Roman Reigns is coming back for Raw in Philadelphia, a city that holds no shortage of memories for the OTC.
When WWE announced in June that it would be bringing it’s post-SummerSlam run to Philadelphia, many hoped – and frankly – expected it would offer one last chance to see John Cena in action. But as the company announced Cena’s final dates, Philadelphia, was not one of them. It is hard to say for certain if the lack of Cena, or perhaps the ticket price and AEW’s 2300 residency, is the reason that Raw Philly is yet to be a sell out. But it is worth noting as Philadelphia has long been a hotbed of professional wrestling and it’s surprising to see tickets for any show still available two weeks out.
With tickets seemingly moving slower than usual, WWE is breaking out the big guns. Today, the Wells Fargo Center, which will be hosting its final WWE event before becoming the XFinity Mobile Arena on September 1, announced that the OTC Roman Reigns will be appearing on the August 18 Raw. This appearance marks Reigns’ first in Philly since he lost his world title, ending his 1,316-day reign as Universal Champion and 735-day reign as Undisputed WWE Champion, on night two of WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024.
Roman Reigns Hasn’t Always Felt the Brotherly Love
Credit: WWE
Reigns’ history in Philadelphia over the last decade is complicated to say the least. It all began at the infamous 2015 Royal Rumble where despite having the Rock raising his hand in victory, fans booed the assent of the former Shield’s muscle. Many believed it was too much too soon and fans certainly let Reigns and WWE hear it. Flash forward to December of that year when Reigns returned to the City of Brotherly Love. A year after being booed out of the building, Reigns was greeted to “you deserve it” chants when he defeated Sheamus, who had cashed in to end his first world championship reign in mere minutes a few weeks prior. By 2018, fans were sour on Reigns again as the rumble returned to the Wells Fargo Center. This time however, WWE pulled off a great swerve as Reigns finished as the runner-up, much to fans’ delight. In 2019, fans were back in Reigns’ corner during the Shield’s reunion and what would be their final match as a trio on Raw. He would wrestle just a handful of matches during WWE’s trips back to Philly after that including tagging with the Undertaker at Extreme Rules in 2019 and tagging with the Rock on night one of WrestleMania XL.
What’s Next for the Tribal Chief?
ππππ ππππ ππ: Roman Reigns to appear at Monday Night RAW in Philly on 8/18!
ποΈ https://t.co/J0fifSUZck pic.twitter.com/22GL0fDUbV
— Wells Fargo Center (@WellsFargoCtr) August 6, 2025
Fans last saw Reigns eating a spear and a couple of tsunamis on the August 4 edition of Raw. It seemed at the time this could have been a way to write Reigns off TV for a bit, perhaps until Clash of Paris at the end of the month. But it takes more than a few finishers to keep the big dog down as Reigns has unfinished business with the new kings of the red brand. Reigns could appear to continue his and Jey Uso’s tag team partnership against the tribal thief and Bron Breakker or he could go after the new champ, the man who once again stabbed him in the back with a steel chair and a stolen wiseman. Or perhaps Reigns still has issues with CM Punk, who he himself is at a low point following Seth Rollins’ ruse of the century.
No matter what Roman Reigns is in Philadelphia to do on Raw, fans are sure to acknowledge him and the announcement of his appearance is sure to move the remaining tickets as WWE uses its biggest name to combat AEW’s occupancy in the city a week later.
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