2015: Roman Reigns' Hellacious Year

Exclusive Interview: How Roman Reigns survived the craziest year ever to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion

Barring incident, Roman Reigns will close 2015 as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, which is a far sight better than the way he started it.

After winning the 2015 Royal Rumble Match to a less-than-enviable reception from a Philadelphia crowd who wanted to see Daniel Bryan go the distance, The Big Dog mounted what was, in essence, a yearlong redemption tour he hadn’t planned on. Rebuilding his game from the ground up, Reigns clawed his way back from a heartbreaking WrestleMania loss to finally put all the pieces together and capture not only the title, but something far more elusive: The favor of a WWE Universe that had turned hostile.

Seven days after Reigns’ year came full circle, WWE.com called up the new champion to discuss the ups and downs of his 2015, from sharing the ring with Bryan to finally winning the “respect” of the crowd at the end of the craziest year in … well, ever.

WWE.COM: Going into 2015, you had just won Superstar of the Year and were coming off of an injury. What were your expectations for the year ahead?

''The Royal Rumble was a very important part of the process.''

ROMAN REIGNS: I wasn’t even expecting that award. To be honest, I had no clue I was in the running. I wasn’t even paying attention because I was off rehabilitating the hernia and trying to get back. For me, my mental focus was getting healthy and getting back to where I could travel and make it to town after town and wrestle every single night. I was just trying to get back into the game.

WWE.COM: You and Daniel Bryan were both in the Royal Rumble Match. Were you worried about a potential crowd reaction in the same way that had happened the previous year?

REIGNS: No, I wasn’t concerned with D.B. being out there. If anything, I was happy he was out there, because he was coming off his injury, too. To have two guys coming back that can both contribute every single day, I never think that’s a bad thing. In hindsight, seeing how the reactions went, it didn’t help. But it is what it is, and everything happens for a reason. For me, it was an important part of the process.

WWE.COM: What process was that?

REIGNS: Getting better. Getting more experience, dealing with a hostile crowd. Learning. And that’s what spurred most of the progression, I think, is being in that situation and being able to learn from that.

WWE.COM: People always talk about the reaction when something goes right. Was it difficult for you to compete that night, knowing the reaction to your win wasn’t what you wanted it to be?

REIGNS: Yeah, absolutely. When we’re out there, it’s all based on passion and emotion. We go through these emotional roller coasters. You see us in pain, you see us in a frenzy, and that’s all part of the process. When [the crowd is] coming down heavy on you, it’s hard. And it took a lot out of me that night and for the weeks to come. Luckily, and with God favoring me, I was able to continue to push and learn and continue to grind and get to this point.