigns couldn't beat him when it mattered most.

#1. The Head of the Table came up short at Royal Rumble 2016

Roman Reigns went into Royal Rumble 2016 with a challenging task on his hands. He put his WWE Championship on the line in the Royal Rumble match against 29 other superstars.

The odds were not in his favor, and only a miracle could have helped Reigns emerge victorious.

Surprisingly enough, The Big Dog almost succeeded in pulling off that miracle. He managed to fight through the entire contest and made his way into the final three. The League of Nations also inadvertently contributed to Reigns' survival by taking him out of the ring during the early stages of the match.

Despite reaching the final three, The Tribal Chief fell short of a historic victory. He went after his arch-nemesis Sheamus without realizing that Triple H had been waiting for him to make a mistake.

As he eliminated The Celtic Warrior with a Superman Punch, The Game came from behind to throw him out. Reigns' inability to recognize the looming threat of The King of Kings prevented him from winning the Royal Rumble for the second consecutive year.