Opinion: Tony Khan should bring Roman Reigns to AEW if WWE is hesitant to pay what he's worth

‘The OTC’ has been absent from WWE programming since Raw after WrestleMania 41!

After suffering betrayal at the hands of his Wiseman, Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns tried to retaliate and settle the score with Seth Rollins and Heyman. However, the OTC fell victim to Bron Breakker, who joined Heyman and Rollins’ faction and took out Reigns on the Raw after WrestleMania show in April.

Reigns has been absent from WWE programming ever since, meanwhile, rumors of WWE asking him to take a pay cut or restructure his contract picked up steam after a comment made by former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman.

While the rumors were soon refuted by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, as he reported that Reigns is not being asked for a change in his contract and will remain WWE’s highest-paid full-time star.

The argument that was picked up during the pay cut rumors was that Reigns is a key figure for the promotion’s evolution. He is especially critical of the promotion that turns premium events like SummerSlam into two-night showcases, a model introduced during his era.

However, WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, has in recent times taken some questionable decisions, and multiple releases including the recent one of R-Truth, mean fans can’t really trust that TKO would not look at the numbers and think why they are paying Reigns reportedly $15 million a year, despite his part-time status.

Roman Reigns’ lack of appearances in 2025

In 2025, Reigns has only wrestled three times and has had a handful of appearances to promote these matches. Reigns first battled Solo Sikoa at the Raw Netflix debut, then competed in the men’s Royal Rumble match. The WrestleMania 41 triple-threat match against CM Punk and Seth Rollins was his third and most recent match.

Since Raw’s Netflix debut in early January, he has wrestled only two singles matches out of nine total appearances, with the rest being tag team or multi-man bouts. In contrast to traditional sports, where an athlete’s worth is usually defined by wins and performance, a pro wrestler’s value is mostly determined by how the company chooses to present them.

Reigns’ face turn last year had a lot of hype, but the excitement has dipped, while in his absence, Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins have taken over the promotion with their regular appearances and matches.

Notably, Reigns was the leading face on WWE Shop, but is now behind John Cena, Jey Uso, and Cody Rhodes. The absence of the Bloodline and Paul Heyman has also damaged his stock as the conversation around him has died down; earlier, the Bloodline members used to do his bidding, and Heyman used to speak on his behalf, while now there’s radio silence from Reigns, and the betrayal storyline is in limbo.

While WWE holds all the power to either make Reigns’ return a spectacle or ruin it by poor storytelling about his absence, one thing is clear: Reigns likely has less bargaining power than before.

Lately, CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has positioned Cody Rhodes as his top star and also seems to be elevating his longtime protege, Seth Rollins, as the next “face of the company.” This shift comes amid reported backstage tensions and a possible power struggle between Levesque and TKO board member Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a strong supporter of Roman Reigns.

Does Roman Reigns have other options if he isn’t happy with his WWE trajectory or his positioning? There’s Hollywood, a big break like former WWE Champion Batista got, or a career that John Cena or The Rock has built, that would make sure Reigns never has to step inside the squared circle. However, there’s one more option for him.

Tony Khan should convince Roman Reigns to join AEW in 2026

Roman Reigns told Vanity Fair that his contract with the Stamford-based promotion expires after WrestleMania 42 in 2026. AEW’s President, Tony Khan, should reach out to Reigns and try to convince him to join AEW.

The addition of Reigns to the AEW roster would significantly boost their stocks, which have been severely hurt due to multiple high-profile exits, with some talent joining WWE, like Rusev, Penta, Rey Fenix, Ricky Saints, and Blake Monroe (Mariah May).

Tony Khan’s promotion has seen a dramatic drop in attendance and TV ratings since the controversial exit of CM Punk in 2022 and since then, names like Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill have also left the promotion, leaving a huge void that can be filled by Reigns.

Not to mention, good competition in the pro wrestling world is only good for the talents who would have the leverage to negotiate better deals and not forced to sign contracts favoring the company, not the talent, something both TKO’s brand WWE and UFC currently do due to a lack of competition.

How would Roman Reigns help AEW thrive?

Roman Reigns’ Shield brother Dean Ambrose, better known by AEW fans as Jon Moxley, is also in AEW, which means a storyline between the two and a potential reunion would be a huge thing for the company and fans.

If Tony Khan decides and succeeds in bringing Reigns to AEW, he shouldn’t simply insert him into AEW’s current setup. The company would need to build around him. Bringing in a once-in-a-generation talent like Reigns would require improvements in infrastructure, match bookings, and the overall creative direction.

Reigns has stated his intentions of retiring as soon as 2028 during the interview with Vanity Fair, “After I finish the contract that I’m in, we probably got another year or two max,’ he says. ‘Then it’s time to take on a less physical form of entertainment.’”

If Khan manages to bring Roman Reigns, which seems unlikely to be fair, but if he does, it would be huge, especially Reigns ending his career in AEW. His arrival would not just bring dream matches or feuds but would also bring an immense number of eyeballs and publicity, predominantly in international markets where fans know Reigns but are not aware of following AEW regularly.

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