Seth Rollins doesn’t sound too concerned about Roman Reigns calling him “number two.”
The two rivals are set to clash for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam, and in recent weeks on WWE television, Reigns has repeatedly referred to Rollins as “number two.”
During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take (see video below), Rollins was asked whether those comments bother him. Rollins dismissed the label, saying Reigns only says it because he needs to convince himself that he’s still on top.
“I mean he has to tell himself that,” Rollins said. “We all tell ourselves things when we look in the mirror. We have to tell ourselves what we need to get by in the day, and I think that’s what Roman has to tell himself is that Seth Rollins is number two to make himself feel like he’s number one.”
Rollins then pointed to Reigns’ long-running demand to be acknowledged, arguing that it reflects his need for validation.
“You know, ‘Acknowledge me.’ He’s always looking for that acknowledgement,” Rollins continued. “I think part of him needs to think that that’s the way it is. He needs to believe that.”
Rollins also questioned whether Reigns truly believes his own words before reflecting on their history together, dating back to The Shield.
“Whether he actually thinks that or not I don’t know because the truth is I’ve had Roman’s number every step of the way,” he said. “From the moment we came into The Shield where I held his hand, nursed him along, helped him out and got him to the next level, to every single match we’ve had in a big time moment I’ve owned him.”
He closed by reiterating that Reigns’ comments are more about self-belief than reality.
“So whether he believes that or not I’m not entirely sure, but he’s got to tell himself that to be happy with who he is.”
Seth Rollins challenges Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam 2026, which goes down on August 1 and August 2 from US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 8/1 and 8/2 for live WWE SummerSlam 2026 Results coverage.
