Roman Reigns decision to sit out during the pandemic has more to do with his co-workers than WWE

Roman Reigns was the first WWE Superstar to opt out of the company’s empty arena/closed set productions during the global coronavirus pandemic - a decision which is looking very smart in retrospect.

At first, the belief was that Reigns made the decision for himself as a man living with leukemia. He then revealed it had more to do with his family, as his wife had just recently given birth to their second pair of twins.

Throughout it all, speculation’s been that the 4 time WWE World/Universal champ was concerned about being exposed to COVID-19 while working. And he is, but as Roman recently told The Hindu, it’s not WWE’s efforts to screen and clean at the PC. It has more to do with his co-workers.

“The company has done everything that they can to make it the safest work environment possible. It is not the workplace that I was necessarily concerned about.

“The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I’m not convinced, and I can’t trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am. I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in the ring, but I just can’t put the same trust when it has my children, my wife and my family involved.

“But I don’t want it to come off as I am taking a stand against the company at all, because I love the WWE. I’ve been a part of this company just since I was a little boy. That’s why I always take it so personally when I represent them.”

Sadly, this tracks with reports which were coming out of the PC last week of wrestlers going to bars and attending social gatherings then not disclosing that information in order to get around WWE screenings before tapings, even as the number of positive COVID tests skyrocketed - both in Florida and at the company’s Orlando facility.

It also casts Roman’s quote about sitting out to “set an example” in a new light.

Reigns says he’s still training as hard as ever, and is anxious to return. But this doesn’t sound like someone who is going to return until we’re in a drastically different environment than we’re currently in, and who knows when that might be.