Roman Reigns, one of the WWE goats and the undeniable face of WWE’s modern era, has never shied away from bold declarations. This statement marks a scar on The OTC’s legacy that is built on bravado and spectacle.
For context, Leati Joseph Anoa’i popularly known as Roman Reigns is one of the top tier superstars of WWE. Currently he is uplifting his character. He received a massive support after becoming the leader of “The Bloodline” switching his personality from babyface to heel turn.
This article will explore the significance of Reigns’ statement, examining its underlying truth, and breakdown the quote and analyse the narrative behind it.
Table of Contents
Deconstructing the Quote:
“It’s funny because a lot of people call me a part-timer…”
The label “part-timer” has long been associated with big-name stars like Brock Lesnar or The Rock—wrestlers who appear only during major events. Roman has been facing this tag since 2022. Recently Rollins called OTC as a part-timer as he shows up in main events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam only and Seth is more regular than him.
No doubt we see a drop in Reigns’ appearance but its not due to his part timer role, but it is a strategic booking of WWE creative team for him. To increase his match worth and output–they book him in main events only.
“…a lot of people got a lot of things to say about my schedule.”
WWE creative team are potentially aiming to book Reigns for limited dates but the wrestling community has mixed opinion about the OTC’s booking. They understand Roman’s appearances has elevated the show rating and revenue. His appearance transformed the show into a “must-see TV” show. Fans believe it’s better to have a consistent appearance in the show than an impactful appearance.
“I’m no part-timer, I’m a full-time cash cow…”
Just before the WrestleMania 41 event, Seth and Punk took shots on him by calling him as a part-timer and themselves a more consistent streamer. Reigns stride the quote, referring to himself as a “cash cow”, is more than just bravado—it’s a savvy acknowledgment of his financial value to WWE. The term refers to high returns, good sponsorship deals, merchandise sales, and ticket sales. His appearance in any event breaks the records of sales with his “Acknowledge Me” slogan and Tribal Chief persona driving sales.
“This business lives off me.”
The Tribal Chief claims a bold statement with the necessary merits. He is the top superstar after the legendary John Cena and The Rock. His feuds are the most compelling storytelling WWE has delivered in years specially with Rhodes and Jey Uso. His matches carries more emotion and narrative weight than most others.
Evidence and Supporting Points
Since Reigns began his dominant title run in 2020, The Bloodline storyline spiked the live event attendance up with merchandise sales surging. He headlined WrestleMania 39 and Royal Rumble 2023, which broke record sales on Peacock platform. His feud elevated his legacy but also propelled others too. Sami Zayn’s rise in 2022, Jey Uso’s solo breakout, and Cody Rhodes’ babyface momentum in 2023.
Being a Chief character grabs huge audience attention and has crossed over into mainstream media platforms.
Counterarguments and Nuances:
WWE’s business model is built on a foundation that extends far beyond the ring. For a successful hit show, players are not only responsible for that but the creative team, crew, marketing departments, digital teams, and other backend team is responsible. Day by day popularity of WWE is increasing due to contributions of other top stars too like Seth Rollins, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.
However, WWE is relying more on Reigns that could lead to challenges when that figure steps away. While Reigns argues that he is not a part-timer, the perception among many fans says otherwise. Top stars must appear once in a week to resonate with the fans otherwise it can frustrate fans opinions.
Conclusion
Roman Reigns may be a “full-time cash cow” as per WWE creative team’s booking decisions. But as per fans, it demands more appearance than just impactful appearances. No doubt, his contributions and his star power is undeniable but regular appearances are also important.
Vijay Suyal 
Reddaveni Saisneha