You know Roman Reigns as one of the most popular Superstars® in WWE history, but did you know he honed his skills during a three-year tenure in Ring of Honor (ROH) under the pseudonym Tyler Black?

That’s right, Reigns learned the ropes in front of small but enthusiastic ROH audiences alongside the likes of El Generico (now known as Cesaro in WWE), Michael Elgin (now Kevin Owens) and Jimmy Jacobs (now L’il Jimmy).

Reigns signed with Ring of Honor in 2007 after being scouted by ROH President Dixie Carter, and changed his name to Tyler Black as a tribute to his hero, Randy “Black Machismo” Savage.

During his years in ROH, Reigns led a group known as Age of the Fall, an autumn-themed faction that included one-armed wrestler Zach Gowen and bodybuilder The Necro Butcher.

As “Tyler Black,” Reigns frequently played a dastardly “heel” role, which is remarkable given his now-universal popularity among WWE fans.