“That Philly crowd hated him”: Roman Reigns’ First WWE Moment With The Rock Was So Bad He is Trying to Forget It
Ava Arnold
Updated on April 03, 2026
Roman Reigns has accomplished everything in WWE, from winning the WWE Championship, Universal Championship, United States, and Intercontinental Championships. He has done it all. However, one of the most controversial moments in his career would remain his win at the 2015 Royal Rumble. The moment was so bad and embarrassing that even The Tribal Chief struggled to forget it.
While the Royal Rumble victory would have been his major stepping stone in his wrestling career, the fans did not acknowledge his massive achievement. Fans vociferously booed and jeered the winner, and to make matters worse, The People’s Champ came in front of the Philadelphia crowd to endorse Reigns. The depressed look on Reigns’ face says it as he can not ignore the reaction from the fans and act happy.
Roman Reigns Struggles To Forget His Most Embarrassing Moment With The Rock
In the history of WWE Royal Rumble, the 2015 Royal Rumble, the Philadelphia crowd at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was not too excited to congratulate Roman Reigns as the winner. He entered the #19 spot and eliminated all the other wrestlers to emerge victorious, but it was confirmed that Reigns was never meant to be the winner, and it was Daniel Bryan who was supposed to win it.
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However, things went astray when Bryan was eliminated by Bray Wyatt.
WWE had an interesting angle going on in 2014-15 with the authority angle, but the Royal Rumble became a dark spot by pushing Reigns to the moon. The crowd was extremely towards Reigns as they booed and featured negative chants at him once he entered the ring. But what’s more surprising is how even the appearance of Dwayne Johnson in the 2015 Royal Rumble could not save him from the boos.
After eliminating Kane and Big Show, the duo returned to destroy Reigns, Johnson made a return and swung the match in his cousin’s favor by taking down the giants.
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Nevertheless, WWE realized its mistake and decided to rectify it with the most cathartic moment at WrestleMania 31. After all, who will ever forget the Heist of the Century?
Roman Reigns Opens Up About the Most Embarrassing Moment of His Wrestling Career
After 9 years of the most embarrassing night of The Tribal Chief, he has finally decided to talk about it in A&E Biography: WWE Legends premiering this Sunday, where he stated, “I try to forget Philly. I try to forget the [2015] Royal Rumble.” The continuous booing and jeering from the fans was indeed the most embarrassing moment in his career, but what’s more surprising is how The Great One’s charismatic presence could not save him from the crowd.
The news was shared by Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) on X, where fans joked about how being a fan of Roman Reigns was extremely difficult in 2015.
It was bad when even The Rock couldn’t get him over. That Philly crowd hated him. I think the crowd is going to react a completely different way this time around. Lots of Roman acknowledgers out there 😂
— Cory (@Cory_Hays407) March 28, 2024
Being a Roman fan back in these days was rough but i stuck beside him 🥲☝🏽
— AgostoAllElite Podcast™ (Richie Agosto) (@AgostoAllElite) March 28, 2024
And it’s back at Philly this year, and we gonna get the same outcome again. Everything comes full circle
— SSJ O FUCKING SIRIS (@KnownAsOsiris) March 28, 2024
And WM XL he'll be booed again at Philly as he walks back like this at the end of night 2
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) March 28, 2024
It’s the reason we have the current Roman today
— E-Man (@WigginsWick22) March 28, 2024
lowest moment of his career.. the fans rejected their tribal chief.
if only they acknowledged him earlier
— light yagami (@habdoolahi) March 28, 2024
Nevertheless, life is going to come to a full circle as WrestleMania 40 returns to Philadelphia for the first time in 25 years. WWE’s biggest PPV is going to take place in Lincoln Financial Field, and who knows what would be the reaction of the fans. Will they have the same reaction for the star, as they had 9 years back in the 2015 Royal Rumble? Or will the crowd finally acknowledge The Tribal Chief as the greatest wrestler of all time, as he defeats Cody Rhodes on night 2 of WrestleMania 40?
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WrestleMania XL can be streamed on Peacock on April 6, 2024, and April 7, 2024.
