Former WWE commentator JBL argues that Roman Reigns has evolved into a rare commodity in modern professional wrestling—a genuine superstar attraction who warrants special protection to maintain his elite status.
On the latest episode of the “Something to Wrestle” podcast, co-hosted with Conrad Thompson, JBL made his case while analyzing Reigns’ main event match against Penta in Mexico City. He drew parallels between Reigns and legendary territory-based touring draws from a bygone era, citing icons like The Sheik, Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, and Jack Brisco as the caliber of attraction Reigns now represents.
“Roman Reigns has become the kind of rare talent in this business who operates as a true attraction,” JBL stated. “You don’t want to see someone like him wrestling on television every single week.”
JBL argued that this deliberate scarcity is precisely what elevated the impact and success of the recent match against Penta.
“When he competes in one of his rare television matches, it becomes a massive, monumental event,” JBL emphasized.
This comparison harkens back to a promotional model that is virtually non-existent today. The legends JBL mentioned built their immense value by traveling between regional territories and appearing only sparingly, ensuring that every single booking felt like a major event rather than a routine weekly obligation. WWE has utilized Reigns in a similar fashion since his 2020 return, limiting his schedule to major premium live events. Consequently, his world title defense against Penta on a regular episode of Raw stood out as a rare and special occurrence.
JBL was also highly complimentary of Penta, highlighting the electric crowd response in Mexico City and the massive lines of fans waiting to see him well in advance of the event.
“Penta is an absolute massive star. I mean, you saw the social media buzz with fans staying up all night just to catch a glimpse of him the next day,” JBL remarked. “That is rock-star level, man. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed anything quite like it.”
JBL also asserted that Reigns deserves significantly more credit for his in-ring work than he typically receives from critics and fans alike.
“I think Roman Reigns is an incredible worker in the ring,” JBL asserted. “Roman Reigns, man, he truly deserves his flowers.”
According to JBL, the spectacular outcome of the match cannot be attributed to any single factor in isolation.
“Everything about the setup—from the tournament to determine his opponent, to performing in a competitor’s home country, to Roman’s extremely limited television appearances—I just believe the entire situation converged into a perfect storm,” JBL explained.
Every element JBL highlights is fully verifiable. The September 14 episode of Raw originated from Arena CDMX, marking the show’s first visit to Mexico City in fifteen years, and was heavily promoted for weeks as a special, larger-than-life event. Penta earned his championship opportunity by winning an eight-man tournament featuring top luchadors from Raw, SmackDown, and AAA, which was organized by AAA General Manager Rey Mysterio and Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. He secured his spot in the final by defeating Laredo Kid and La Parka, before ultimately overcoming his brother, Rey Fenix, in the finals on August 31.
The contest itself ran exceptionally long for a standard television main event, with the Mexican crowd firmly behind Penta throughout the evening. Penta early on damaged Reigns’ right arm using the Sacrifice, leaped over a spear to execute the Mexican Destroyer, and later replicated a springboard version of the maneuver. In response, Reigns grabbed a microphone mid-match to demand that the Mexican audience acknowledge him, ultimately finishing the bout with a spear to retain his World Heavyweight Championship.
While Penta ultimately lost the match, this outcome is central to JBL’s argument. His core premise is that the true value of a superstar attraction is defined by how rarely they appear. He contends that the combination of the tournament format, the historic venue, and Reigns’ restricted schedule successfully infused a standard Monday night broadcast with an elite, big-fight atmosphere it would not have otherwise possessed.
Reigns has held the World Heavyweight Championship since capturing it earlier this year, following his second Royal Rumble victory in January. He continues to be the most protected superstar on the roster, with ongoing speculation pointing toward a future program with Oba Femi, the 2026 King of the Ring winner who has pointedly refused to acknowledge Reigns’ dominance.