Roman Reigns is the reigning WWE Universal Champion and the face of his promotion. He's had one of the longest reigns in WWE, living up to his in-ring name. Since snatching the title from The Fiend all the way back in August 2020, he's been nigh unstoppable.
But The Tribal Chief was once an NFL player before transitioning to wrestling. Not only that, he was once signed to Tony Khan's Jacksonville Jaguars.
Khan founded his own wrestling promotion AEW alongside Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega in 2019. But before that, he was simply a businessman and co-owner of the Jaguars.
Way before establishing AEW, Tony Khan took to Twitter to congratulate Roman Reigns on his 2nd Heavyweight Championship victory. He noted that Roman was a former defensive lineman for the Jaguars, though it was only for a week in 2007.
Today it would be shocking to see Khan congratulate Reigns on any victories in WWE, as they are technically in competition with each other. It should be noted that while Cody Rhodes and others have taken shots at WWE, Khan has stated that he's on good terms with the promotion. In a professional capacity, at least.
Would Roman Reigns be a good fit for AEW?
Roman Reigns is a megastar in WWE and has been enjoying a monster push for the past few years. However, if the Universal Champion were to ever jump to AEW, he likely wouldn't get the same level of treatment.
All Elite Wrestling would definitely treat him like the star he is, but Reigns wouldn't be able to walk into the promotion and demand the same type of role he currently holds in WWE. It's not a question of star power, it's just the difference in how both companies operate.
WWE runs on a platform of spectacle that requires a top guy to act as the face of the company. Conversely, AEW favors variety, rotates its talent, and pushes stars who are able to connect with its audience. That's something Reigns can do, but he wouldn't be in the title picture immediately.
Roman Reigns could team up with Jon Moxley in AEW, or more likely go up against him. He could also have several dream matches, most notably with Kenny Omega. But other than that, The Tribal Chief is a WWE guy through and through.
Sports Entertainment differs quite significantly from traditional professional wrestling, and Reigns seems to thrive in the former. However, it would be monumental if AEW somehow snagged one of the most successful modern WWE stars.