“The OTC1” learned a lot from the former longtime WWE Chairman during his rise to the top of the pro wrestling business.
During the latest episode of the What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon podcast, which dropped today, Roman Reigns spoke about learning from Vince McMahon over the years.
Reigns explained that, as the youngest of McMahon’s “top guys,” he didn’t get the same amount of time with Vince as legends like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Still, he said he tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible.
“That’s who I cut my teeth negotiating with, doing business with was your dad,” Reigns told Stephanie. “And that’s how I feel: I’m not intimidated by anybody anymore. There were times where I had to get used to him and we had to learn each other’s ways. But I’m the youngest of all his top guys, you know? So I didn’t have that relationship like a lot of the other guys were afforded in the time.”
Reigns continued, “Compared to anybody else, Hogan or Steve or Dwayne, those guys, I don’t think I got as much of his time, but I was picking up as much knowledge as I could. He may not even realize it, but there’s a lot of things that he said to me that I continue to use. I just tore it completely out of his playbook.”
The former longtime Undisputed WWE Champion also shared one of the biggest personal lessons Vince taught him.
“He would always tell me, and this is when I was so locked in at work that I wasn’t holding up my end on the other side. And he would just tell me, ‘You got to be present. When you go home, you have to be present. It doesn’t matter what you do out here, you have to be present.’ And I took that to heart so much,” Reigns said.
“The Original Tribal Chief” added that advice continues to resonate with him today.
“Sometimes it’s the other way now. Now, it’s hard not to be present when I’m not home, when I’m not with my children. Because that’s where I really want to be, is with my wife and my children.”
On the business side, Reigns said McMahon taught him the importance of staying ahead of the curve.
“I’m always going to be a WWE Superstar. I’m always going to be Roman Reigns. And I don’t want to ever have to [choose],” he said, noting his goal of balancing mainstream opportunities while remaining WWE’s top star.
Roman Reigns is set to portray the role of “Akuma” in the new movie based on the popular Street Fighter video game, and will square off against “The Tribal Thief” and owner of “The Shoe-La-Fala” Bronson Reed at the WWE Clash In Paris premium live event this weekend.
Acknowledge him!☝️
Get ready to see a whole new side of The OTC @WWERomanReigns this Thursday on a new #WhatsYourStory wherever you get your podcasts! @EGxo @WWE @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/uQJ1Cg12Wn
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 26, 2025
Develop your system, be precise, and do the reps until it becomes habit. Also…did you catch that Blue Steel?!? NAILED IT.
Don’t miss the new #WhatsYourStory with @romanreigns, dropping tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts! @WWE @Fanatics @EGxo pic.twitter.com/XQJ3nZLNu3
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 27, 2025
(H/T to F4WOnline.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
