Who Does it Better? Episode 2: WWE's Current World champions

WWE has three brands. Each of them has their own world champion. Raw is the "yard" of the current Universal Champion, Roman Reigns. According to the current WWE Champion, SmackDown is "the house that AJ Styles built." NXT is "the A show" by proclamation of its current champion, Tommaso Ciampa.

Three world champions under the same umbrella will inevitably draw comparisons, though. Last time, we looked at The Shield. On this episode, we'll compare the talents of Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, and Tommaso Ciampa to find out which world champion, indeed, does it better.

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Round 1: Ring Ability

Ordinarily, this is a category that wouldn't be in doubt, but Tommaso Ciampa has had an amazing in-ring year. He's been in no less than four matches of the year candidates, playing his part to perfection each and every time. Few performers in WWE history can boast as strong an in-ring year as he has had.

AJ Styles has been in a comparative slump this year, especially early on, but he's come around with good bouts against Samoa Joe and Andrade "Cien" Almas. His matches this year haven't been as high in quality as Tommaso Ciampa's, but his overall body of work stands out. Perhaps Tommaso Ciampa will surpass him, but not yet.

Roman Reigns lags far behind, especially this year, where he has had one pay-per-view stinker after another.

Verdict:

1st: AJ Styles (+3 points)

2nd: Tommaso Ciampa (+2 points)

3rd: Roman Reugns (+1 point)

Round 2: Charisma

This one isn't in any doubt. Tommaso Ciampa has far more charisma than his competitors, neither one of whom are known for standing out because of their charismatic personalities. It's, therefore, a race for second place.

Neither Roman Reigns nor AJ Styles may be known for their charisma, but the latter has a far more organic crowd connection than the former does. AJ Styles showed much more spark in his heel run and comes across as more of a babyface that fans want to get behind than Roman Reigns. If Roman Reigns turned heel or if WWE wasn't so obsessed with booking him as a sympathetic figure (which he isn't) things might change, but AJ Styles picks up the silver medal here.

Verdict:

1st: Tommaso Ciampa (+3 points)

2nd: AJ Styles (+2 points)

3rd: Roman Reigns (+1 point)

Round 3: Talking Ability

This one isn't in any doubt either. Tommaso Ciampa far exceeds his competitors. His promos this year have generated so much heat that he sometimes hasn't even been allowed to speak. When he does, he comes across so cold and convicted that he forces you to believe in his performance.

AJ Styles can deliver passionate promos as well, though there's something that's missing that's hard to explain, something that prevents him from being one of the true standouts in the company.

That Roman Reigns comes in third shouldn't be a surprise. His promos have long been the weakest part of his game. Even now, they come across as dull, monotonic, and forced, and he has some of the worst of all time to his name.

Verdict:

1st: Tommaso Ciampa (+3 points)

2nd: AJ Styles (+2 points)

3rd: Roman Reigns (+1 point)

Round 4: Look

Here's where Roman Reigns shines. Again, he looks like a warrior out of 300 and stands out compared to almost anyone he shares a ring with. His coming first in this category against almost anyone shouldn't come as a surprise.

However, Tommaso Ciampa has improved his own look, even compared to his DIY days. The long, salt and pepper beard, that convincing scowl, that cut physique with seemingly no ounce of body fat on it, and even his entrance attire, all make him look like that "psycho killer" that he proclaims himself as.

AJ Styles lags behind the other two. When looking at the three of them, it shouldn't be hard to see why.

Verdict:

1st: Roman Reigns (+3 points)

2nd: Tommaso Ciampa (+2 points)

3rd: AJ Styles (+1 point)

Round 5: Versatility

Which of the three's attributes come together to allow him to make the most of whatever role he needs to play?

AJ Styles would be the winner in this case and it's for this reason he's been WWE Champion so long. AJ Styles is fantastic in the ring and good enough in everything else to make him a risk-free proposition for the company. He can talk, he's charismatic enough, and he looks good enough. He can play the underdog babyface or the arrogant heel. There's nothing he's bad at.

Tommaso Ciampa, too, is good enough in every category, but he's so much better as a heel than as a babyface that he has to take a backseat to Styles in this round. During his babyface run in DIY, he was outshone by Johnny Gargano, making him ideal to turn heel.

Roman Reigns' run as a babyface has been dull to say the least. Everyone can see that there's a fantastic heel waiting to break out, but unfortunately, WWE won't let him.

Verdict:

1st: AJ Styles (+3 points)

2nd: Tommaso Ciampa (+2 points)

3rd: Roman Reigns (+1 point)

Conclusion

1st: Tommaso Ciampa - 12 points

2nd: AJ Styles - 11 points

3rd: Roman Reigns - 7 points

Unsurprisingly, Tommaso Ciampa comes out in the lead among the three current world champions. He's had a fantastic year, probably the best of any superstar in the company.

AJ Styles narrowly trailing also isn't a surprise. There's a reason why he's been allowed to keep the title for so long and he's bounced back nicely in 2018 from a slow start. His reign is stale, but there's no risk that fans will turn on him. He's bulletproof.

When put under a microscope against his peers, Roman Reigns' weaknesses are magnified. His year has been a mess, with one overbooked, convoluted angle after another after another. If WWE needs to go to all these lengths to prevent fans from booing him, then shouldn't that be a sign that something needs to change? Unfortunately, by obstinately refusing to change his act, WWE isn't allowing him to reach his potential.