"That's not Roman" - Anoaʻi family member reveals what WWE's OTC is actually like in real life

He's back regularly again on WWE TV and it feels like Roman Reigns is as big as ever, going by the fan reactions. While his on-screen character gradually changes, Afa Anoa'i Jr. recently spilled the beans on what Roman Reigns was really like.

Roman Reigns might still be in his prime but his work over the past few years has made him a modern-day great. After being rejected as a babyface for years, WWE finally pulled the trigger on a heel turn for Reigns in 2020 and he's not looked back since being rechristened as The Tribal Chief.

Roman is now slowly going back to being a full-fledged babyface and it might be more in line with his real-life persona. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling, Afa Anoa'i Jr. noted that Roman Reigns was nowhere close to the "narcissist" character he portrayed in recent times.

Afa said there was a considerable difference between the character, Roman Reigns and the person, Joe Anoaʻi. However, Roman still showed glimpses of his real self on TV as well, as Afa explained:

"Man, I feel it depends on the month and the year, you know because the narcissist Roman and stuff like that we got leading up to the Cody [match], that's not Roman. So, yeah, there is a big difference between the character and Joe. But we do get a lot of glimpses of Joe out there more and more each week."

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"He balances it well," says Afa Anoa'i Jr. on Roman Reigns' WWE persona

The beauty of professional wrestling is that every performer is playing a gimmick, that sometimes, is inspired by their real personalities.

Of course, the heels operate differently and put on an act to get more heat from the crowd, something that Roman Reigns expertly did as the world champion for multiple years.

While Afa Anoa'i Jr. noted that Roman Reigns, like other WWE Superstars, was portraying a character, The OTC was still perfectly blending certain qualities that epitomize the man behind the gimmick, Joe Anoaʻi.

"He balances it well, you know, he does. At the end of the day, he is playing a character on TV, but it's a healthy mix because we're always taught to be ourselves but max the volume."

Roman Reigns is seemingly gathering allies as he looks to end Solo Sikoa's forced ascension to the top and simultaneously becomes the lovable good guy WWE always wanted him to be for the fans.

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