Who is the Best in The World Right Now? Roman Reigns or Kenny Omega
Professional Wrestling has become a hot topic again. Thanks to the competition between AEW and WWE in North America and the popularity of NJPW. Wrestling fans have so much to consume.
The corporate model of WWE represents the entertainment-based family-friendly product. While on the other side, AEW represents a wrestling-oriented adult-friendly product. WWE’s Universal Champion Roman Reigns and AEW’s World Champion Kenny Omega symbolize what both of their respected companies represent. This raises the question of who is the best in the world right now? Who is good at being the World Champion?
Roman Reigns
The second-generation superstar from the famous Anoa’i wrestling family made his wrestling debut at 26 after retiring from professional football in 2010. Reigns have been using The Spear (the horizon shoulder tackle to the mid-section) as his finisher since debuting on WWE in 2012, resembling his football background.
Reigns has headlined numerous WWE pay-per-view events, including one of the “Big Four” events called WrestleMania five times (31, 32, 33, 34, and 37). Additionally, Reigns was ranked number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s annual PWI 500 list of the top 500 singles wrestlers in 2016.
Roman’s wrestling style is highly result-oriented, relying more on his power and size. However, his limited move-set has constantly received criticism from fans and critics. From 2014 to 2020, Reigns was an extremely polarizing figure in professional wrestling due to WWE’s attempt to establish him as their “next face of the company” and his limited in-ring abilities. However, after being repackaged in 2020 as a villainous character, “The Tribal Cheif” with new submission finisher Guillotine lock, Reigns received critical acclaim.
Accomplishments:
5 World Titles ( 3 WWE Titles & 2 Universal Titles)
WWE’s 17th Grand Slam Champion
2015 WWE Royal Rumble Winner
Kenny Omega
The Canadian wrestler made his wrestling debut at 16 and performed worldwide before becoming hugely popular in Japan’s NJPW and is currently signed to AEW. Omega has been using the One-Winged Angel (Electric Chair Driver) as his finisher, named “Best Wrestling Maneuver” by Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2020.
Hailed as one of the best wrestlers globally, Omega’s hybrid wrestling style incorporates Mexican High Flying, British Catch Wrestling, Japanese Hard-Hitting Strikes, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has also attained Wrestling Observer’s Match of the Year distinction three times; one of those matches, in which Omega competed against Kazuchika Okada in a two out of three falls match at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall in June 2018, received a seven-star rating from combat sports journalist Dave Meltzer, the highest rating Meltzer has ever awarded a professional wrestling match. Omega was named Sports Illustrated’s Wrestler of the Year in 2017, topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s list of top 500 male wrestlers the following year, and was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2020.
However, Omega has received heavy criticism from traditional wrestling commentators and fans for incorporating video games in his gimmick and wrestling styles which have been described as making wrestling look silly and childish sometimes. Omega’s engagement with fans would see him often inviting younger fans to the ring, having comedic matches with them, selling to them, and taking pins from them has become a polarizing topic. Some appreciate his love for younger fans but some criticized Omega for breaking character and killing the credibility of wrestling by letting kids pin him.
Accomplishments:
5 World Titles ( 1 AEW World Title, 1 IWGP Heavyweight Title, 1 PWG World Title, 1 AAA Mega Title, & 1 Impact World Title)
2016 NJPW G1 Climax Winner
2009 PWG Battle of Los Angles
The Factor of Experience
Even if Omega and Reigns are from the same age group, Reigns has been wrestling for only 11 years and spend most of it in WWE. On the other hand, Omega has been wrestling for almost 21 years and has performed worldwide.
Winner: Omega
The Factor of Popularity
Roman has been the main eventer for WWE for the past seven years and has become a globally known figure. He has been primarily featured in WWE’s weekly programming that airs all over the world. Meanwhile, Omega is hugely popular in the independent scene and Japan. Since its inception in AEW in 2019, Omega has also started to become a global icon.
Winner: Reigns
The Factor of Entertainment:
The product of WWE is entertainment-based, and this is what Roman symbolizes. He may have limited in-ring ability, but his style is result-oriented. He heavily relies on dynamic promos and storytelling. With that, Reigns can engage with the audience all over the world. He is a global entertainer. He knows emotion sells, anger sells, and “less is more.”
Omega is highly entertaining, but he has not been part of highly publicized storylines with hugely popular figures as much as Roman has.
Winner: Reigns
The Factor of Wrestling:
If Reigns is the Entertainer, Omega is the Wrestler. He is a gifted performer who is known for his endurance. With more than two decades of experience, he can adapt to his opponent’s style. He is the master of in-ring psychology whose fans claim that wrestling him guarantees his opponents a 5-Star Match.
Winner: Omega
The scores of Omega Vs. Reigns settle on 2–2. Both Reigns and Omega are great World Champions on their respectable rights. They are at their primes and giving fans pride to be a wrestling fan right now. Professional Wreslting has alwasy been about entertainment and wrestling. AEW’s World Champion, The Cleaner, and WWE’s Universal Champion, The Tribal Cheif, are giving us all. We should appreciate them both.
