They Created a Whole Faction Just to Get Roman Reigns Over” – WWE Star Makes Bold Claim
The road to WrestleMania 42 is heating up, and Roman Reigns stands front and center after his Royal Rumble victory. But as The OTC prepares for his World Heavyweight Championship showdown with CM Punk in Las Vegas, a former WWE star is pulling back the curtain on how the company once scrambled to make Reigns connect with audiences.
Miro, formerly known as Rusev in WWE, dropped some fascinating behind-the-scenes insight during a recent appearance on Chris Van Vliet’s “Insight” podcast. The topic? The infamous League of Nations faction that assembled in late 2015.
According to Miro, the group wasn’t born from creative brilliance—it was born from necessity.
“I think they needed somebody for Roman to be a babyface,” Miro revealed. ” That’s how they came up with it. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, we have this great idea for these four guys.’ They needed somebody for Roman, and that’s why they put us together. Which was fun.”
The admission sheds light on WWE’s aggressive push to establish Reigns as the company’s top babyface during that era – a journey that famously met with mixed reactions from fans who weren’t ready to accept him in that role.
The Tribal Chief’s Journey
Fast forward to 2026, and Reigns has evolved into arguably the biggest star in professional wrestling. His upcoming WrestleMania clash with CM Punk remains the headline attraction, though the recent announcement of Finn Balor vs. Punk at Elimination Chamber could still shake up those plans.
Speaking in a recent WWE vlog, Reigns opened up about something he’s mastered over the years—the art of trash talk.
“This is what we do, man. We talk s*, and then we find a way to find that solution,”** Reigns explained. “Nobody who’s been here for a long time has thin skin. You learn; that’s just what it is. We’re all thick-skinned alphas here.”
The former Universal Champion didn’t hold back when discussing his evolution in the business, making it clear his status wasn’t handed to him.
“When you’ve been here, and you’ve done what I’ve done, you built that equity to share your opinion,” Reigns stated. ” The s* I think and the s*** I say matters. I earned that. Nobody gave it to me; I had to take it. It wasn’t easy.”**
He specifically called out the veterans who once stood in his way: “John Cena, Randy Orton, Big Show. Kane? Sweetheart, but still. I had to pry this s* from the grips of the veterans. Nobody else did it but me. I say what I want.”**
With WrestleMania 42 looming and his championship opportunity secured, Reigns has proven that whatever struggles existed in 2015 are long behind him. The question now: Can he add World Heavyweight gold to his legendary resume when he steps into the Las Vegas spotlight?
