4 AEW stars who have defeated Roman Reigns and CM Punk
Roman Reigns has been the undisputed face of WWE for almost a decade, while CM Punk has won over the hearts of the wrestling world with his fiery promos for over two decades. The two have a storied history, dating back to the erstwhile Big Dog's Shield days.
The latest episode of WWE Smackdown ended in a blockbuster way, with Paul Heyman revealing The Best in The World as the fifth member of the OG Bloodline's WarGames team. Following the huge announcement, the Roman Reigns-led faction engaged in a massive brawl with the new Bloodline. The segment ended with a face-off between Punk and the OTC as an ecstatic Paul Heyman looked on in the background.
As two of the most dominant stars of the modern era, the alliance of The Best in The World and the Original Tribal Chief should spell doom for Solo Sikoa's Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames. The two former world champions rarely lose a match, and this could be an advantage to the OG Bloodline.
Interestingly, there are a few stars on the AEW roster who have beaten Roman Reigns and CM Punk in the past. These individuals are part of an elite list of stars who have scored singles victories against the two former world champions.
In this article, let's look at four AEW stars who have pinned both Roman Reigns and CM Punk:
#4. Paul Wight has registered victories over CM Punk and Roman Reigns
Paul Wight (FKA The Big Show) is among the most intimidating figures to have ever stepped foot in a wrestling ring. Renowned as The World's Largest Athlete, Wight enjoyed a significant physical advantage over his opponents every time he performed inside the squared circle.
The 52-year-old has beaten numerous iconic stars in his illustrious career, including CM Punk and Roman Reigns. In the summer of 2010, the erstwhile Big Show feuded with Punk's Straight Edge Society. This led to a three-on-one Handicap Match at SummerSlam 2010, where Wight picked up a dominant victory.
The SummerSlam bout led to a singles encounter between Punk and Wight at Night of Champions 2010, where the latter scored a convincing pinfall victory.
Paul Wight never had much luck when it came to his rivalry with Roman Reigns. At Extreme Rules 2015, the former World Heavyweight Champion lost to the OTC in a Last Man Standing Match.
However, in February 2015, The World's Largest Athlete took down the Original Tribal Chief in a singles match on RAW. While he did get help from The Authority, it was a remarkable feat on Wight's part to defeat Roman Reigns, who had emerged victorious in the Royal Rumble match only a few days ago.
#3. Chris Jericho has defeated both CM Punk and Roman Reigns
Chris Jericho is also featured in the list of stars who were able to outsmart both CM Punk and Roman Reigns. Before their iconic feud in 2012, The Lionheart battled The Best in The World a few times in 2008. In September 2008, Punk and Jericho locked horns on WWE RAW.
It was a Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship, and The Learning Tree demolished The Second City Saint to retain his gold. The AEW star also registered wins over Punk in a few tag team matches later on.
In 2016-17, Chris Jericho was embroiled in a lengthy rivalry with Roman Reigns. Although the erstwhile Big Dog decimated the former AEW World Champion on most occasions, Jericho managed to beat the Original Tribal Chief when it mattered the most.
In January 2017, The Lionheart teamed up with Kevin Owens to challenge Reigns for the WWE United States Championship. The involvement of The Prizefighter worked in Jericho's favor. They worked in tandem to destroy Roman before Jericho pinned the 39-year-old to become the new champion.
#2. Roman Reigns and CM Punk have a mutual rival in Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe has bagged several impressive accolades in his illustrious career. One of the most remarkable feats of The Destroyer is his singles victories over Roman Reigns and CM Punk.
The Samoan Submission Machine is no stranger to The Second City Saint. The two stars have been rivals since their ROH days and also squared off for the Real AEW World Championship at All In 2023.
Interestingly, Joe has scored four singles victories over The Voice of The Voiceless in his career. The two stars collided for the ROH World Championship three times. Two of those matches ended in time-limit draws, while one went in the favor of The Destroyer.
Samoa Joe's rivalry with Roman Reigns was as fierce as his feud with The Best in The World. The two stars went back and forth with each other numerous times between 2017 and 2019.
Soon after his debut in early 2017, The Samoan Submission Machine went head-to-head with the former Shield member. On the February 6, 2017, edition of RAW, Joe took on Reigns in a hard-hitting singles match. The final moments of the contest saw interference from Braun Strowman, allowing Samoa Joe to nail a Uranage on his opponent and pick up the win.
#1. Jon Moxley has conquered The Best in The World and the OTC in the past
Jon Moxley, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk's careers have been intertwined for several years. During his WWE run, The Purveyor of Violence maintained a brotherly bond with the Original Tribal Chief for a long time.
Moxley, Roman, and Seth Rollins debuted on the main roster as part of The Shield, a group that was recruited specifically to protect the then-reigning WWE Champion, CM Punk.
The Deathrider locked horns with The Best in The World a couple of times in December 2013, but could not get the win on either occasion. However, Moxley successfully vanquished CM Punk nine years later in All Elite Wrestling. In August 2022, The Purveyor of Violence squashed The Second City Saint in a matter of minutes on Dynamite to become the new AEW World Champion.
Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns have battled each other only a few times inside the squared circle. At Survivor Series 2015, the erstwhile Big Dog triumphed over his former Shield stablemate in the show's main event to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It is the only instance of the two former partners engaging in a one-on-one contest.
At Battleground 2016, Reigns and Moxley featured in a historic Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship alongside Seth Rollins. It ended up being a night of redemption for The Deathrider, as he pinned Roman in the middle of the ring to retain the WWE Title dominantly.