Roman Reigns Reveals The One Giant He Would Want In A Wild WWE Fantasy Showdown

Roman Reigns has already shared the ring with plenty of huge names during his WWE run, but there is one fantasy opponent from outside wrestling that apparently gets his attention. The former Tribal Chief was asked about a hypothetical crossover matchup, and his answer went straight to one of basketball's biggest stars. That name was Shaquille O'Neal. Reigns picked the 7-foot-1-inch NBA legend while speaking with Complex, though he wasn't imagining just any version of Shaq. His dream scenario involved the dominant center from his Los Angeles Lakers prime, a version of O'Neal that Reigns clearly sees as a serious problem for anybody stepping across from him.

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— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) September 23, 2026

Reigns Has A Very Specific Shaq Scenario In Mind 

The interesting part of the answer was that Reigns didn't simply name Shaq and leave it there. He went back to the Lakers era, when O'Neal was known for overpowering opponents with his size and physical presence. 

Reigns has dealt with giants during his wrestling career, but he admitted that a prime Lakers-era Shaq would be a different kind of challenge. His own words summed up the fantasy matchup pretty perfectly: 

“I've beat a giant or two in my day. Give me Shaq back in the Laker days, and he's booming on everybody. That'll probably do the job. I got Shaq right now, for sure.” 

So, even with all the monsters he has already faced, the hypothetical matchup he settled on was one where sheer size and power would make the difference. 

The WWE Star Is Also Thinking About His Career Wind-Down 

The Shaq fantasy wasn't the only thing Reigns discussed during the Complex interview. He also spoke about where he sees his WWE career heading as younger talent starts taking on bigger roles. 

Reigns acknowledged that he is moving toward the later part of his career. Rather than focusing only on what he has already accomplished, he pointed toward the newer generation as the group that could create fresh matchups for him. 

“As these young guys continue to grow, they're gonna create matchups and situations for me,” Reigns said. He added that as he phases out and they take the helm, their rise could produce the kind of “fantasy warfare” that gives him new opponents to work with. 

His WWE Schedule Still Has Plenty Ahead 

Despite talking about eventually phasing out, Reigns still has several major matches and appearances ahead in the supplied schedule. He is set to face LA Knight at Money in the Bank, with a potential Sami Zayn match at Crown Jewel also mentioned. 

His 2026 PLE run is then expected to close with Survivor Series in Houston, where he could potentially be involved in a WarGames match alongside The Bloodline. 

For now, the Shaq matchup stays firmly in fantasy territory. But Reigns has already made his pick: if he could create one giant crossover fight, prime Lakers Shaq is the man he would want standing across from him.