Mirror Image: Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley and the Best WWE and AEW Counterparts
Between Triple H replenishing the WWE roster and Tony Khan continuing to sign top talent to All Elite Wrestling, it's difficult to think of a time when the industry's landscape was as exciting and fun to follow as it is right now.
WWE still suffers from genuine star power on both of its brands, but the potential is there for many of the newer names to eventually achieve that status. AEW, on the other hand, arguably has more gifted athletes under contract than Khan knows what to do with.
The biggest strength for both WWE and AEW is the variety throughout the rosters. There are plenty of styles and skill sets across the card that all audiences can enjoy.
For as many differences as there are between the two, the similarities some of the stars share are almost uncanny, which would make for the ultimate lineup of dream matches in an alternate timeline where the companies went head-to-head.
The respective runs of Roman Reigns and Jon Moxley at the top of WWE and AEW in recent years have been practically parallel, but there are several other counterpart pairings that make sense as well.
Honorable Mentions
LA Knight and Ricky Starks
Since making his transformation from Max Dupri to LA Knight, the NXT alum has been firing on all cylinders, most notably on the microphone.
AEW's Ricky Starks has found himself in a similar situation lately and cut his best promo ever on MJF last Wednesday on Dynamite.
Although both are bona fide future main event players, they first need to get their feet wet at the midcard level and win some gold.
Jamie Hayter and Rhea Ripley
Jamie Hayter has been AEW's most unexpected female breakout star of 2022 after the string of stellar matches she's had, while Rhea Ripley has really come into her own as a character.
They never fail to deliver a hard-hitting affair any time they step between the ropes and have completely won over the audience this year.
For as popular as they are at the moment, it won't be long before they're babyfaces again. Expect both to be big parts of each promotion's women's division in 2023.
Braun Strowman and Wardlow
Braun Strowman's questionable social media activity aside, he's been beloved by crowds since returning on the Sept. 5 edition of Raw. He's handled his opponents with ease and been a one-man wrecking crew in all of his matches, including against credible competition.
The same can be said for Wardlow, who remains a popular fixture on the AEW roster despite losing a lot of his momentum from where he was on the show in the spring. He, too, has no issue winning matches with ease and has every tool necessary to be a world championship-caliber competitor.
Darby Allin and Ricochet
Darby Allin and Ricochet are the ultimate risk-takers with zero regard for their own bodies. That's been extremely evident throughout 2022, with both guys pushing themselves to new limits in thrilling matches that captivate the crowd every time.
Ricochet's booking has greatly improved under Triple H, and Allin has cooled off a bit from where he was at the onset of 2022, hence why they're currently equals at the midcard level.
Drew McIntyre and Adam Page
This one is slightly more unconventional, but Drew McIntyre and Adam Page have much more in common than some may think. They were both fresh faces in the main event scene when they won their first world championships and proved they were capable of carrying the promotion in that role.
On that same token, they're also in the process of attempting to regain the gold and are racking up wins against anyone willing to step up to face them. Once they can overcome their respective issues with The Bloodline and The Elite, they'll be back where they belong.
Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns
Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns have been headliners since the moment The Shield debuted a decade ago, and their stock has only skyrocketed since then.
They're also the perfect stars to be leading their respective promotions right now, given all of their experience, accolades and everything else they bring to the table.
WWE has long had Reigns earmarked as "the guy," but it wasn't until he turned heel in 2020 that he leveled up and began doing the best work of his entire career. Over two years later, he remains the record-breaking universal champion and the biggest star the company has.
Moxley was positioned as the face of AEW the moment he arrived at Double or Nothing in May 2019. He has been booked brilliantly these past three years and has carried himself as a consummate pro both on screen and behind the scenes.
If you want someone elevated, you put them in the ring with Reigns or Moxley. They excel in every situation, are natural born leaders and bring the best out of their opponents. You couldn't ask for two better flag-bearers for WWE and AEW.
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
WWE has been the year of Bianca Belair in many ways, while 2022 has been a career year for AEW's Jade Cargill as well.
The two of them have dominated their respective divisions and have done so in spectacular fashion. For two women who didn't come from a wrestling background, they have done exceptionally well for themselves and are constantly breaking barriers as champions.
Belair started the year in hot pursuit of the Raw Women's Championship, and she finally beat Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38 to secure it. She has maintained possession of the gold ever since and has had a handful of excellent matches along the way.
Cargill isn't yet on The EST of WWE's level in terms of in-ring ability, but her dominance has been unparalleled all the same. She became the inaugural AEW TBS champion on the first Dynamite of 2022 and has shown tremendous improvement throughout the year.
They're easily among WWE and AEW's most must-see stars for 2022 and will only continue to climb the ranks in 2023 and beyond.
The Elite and The O.C.
This is perhaps one of the most obvious comparisons to make given the history between the two trios and how they've collectively conquered the wrestling landscape over the last half-decade.
Bullet Club will go down as one of the most influential factions in modern wrestling history, and AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows departed the group in 2016 for new opportunities in WWE. It wasn't long before they reunited on screen and became a prominently featured act on the show.
In their absence, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks ascended the Bullet Club ranks and earned their stripes as household names in Japan. They were, of course, three of AEW's founding fathers years later as well.
Gallows and Anderson reunited with Omega and the Bucks in AEW for the better part of 2021 before returning to WWE this year to link up with Styles again. The decorated trio known as The O.C. have gone back to basics and are clearly enjoying working together again.
Omega and the Bucks have been killing it in AEW and are hot on the heels of AEW world trios champions Death Triangle.
The O.C. and The Elite occupy similar roles and instantly lend credibility to those they share the ring with.
The Usos and FTR
No two tag teams were draped in more gold this year than The Usos and FTR, with five major sets of titles between them.
FTR started the year as AAA world tag team champions and went on to capture ROH World Tag Team Championship in April. At Forbidden Door, they clinched the IWGP titles and became triple-reigning champs in the process.
The AEW World Tag Team Championship was the sole accolade that alluded them this year, but their remarkable resume of matches spoke for itself.
The Usos were constantly taking the WWE tag team division to new heights as well, merging the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with the Raw tag team titles in May to become the Undisputed WWE tag team champions.
They've had their fair share of excellent outings in their own right. Between both companies, tag team wrestling is exhilarating again, largely thanks to the work of FTR and The Usos.
Needless to say, the tag divisions would be much worse off without them. They've clashed before, but putting them in the ring again all these years later with their current characters would be special.
MJF and Seth Rollins
On paper, MJF and Seth Rollins may come off as polar opposites in some ways, but there's no denying both men were the best parts of their respective products throughout 2022 and delivered whenever it mattered most.
MJF's first half of the year in AEW was dominated by two terrific storylines with CM Punk as well as with Wardlow. He came out on the losing end of both programs, but his momentum hardly faltered.
If that sounds familiar, it's because Rollins experienced something similar during that period. He couldn't buy a victory on PPV, but even through his many shortcomings against Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, he stole the show on a consistent basis and was doing top-notch character work to boot.
In the final few months of 2022, it became almost impossible for fans to boo them, and thus their slow-burn babyface turns got underway. MJF swerved fans by reverting to his heel roots at Full Gear (and also winning the AEW world title in nefarious fashion), while Rollins stuck with embracing the audience and is now a massive fan favorite on the Raw roster.
MJF and Rollins (when serious and less goofy) can bring it on the mic and back up their trash-talking in the ring. While Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns are the faces of the franchises, these two are the workhorses who have kept viewers tuning in weekly to see what will happen with them next.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.