At this point, Roman Reigns' legacy as one of the greatest champions in WWE history is more or less cemented, right? He's held the Universal title for longer than anyone else, with his current reign nearly 700 days longer than any other wrestler in history, according to Cagematch, and his 26 successful defenses becoming more and more impressive with each passing match.

But in the not-so-humble opinion of Paul Heyman, what really makes Reigns stand out is not just his in-ring efforts but his storytelling on the mic, as he detailed to Variety in an interview ahead of Elimination Chamber.

“I will honestly state that I’ll put Roman Reigns and his portrayal of the Tribal Chief up against anybody right now in how he has approached a reality-based character of the top star of the industry,” Heyman said. “And the fact that he’s not recognized by the people that are there to reward such performances with an award, to me, is disconcerting.”

“[Roman’s] character is based on the concept of being relevant. That relevancy in and of itself is the opioid that he’s addicted to. That being one of many would be would be the same as being assassinated.”

Has Reigns' efforts really transcended WWE to make his relevancy transcend traditional wrestling popularity? Heyman believes so, so much so, in fact, that he thinks his ward is worthy of an Emmy for outstanding dramatic television.

“We’re trying to present a body of work that exceeds all boundaries and limitations that have been imposed upon this industry, either self-imposed or imposed by the predetermined notion of what this business is by the outside world, as evidenced by the fact that we’re sitting here today talking about the unfathomable concept of the Emmy Awards, because a year ago we would have been laughed out of the conversation,” he says. “But this is what we strive for.”

Will Reigns ultimately win an Emmy for his efforts? I mean, probably not, but his match with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 could go a long way in establishing his legacy one way or another.

Paul Heyman knows that legacies are on the line at WrestleMania.

Elsewhere in his interview with Variety, Heyman noted just how rare it is to find a professional wrestler who captures the trust of the booker in WWE history, be that Vince McMahon or Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

“There’s an understanding with very few select people that have earned his trust over the years,” Heyman says. “It’s the risk you’re taking with your career. Because if you go out there and you don’t score bigger, brighter, better, harder, more spectacularly than anybody else in that position would be able to do, you will not get another chance to do it. And if you have 99 wins with that freedom, that first loss is going to cost you for a long time. Because his expectations for you are lofty.”

One man trying to capture that same trust is Cody Rhodes, who will be challenging Reigns at WrestleMania 39 for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. With both Rhodes and Reigns second-generation stars, calling Dusty Rhodes and Sika Anoa’i dad, respectively, theoretically, the duo's forthcoming match at the “Show of Shows” could play big roles in defining both men's legacies for better or worse.

“There’s more in common with these two characters than there is distinct,” Heyman says. “In that sense, they’re trying to become the most famous member of their family. And that’s a big, big task to accomplish. They’re both trying to define their own legacies through the main event of WrestleMania.”

Is Heyman correct that WrestleMania is where wrestlers define their legacies? Seth Rollins seems to think so, as he detailed in comments to Windy City Gridiron ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Yeah, there’s nothing like it,” Rollins said via Fightful. “For myself, someone who’s been in WWE for ten years now, I’ve been able to wrestle all over the world in front of different crowds in different stadiums and you know, you just get desensitized to it a little bit. But WrestleMania is the one thing, the one time of the year where the nerves never wear off and you live for that moment. You build your legacies at WrestleMania. In the postseason of the NFL, that’s where quarterbacks build their legacies in big games. For us in WWE, that’s where you create your legacy. It doesn’t get any bigger. This one is in Hollywood, all eyes are gonna be on us for two nights in April. It’s gonna be special.”

Can Reigns cement his legacy at WrestleMania 39, or will Rhodes write the final chapter in his prolonged yet impressive championship reign? Fans will find out in under 60 days.