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Roman Reigns is one of the top superstars in WWE today, and is a focal point of WWE programming. He made his debut at the Survivor Series 2012 PPV as a member of The Shield. He has participated in three SummerSlam matches ever since his debut.
In 2013, he was at ringside when his Shield brethren Dean Ambrose defended his US Title against Rob Van Dam on the Kick-off Show. Hence, he didn't do much of note at SummerSlam 2013.
In 2014, Roman Reigns took on Randy Orton in a grudge match at SummerSlam 2014. Randy Orton attacked Roman Reigns viciously with a chair the night Seth Rollins turned on The Shield. The two took part in several multi-man matches over the course of the next two PPVs before their rivalry escalated in July 2014.
Reigns cost Orton a number one contender's opportunity at SummerSlam, and Randy retaliated with a heinous attack. This led to a deeply personal grudge match at SummerSlam.
In mid-2015, Roman Reigns was embroiled in a feud with Bray Wyatt. Roman lost to Wyatt at Battleground 2015 due to interference from the returning Luke Harper. Roman's brother-in-arms Dean Ambrose came to his aid. Reigns and Ambrose then took on the Wyatt Family in a two-on-two tag match at SummerSlam.
In 2016, soon after the brand-split, Reigns started targeting the US Champion - Rusev. Reigns ruined Rusev and Lana's wedding celebration, which made this rivalry very personal. Reigns took on Rusev on the last Raw before SummerSlam in a non-title match.
At SummerSlam, the match didn't take place due to the back and forth assaults of the two rivals. Rusev attacked Reigns before the match and Reigns retaliated with a gruesome attack that rendered Rusev unfit to compete.
In 2017, Reigns took part in a fatal-four way match for the Universal Title. This was Roman's first main event at SummerSlam. The other participants were Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar.
Now, let's grade all of Roman's matches at SummerSlam.
#1 SummerSlam 2014 - Randy Orton Vs Roman Reigns
This match was Roman Reigns' biggest match up until that point as a single competitor. The inexperienced Reigns was paired with the seasoned veteran Randy Orton in one of the marquee matches of SummerSlam 2014.
The match itself was a delight to watch. Reigns was made to look strong, and the contest was a back and forth affair. Randy's mid-air RKO to Roman Reigns was a true OMG moment.
Randy's counter to the Spear in the form of a Powerslam was another highlight. Reigns was still receiving positive reactions from the crowd at that time, and he got a decent pop after winning the match.
Randy Orton vs Roman Reigns really catapulted Roman Reigns to WWE's stratosphere. It was a solid and entertaining affair.
Grade: B
#2 SummerSlam 2015 - Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper
Roman Reigns improved a lot in the ring after his Royal Rumble victory in 2015, and put on great matches with the likes of Daniel Bryan and Brock Lesnar earlier in the year. However, the positive reactions were foregone and Roman Reigns was being rejected by the fans.
He was paired with the sinister and diabolical Bray Wyatt in mid-2015. Bray won their first encounter at Battleground with a little assistance from his comrade - Luke Harper. Reigns recruited Dean Ambrose to even the odds, and the two teams were on a collision course at SummerSlam.
I was a little underwhelmed by this match. Dean was the workhorse of the match and Reigns spent most of the time outside the ring. The crowd showered Reigns with boos and chanted 'Roman's sleeping!' when Reigns was laid out at ringside. The match was a mediocre effort from both sides.
Grade: D+
#3 SummerSlam 2017 - Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe for the Universal Championship
At the last Raw PPV before SummerSlam - Great Balls of Fire, Braun Strowman defeated Roman Reigns in an ambulance match, and Brock Lesnar retained his title against Samoa Joe.
Reigns' vicious post-match assault on Strowman took him out for the time being. Reigns and Joe confronted Lesnar the following night on Raw which led to a number one contender's match between the two.
However, Strowman interrupted the match and attacked both men, thus forcing Raw GM Kurt Angle to book a fatal-four way at SummerSlam.
The match itself was incredible, it was a definite match of the year candidate. The action was fast paced, and the contest was an all out war between four behemoths. Strowman's domination of Lesnar was great to watch, but Roman and Joe were good on the night as well. Roman taking the pinfall was a huge surprise.
The battle was one for the ages, and solidified the three challengers as great in-ring workers.
Grade: A
