3 AEW Superstars Roman Reigns is friends with in real-life and 2 he hates
Roman Reigns is the bonafide top star in WWE and the Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Champion.
Despite playing a villainous character on-screen that only surrounds himself exclusively with The Bloodline, The Tribal Chief is known to be a likable character behind the scenes and has a good relationship with many of his colleagues.
Outside of his family circle, he's been known to be good friends with Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, among others. But what about wrestlers in rival promotion, AEW?
Here, we look at 3 AEW stars that the Head of the Table considers being real-life friends with and 2 wrestlers he's particularly not fond of.
#3. Real-life friend - Miro
"Build up this monster heel you have in @RusevBUL That #USTitle does wonders for Rusev, it does nothing for Roman Reigns." - #BustedOpenLive https://t.co/YWypEPR043
Miro, fka Rusev, shares a long and storied history with Roman dating back to their early days in NXT. They would eventually have a main roster feud that revolved around the United States Championship in 2016.
Speaking to Fox Sports' Ryan Satin, Roman Reigns once praised Miro for his in-ring talent and his ability to sell his offense like no other:
"I will say though, Rusev was really good. We had good timing as far as in the ring, I always had good chemistry with him to where I could come off the ropes, take one step, launch and dart across the ring and he knew just the perfect height to lift up, open up for me. So, yeah, we did that thing all over the world. Those were good times."
Miro returned the compliments and paid tribute to the former Shield member, saying that he enjoyed working with him all over the globe:
“People maybe don’t give him credit for that, but Roman Reigns is so good, and we’ve wrestled everywhere. I think we wrestled anywhere, from the States to India, to South America, to North America, to Central America, to Europe. We wrestled pretty much in every single continent, and every single match was just a pleasure.” (H/T Essentiallysports)
Both men have a clear admiration for each other. Despite The Redeemer now being in AEW, those feelings probably haven't changed one bit.
#2. Roman Reigns has publicly criticized CM Punk
"I’ve seen a clip or two. And to me, a step or two has been lost. Then also he got his whooped in the UFC.
I don’t think anybody really believes someone 200 pounds soaking wet with no explosive bone in their body could ever really do anything to me."
- Roman Reigns on CM Punk https://t.co/ufpjqhpshU
Roman Reigns is clearly not a fan of CM Punk. The Tribal Chief has publicly gone on record to say that he's not been impressed by the Straightedge Superstar's wrestling return in AEW.
While he's not opposed to facing the former AEW World Champion in the ring one day, he doesn't really need that rub:
"If our audience wanted to see it and they were clamoring for it, couldn’t shut up about it, and all the stars aligned, as a businessman and as a performer who was trying to seek out the very best for the audience and try to captivate, I wouldn’t say no. But I mean, on a personal level, it doesn’t do anything for me. That’s not going to elevate me at all. He’s older now. I haven’t really seen a full match. I’ve seen a clip or two. And to me, a step or two has been lost. Then also he got his whooped in the UFC."
"I don’t think anybody really believes someone 200 pounds soaking wet with no explosive bone in their body could ever really do anything to me."
With CM Punk's current troubles with AEW, it's not implausible that the 44-year-old could consider a WWE return. What's clear is that Reigns won't be welcoming him with open arms if that were to happen.
#2. Real-life friend - Jon Moxley
"I don’t think he (Jon Moxley) owes anyone an apology,
He was responsible enough to do what needed to be done and also not shy away from it to help other people."
- Roman Reigns [SI Podcast] https://t.co/bt0HnbsPD9
The Big Dog and The Lunatic Fringe were thick as thieves during their time in The Shield alongside Seth Rollins. It's clear that they were not only brothers inside the ring but outside as well.
During an interview with SI Media Podcast, Roman Reigns spoke glowingly about his friendship with Jon Moxley:
“Mox was actually, I mean, he’ll probably actually tell you too, me and him were like, super tight. Within the Shield and maybe even a little bit closer. They may have been like, super bonded through wrestling and what they have done in FCW, and prior to WWE. But when it comes to just like, whether we were wrestlers or not, me and Mox, we’re friends you know what I mean? Like we’re the kind that can just hang out and have a beer. Well, I guess not anymore.” [H/T Stillrealtous]
Now that they no longer share the same locker room, their relationship dynamic seems to have changed a little bit.
Given that they're both top stars within their respective promotions and family men as well, it's pretty difficult to maintain a friendship with their wildly different schedules. But it seems like the bond they once shared from their Shield days will last a lifetime.
#1. Kenny Omega disagrees with Roman Reigns' claim to be the best in the world
Who is the bigger star in wrestling today?
RT: Roman Reigns
Like: Kenny Omega https://t.co/GbubiQYr1l
If you consider yourself to be the best wrestler in the world, it's inevitable that you'll be met by doubters who wish to challenge that notion.
Roman Reigns once told WWE commentator Corey Graves in an interview that he views himself as the best wrestler of the modern era.
Weeks later, Kenny Omega would ridicule those comments in an interview with Bleacher Report, challenging that claim with his own resume of 5-star matches.
The Tribal Chief would not be the one to take that jibe lying down, but he has chosen to let his actions do the talking. His world title reign has recently surpassed 900 days, and he has been involved in the greatest wrestling storyline of the last decade with The Bloodline.
#1. Real-life friend: Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho on Roman Reigns: “I would put Roman at the top of my wish list for anybody because not only is he a great worker, he's such a cool guy. If they just let him be him, he'd be the biggest star in the industry.” [@WhatCultureWWE] https://t.co/d2Hkhrb2cn
When Chris Jericho was still with WWE in late 2016-17, he frequently crossed paths with Roman Reigns. Y2J even defeated The Big Dog to capture the US title during a feud that also involved his then-best friend Kevin Owens.
Jericho has since gone on to carve a brand new chapter in his storied career, joining AEW in 2019 and becoming the inaugural AEW World Champion.
Right around the summer of 2021, the Winnipeg native was a guest on Keepin' It 100 with Konnan and Disco Inferno, and he couldn't help but state his admiration for his friend Roman Reigns' recent work:
"I haven't (watched) but I've been reading about it and it's no surprise," Chris Jericho said. "When I was there in 2016 and worked with Roman Reigns, basically all around the world when I was a heel and he was a babyface, I was like, 'there's no brainer here.' I always said this, and he's doing it now, if you just drop the f**king script and let him be him, he's cool-hand luke. He's like the coolest cat, a f**king great guy. Just let him be him."
Their real-life chemistry was also on full display during the latter's Talk is Jericho appearance a few years ago. Despite being in rival companies, Jericho and Roman Reigns' mutual respect for one another is heartening to see.