Randy Orton and Roman Reigns’ issues stretch back to the latter’s days in The Shield. It was reported that Reigns and Seth Rollins had drawn backstage heat following a confrontation between the former and Orton over a botched spot. Their argument allegedly became a shouting match between the pair, and considering their positions on the roster at the time, Reigns caught the heat for it. Their argument may well have derailed The Shield before they really got going, as Triple H reportedly pushed back on Vince McMahon’s plan to dish out punishments.

Later, as Roman Reigns was being groomed as the heir to John Cena’s spot as WWE’s top babyface, issues between the pair arose once more. It was reported by Wrestle Zone that there were concerns within the roster that Orton was intentionally working a “crowd-killing” style which was hampering Reigns’ ascent. One WWE Superstar reportedly said, “If Roman’s the guy, then Roman’s the guy … Whoever is the guy, we need to get this guy over bigger than ever, not hold him down in rest holds and hope no one gets hurt.”

Their issues may have cooled but that hasn’t stopped the pair from exchanging jibes on social media. When Roman Reigns returned to WWE in 2020, he was notably sporting a new set of veneers. Randy Orton was quick to jibe at Reigns, posting to Instagram a picture of “Family Guy’s” Brian Griffin sporting his own set of shiny gnashers. It was captioned, “Was really nice seeing #thebigdogromanreigns is back.” Reigns himself clapped back with a selfie, showing off his pearly whites, saying: “If I was you … I’d be talking bout me too, cause nobody’s talking bout you. #GetYourNumbersUp.” Ensuring he got the last word, Orton commented, “You heard it folks … straight from the horse’s mouth.”