Roman Reigns has been making Kevin Owens’ life miserable on Friday Night SmackDown for months. However, this doesn't mean that there isn't any respect in Roman Reigns for Kevin Owens’ work ethic.
Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens are headed towards their third Universal Championship match in their most recent series. It will be a Last Man Standing Match at the WWE Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 31. In fact, this match will be the first repeat Universal Championship match in Royal Rumble history as Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens fought each other for the prestigious title in the first Universal Championship match in Royal Rumble history in 2017.
After spending so much time opposing one another, respect is bound to form. Speaking with CBS Sports, Roman Reigns opened up about how much you respect the relentlessness of his rival ahead of the Royal Rumble event.
"I think if you just looked at it on paper, he's the exact opposite of me," Reigns said. "We look different, we carry ourselves differently, we have different backgrounds. It's just completely different presentations, and there's something very interesting about polar opposites going at it and competing against each other to see who is the best. But, from the intangible standpoint, what KO brings to the table is his own way and own package -- his relentlessness to be great.”
Roman elaborated, "He has a passion to try to capture the next level and that, as performers, is something you have to have. The audience is looking for those stars who are trying to do that and be mega-stars and achieve the unattainable while pushing each other to the next level. We've beat the crap out of KO for months, and he gets up with a smile on his face wanting more. He's a guy who, no matter what he's put through, enjoys the upper echelon of the wrestling business and being able to tell very detailed, intricate and sophisticated wrestling narratives. That's something he's been craving his entire career. And to be able to do it in WWE after going through so much and probably having to swallow that "no pill" a lot through his career with a lot of people trying to tell him no. That's something that he really showcases -- that relentlessness to keep getting up, keep going and keep fighting."
Fightful will have coverage of the last SmackDown before the Royal Rumble beginning tonight at 8 p.m. eastern. We will also have live coverage of the royal rumble on Sunday, January 31, 2021 beginning at 6 p.m. eastern time.
