The 6 WWE heroes of the Pandemic Era

#2 Roman Reigns - WWE SmackDown

You’ll never see it coming. #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/potOMXGs9S

— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) August 24, 2020

Roman Reigns took a leave of absence from WWE before WrestleMania 36 that caught many fans by surprise. The months that he was away felt long due to the difficult time the company was facing in the pandemic. However, his return would spark a career run for The Big Dog.

Reigns returned at Summerslam 2020 to beat down WWE Universal Champion "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. His surprise association with Paul Heyman signaled a change in attitude. Reigns showed this off by showing up minutes into the Triple Threat main event at Payback 2020 to spear Braun Strowman and win the Universal Championship.

Following the win, Roman Reigns would put in Shakespearean efforts in Universal Championship matches against his cousin Jey Uso. The level of storytelling in the buildup and during these encounters were off the charts. Their contest at Clash of Champions was tremendous and one of the best main events of the WWE ThunderDome era.

The road to @WWERomanReigns vs. @FightOwensFight at #WWETLC hits a brutal stop on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/kdbgEw6gj4

— WWE (@WWE) December 19, 2020

Their rematch at Hell In A Cell 2020 was just as compelling. Reigns choked out his injured cousin Jimmy Uso to make Jey Uso say "I Quit". Due to the pre-match stipulation, this led to Jey having to acknowledge Reigns as his Tribal Chief and do his bidding. He elevated his cousin to become "Main Event Jey Uso" and become his Right Hand Man.

Jey would assist Reigns in his battles with Kevin Owens at TLC and Royal Rumble, helping him retain the WWE Universal Championship at every turn. Roman Reigns put on an incredible set of matches against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane and in Bryan's final WWE match to date on the April 30th SmackDown. Reigns also beat Bryan and Edge in an outstanding Triple Threat at WrestleMania.

Along the way, Roman Reigns has also beaten Drew McIntyre, Cesaro and Rey Mysterio in very good to amazing contests. He has solidified his spot as the unquestionable top star in WWE. The Head of the Table has dominated the company and made it clear that everyone must acknowledge him during this pandemic era.