4 stars who could be the next Roman Reigns in AEW

AEW has created stars of its own in recent years, but one of the biggest measuring sticks in the business has been Roman Reigns and his 1316-day reign as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. The Tribal Chief dominated the roster as no one could stop him for more than three and a half years.

This record-breaking reign came to an end in the best way possible, with Cody Rhodes finishing his story and dethroning him at WrestleMania XL to become the new world champion. Despite the American Nightmare being the man on top, there have been many claims saying that in terms of his dominance and aura, there may be only a few who can live up to what Roman Reigns did in his time as the champion.

Here are some AEW names who have the potential to reach that status.

---

#1. Wardlow

Wardlow has the makings of a world champion. He has proved how dominant he can be in the ring, and he already has a commanding presence as a heel. The War Dog has been underutilized, as the promotion has not pulled the trigger for a massive push for him.

It seemed that this might've been the case when he joined the Undisputed Kingdom, but he has been cast aside following the return of Adam Cole. The former TNT Champion should split up from the group and continue on his warpath, taking out everyone in his way.

This should be a legitimate buildup to a future world title run from him. Once he achieves his goal and becomes the champion, they could repackage him, and continue to play him up as an unstoppable force. AEW could also build a proper faction around him similar to The Tribal Chief.

---

#2. Powerhouse Hobbs

Similar to Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs has all the makings of a dominant force, and he has shown that he has what it takes to bring the fight to anyone on the roster, with no plans of backing down.

AEW could pull the trigger on a dominant singles run for Hobbs and have him dethrone Jon Moxley for the world title in the future. This would be his get-back at him and would cement him as a force to be reckoned with. They could continue to build up his credibility by making him the one who was able to dethrone Mox despite the interference of The Death Riders.

They can build him up to be the next Roman Reigns by finding a perfect manager by his side and having him keep the belt for a brief period. He could also align with a major faction such as The Hurt Syndicate to ensure that he stays untouchable from anyone else.

---

#3. Bobby Lashley

The Hurt Syndicate won't need to search far for their dominant star as they already have The All Mighty on their side. In his time with the promotion, he has already taken down a former world champion in Swerve Strickland, and ended Private Party's reign as the tag team champions.

Eventually, it is a no-brainer that Bobby Lashley will pursue the AEW World Title. He could do this in the case that they find the fourth member of their faction. Having MVP as the manager and trios competitor and Shelton Benjamin and the new member holding the tag team titles would allow Lashley to have full focus and be the man to go for the biggest prize.

Bobby Lashley is one-half of the AEW Tag Team Champions [Image credit: AEW website]

This could be similar to Roman Reigns and The Usos, with them having a chokehold on both the world title and the tag team titles for a long time.

---

#4. AEW's Belt Collector Kenny Omega

In 2021, Kenny Omega was known as the belt collector as he had the AEW World Championship, IMPACT World Championship, and AAA Mega Championship around his waist, as he was one of the most dominant forces in wrestling at the time.

The Cleaner also had a super faction by his side as he had Don Callis as his manager, and a group of the Young Bucks and The Good Brothers flanking him. He also eventually affiliated himself with Adam Cole, as all the former Bullet Club names joined his side.

Many have mentioned that this was the counterpart to The Tribal Chief in terms of dominance and aura. As a heel, Omega was treated similarly to Roman Reigns, adored by his fans but hated by a lot of fans as he had all the gold, and employed heel-like tactics to keep them.

AEW has a blueprint now for future reference should they go for a major Kenny Omega push. He could end up reuniting with The Young Bucks, re-forming The Elite, and pushing to take over the company as its pioneers. With the fans on his side, his stock would only go up, and the sky would once more be the limit for him.

It took some time for fans to get around Roman Reigns, but WWE found success with making him the Tribal Chief. AEW may need someone at that level, and someone who the fans know is the man on top. Several other stars not on the list could fit the bill, but it remains to be seen who the promotion pushes all the way.