Je’Von Evans may be part of WWE’s next generation, but he knows the road he’s walking was shaped by the stars who came before him.
‘The Young OG’ recently opened up about the wrestlers who influenced him, with Roman Reigns receiving particularly high praise. Evans credited Reigns with helping change WWE during one of the most important stretches in the company’s recent history.
For Evans, Reigns’ impact goes beyond championships or individual matches. He believes the WWE World Heavyweight Champion helped carry the company and played a major role in moving WWE into the position it finds itself in today.
Evans pointed specifically to Reigns’ return in 2020 as the beginning of a run that dramatically altered his perception among fans.
Right now I have to say Roman. It’s kind of crazy but there was a time in wrestling, especially in WWE, where we were losing a lot of views, especially during that COVID era — we were losing a lot of money. Then Roman came back into the game, and he carried WWE for four or five years.
Evans believes that stretch helped change the game for WWE, especially considering how much responsibility Reigns carried as the company’s leading star.
He changed the game. He changed the swagger of WWE. Roman changed everything. No matter what, he can take a break, come back, and still get that big reaction. It’s insane.
Reigns came back at SummerSlam 2020 with a completely different presentation before aligning with Paul Heyman and embracing his Tribal Chief persona. What followed was the defining run of his WWE career, with Reigns becoming the centerpiece of The Bloodline storyline and holding the Universal Championship for more than three and a half years.
