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Matt Hardy recently handed out several year-end awards while reviewing the last 12 months in the wrestling business. The AEW star praised lots of WWE wrestlers, including Roman Reigns.
Reigns retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship five times in televised matches in 2023. The 38-year-old's most notable title defense came at WrestleMania 39, where he defeated Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes.
On The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy explained why Reigns was WWE's top star in 2023 despite working a limited schedule:
"I still think the WWE Wrestler of the Year this year was Roman Reigns. I think he was the main character even though he wasn't a full-time performer and he's been gone. He remains a staple on their television program being talked about. 'Oh, he's coming back in two weeks, three weeks,' whatever." [1:09:11 – 1:09:31]
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Many fans have voiced their displeasure with Reigns' part-time status. Including untelevised shows, the Bloodline leader only wrestled in 11 matches in 2023. Seth Rollins, by contrast, has competed 100 times this year so far.
Matt Hardy thinks Roman Reigns is carrying WWE
Despite missing dozens of shows in 2023, Roman Reigns is still a focal point of SmackDown most weeks. The Tribal Chief's cousins, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, fight on his behalf, while Paul Heyman often references him in promos.
For those reasons, Matt Hardy believes Reigns' character has remained relevant without appearing on television:
"I still think even though he didn't wrestle the amount of matches that maybe he should have for a champion, whatever it may have been, I still think he's the guy that's carrying the program right now." [1:09:31 – 1:09:41]
Reigns' next televised bout will take place at the Royal Rumble on January 27, 2024. He will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against the winner of an upcoming triple threat match between AJ Styles, LA Knight, and Randy Orton.
Do you think Roman Reigns was the 2023 WWE Wrestler of the Year? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
