JBL isn’t letting Conrad Thompson’s criticism of Roman Reigns go unanswered.
Thompson recently aimed at the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, arguing Reigns’ run wouldn’t be missed if he disappeared from wrestling entirely, and crediting most of Reigns’ popularity to Paul Heyman rather than Reigns himself, pointing to the years of fan hostility toward Reigns before his 2020 reinvention as evidence.
JBL pushed back hard on a recent episode of the “Something to Wrestle” podcast. He argued that whoever sits at the top gets blamed when business struggles and credited when it thrives, and that Reigns is the one steering the ship right now — drawing comparisons to Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino, both of whom were also surrounded by talented rosters without it diminishing their status as the top guy.
If business is bad, you blame the top guy. If business is good, you give the top guy credit to some degree or not. Roman is the guy that’s spearheading the ship. Now, is he surrounded by a lot of great talent? Absolutely. So was Hogan. So was Sammartino. I don’t give a s— if he’s called a babyface or a heel. He’s a draw, and Roman is the face of the company in the most profitable era in wrestling history.
As JBL put it plainly, regardless of label, the ‘OTC’ is a draw and the face of the company during the most profitable era in wrestling history.
JBL also pushed back on Thompson’s generational comparisons, accusing him of cherry-picking which eras “counted,” suggesting Thompson gives Hogan and Stone Cold credit for their drawing power while dismissing Reigns’ impact entirely — and jokingly questioned whether Thompson simply doesn’t like Reigns.
You’re picking and choosing. You’re cherry picking. Oh, it meant something when Hogan was in it. It meant something when Stone Cold was. It doesn’t mean anything when Roman does it. I didn’t realize you’re such a freaking Roman Reigns hater.
The debate comes as Reigns rides high off SummerSlam 2026, where he retained his title against Seth Rollins. He’s set to defend the championship again next month against the winner of an ongoing luchador tournament, with the title match taking place in Mexico City.
