While Roman Reigns is the most famous of his last name in wrestling, Luther Reigns came first in the WWE.
The former WWE Superstar started out his career in WCW, appearing alongside Roddy Piper during his sole appearance on WCW Nitro.
He signed for the WWE in 2003, spending two years on Smackdown as the assistant to the general manager, Kurt Angle.
After a less-than-stellar run in the company, he was released by the WWE in May 2005, although the circumstances surrounding Luther Reigns leaving WWE are not what you would expect.
Why Did Luther Reigns Leave WWE?
Luther Reigns requested his WWE release in May 2005, following a disagreement with Paul Heyman over his creative direction in the company.
Reigns wrestled mainly on Velocity during his run, not being booked by Heyman on the Smackdown brand for a number of months.
According to a report from WrestleZone in 2005, Luther Reigns did not agree with how he was being used on TV, and wanted to leave the WWE to help further his career.
Reigns felt that he was not being utilized to his maximum potential and asked the company to release him from his contract. There is absolutely no heat on Reigns from management, with many praising the wrestler for being upfront about his concerns.
Luther Reigns Last WWE Match
Luther Reigns last match in the WWE was a short match on Velocity against Funaki.
On the 12th April 2005, Luther Reigns defeated Funaki in just over two-minutes.
This was a rather nothing match, a squash match meant to keep him strong, despite WWE having no plan for Reigns going forward.
Luther Reigns requested his release just one month later, leaving the company. However, he did not have any heat with the company and left the door open for a return down the road.
What Happened To Luther Reigns?
After being released from the WWE, Luther Reigns wrestled only six more matches before hanging up his boots for good.
He wrestled under his WCW name, “Horshu”, challenging for the UPW Heavyweight Championship against Tom Howard in his first match outside the WWE.
Reigns wrestled six times in the following year before retiring from wrestling. His last match ever saw him team with former WWE superstar Heidenreich, losing to Scott Norton and Aaron Aguilera.
He began working as an actor and a bodyguard after leaving wrestling, securing a role in the movie The Girl Next Door.
Luther Reigns suffered a stroke in 2009 (linked to his steroid use in the WWE), and later joined a class-action lawsuit against the WWE, attempting to sue them over the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia for their wrestlers.
This was thrown out in 2016.
Are Luther Reigns and Roman Reigns Related?
Luther Reigns is not related to Roman Reigns. Despite sharing the same last name, Luther Reigns is not part of The Tribal Chief’s legendary wrestling family.
Luther Reigns’ real name is Matthew Wiese, so he shares a different last name to Roman Reigns. Even though Reigns isn’t his real last name (Joe Anoa’i portrays Roman Reigns in WWE), the pair still don’t share the same last name,
Matthew Wiese is not a part of the legendary Anoa’i family, and his wrestling name was given to him before Roman Reigns even became a wrestler.