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Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns are the two top stars in AEW and WWE respectively. They are both currently the world champions of their promotions (although Moxley is considered an interim title holder) and are both set to headline blockbuster main events this coming month.
Before Jon Moxley joined Tony Khan's burgeoning promotion, he made his name in WWE alongside Reigns and Seth Rollins as part of The Shield. The trio made a destructive debut at Survivor Series 2012 and ran roughshoud across the company to establish themselves as the most dominant faction of the past decade.
The stable would catapult all three members into singles stars as well, winning multiple world championship accolades among them.
While they are now in different promotions, Moxley, aka Dean Ambrose from his WWE days, and Roman Reigns, will always be connected due to their shared history as Shield members.
But which wrestler is better? Here are 3 reasons why the Purveyor of Violence triumps over the Tribal Chief and 2 reasons why he doesn't.
#3. Why Jon Moxley is better than Roman Reigns - He has thrived in multiple wrestling companies
Jon Moxley has proven that he can thrive in multiple wrestling companies while Roman Reigns has only performed in one, WWE. Regardless of whether it was in CZW, WWE, New Japan or now All Elite Wrestling, Moxley's unique brand of violence and aggression has made him successful.
One wonders if it would be the same for the Head of the Table if the roles were reversed as Reigns is a prototypical WWE Superstar. Despite his current name value and status as the top star in the wrestling industry, there's no guarantee that his star power could carry him and he would flourish in other promotions as well. Reings is more likely to leave for Hollywood than join a rival company. But Moxley has shown that his talents will always lead him to rise to the top no matter the environment.
#2. Why Jon Moxley is not better than Roman Reings - He is not as huge of a draw as the Tribal Chief
One thing that is undeniable is that Roman Reigns is a bigger draw than Jon Moxley at the moment. This is thanks in large part to the superior booking he has received since returning to WWE in 2020, embarking on his historic championship reign.
Roman has been made to feel indestructible. He is truly in God mode after vanquishing the likes of Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and AJ Styles this year alone.
Jon Moxley, as Dean Ambrose in WWE, had his fair share of success but never reached his true potential. He only won the WWE Championship once but was seen as more of an upper midcarder at best. It didn't help that he had to play a goofy character at times and was subjected to some questionable bookings.
The WWE Universal Champion told Ariel Helwani of BT Sport that if Moxley "could have been the man here, he would've been the man here."
Jon Moxley did manage to reinvigorate his career in AEW when he joined in 2019. He even carried the company throughout the pandemic as the champion. He would then go on to form the Blackpool Combat Club and pick up another title reign but as interim champion.
Despite his achievements, Moxley doesn't feel like the undisputed top star in AEW like Reigns is in WWE. That accolade right now goes to CM Punk. While he has a chance to change that narrative by defeating the Chicago native to become the Undisputed AEW World Champion, at this point he feels like one of the top stars, if not the top star in Tony Khan's promotion.
#2. Why Jon Moxley is better than Roman Reigns - He became a huge star despite the lack of support from management in WWE
Jon Moxley became a top star despite not being pushed as one in WWE. Whether it was his indie wrestling background, enthralling promos or just his underdog tenacity, he resonated with the WWE Universe, who pushed him to become the main champion that headlined Smackdown during the 2016 Brand Split.
Roman, on the other hand, has always had the support of management who have been pushing him to become the next top star in the company to replace John Cena. He emerged as the golden boy of The Shield and a micasted babyface champion.
Eventually, he would turn heel and finally unleash his full potential. However, it's doubtful that WWE management would have the same patience with Ambrose, because when his run as a champion didn't work, he was immediately pushed down the card.
If it wasn't for his own belief in his talents, Mox would never have made the jump to AEW and revived his career beyond the land of Vince McMahon.
#1. Why Jon Moxley is not better than Roman Reigns - His rambling promo style compared pales in comparison to the Head of the Table's smooth delivery
If this comparison was made ten years ago, Jon Moxley would have prevailed over Roman Reigns in promos. But as a heel, Roman has finally come into his own as a mic worker.
His smooth, calm and menacing delivery was perfected during the Thunderdome Era and he has also proven to be able to go toe-to-toe with the best of them in his most recent run. It's a far cry from his days being owned by John Cena on the mic.
While Moxley has been given more creative freedom in AEW, it feels like at times, his promos can come across as rambling. He has an awkward shoulder roll that seems to turn off viewers. While he can still be captivating on the mic, he needs to tone down some of his tendencies to be taken more seriously.
#1. Why Jon Moxley is better than Roman Reigns - His versatility
Jon Moxley is definitely a more versatile wrestler than Roman Reigns. He competes in more unique match stipulations and can pull off good matches against a variety of opponents.
He can be a brawler, technical wrestler and death-match stuntman, depending on the situation. The Purveyor of Violence can also excel in tag teams with Eddie Kingston or as part of a stable with The Shield and Blackpool Combat Club. He easily pulled off a great wrestling match with Bryan Danielson while competing in a strong style match in Japan.
But fans haven't witnessed much versatility from Roman, and perhaps he just hasn't had the opportunity to do so, given WWE's homegenous style and lack of varied opponents.
