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Wrestling fans around the world have seen a connection between Samoan performers and the traditional tattoos many often add to their bodies. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, The Usos, Umaga, and more have shown off full arm sleeve, pec and back tattoos based in the Polynesian culture. Roman Reigns is no different.
The Big Dog has spoken on the ink that's covered his body in the past. On WWE's Superstar Ink hosted by Corey Graves, he'd gone into great detail about the significance of his tattoos.
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Roman Reigns started off with a right shoulder piece before getting a full sleeve done by "Samoan" Mike Fatutoa, a notable tattoo artist who had also inked up Jimmy and Jey Uso. Reigns stated that the way the patterns connect are very important, culturally, so it's vital that they're done correctly to honor the customs.
The Polynesian culture has always been important to the former WWE Champion, and he's proudly spoken about his heritage a handful of times. Belonging to the Anoa'i family, alongside Rosey, Yokozuna, Rikishi, The Usos, Tamina Snuka, Umaga, The Rock and Nia Jax, it's vitally important to represent, not just the Anoa'i and Maivia families, but Samoan tradition as a whole. This dates all the way back to High Chief Peter Maivia, who had a traditional Pe'a tattoo, going from his abdomen all the way down to his knees.
Roman Reigns eventually added a chest piece to the artwork over the years. There's also a small turtle with a flower on its shell sitting right beneath his wrist, which as he's revealed is dedicated to his daughter. In the Polynesian culture, the turtle symbolizes family, wellness, longevity and peace. Reigns stated in the video below that the birth of his daughter gave him purpose.
The total time spent on his arm, between the initial shoulder piece and the rest, took a combined 17 hours to get done, according to The Big Dog. It was an arduous process, but Reigns revealed that, aside from bathroom breaks, he took it as a challenge to sit there and let Fatutoa work on it uninterrupted for as long as he could.
In a similar note, The Rock's chest tattoo, he revealed in an interview with Fab TV during the Moana release turn, took about 60 hours divided between 3-4 sessions. That's dedication.
Roman Reigns has been absent from the WWE for some time
We haven't seen Roman Reigns in a few months. Originally, he was set to face Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36. It was a clash of the spears that was sure to be an epic all out brawl between one of the most dominant performers in wrestling history, and the current face of the company.
Sadly, with the COVID-19 pandemic, along with Reigns' medical history, he was forced to back out of the event. Being someone at high risk due to his battle with leukemia, it's completely understandable that he'd want to take the necessary precautions.
So, what's he been doing while away from the ring? Spending time with his family, of course, as he and his wife welcomed a new set of twins to the family recently. However, he also revealed some new ink that he'd gotten while away.
Roman Reigns sports some new ink while away from the ring
The last time we saw Roman Reigns, his tattoos covered his full right arm and right pectoral. Now, it's spread in the other direction.
On Michael Fatutoa's TikTok, he revealed a new addition to Roman Reigns' tattoo, with the caption:
Another legendary session with my so Leati #samoa #tatau #samoan #polynesiantattoo #tattoosleeve #tats #inked #romanreigns #romanreigns605 #liaifaiva
The tattoo takes up the entire right half of his back, going from the bottom of his neck all the way to the top of his waist. It extends back across, connecting to his torso and arm. It's a pretty impressive new piece of ink.
Every tattoo that Reigns has added to his body has a seriously significant meaning to him, whether it's to do with his family or heritage. It'll be interesting to hear the meaning behind the latest artwork from Fatutoa.
Samoan Mike's work is incredible. If you'd like to see more of the art that he's produced for various individuals in his career, check out his Instagram page.
It's not certain when we'll see the Big Dog back in action in a WWE ring. Right now, he's focused on taking care and spending time with his family. In the time that we're living in, what more could anyone else want? However, when Roman Reigns does finally step between those ropes, whether its in 2020 or 2021, he'll be fresh, healthy, and showing off more of Michael Fatutoa's impressive work.
