WWE spent three years trying to push Roman Reigns as the top face of their company, and to say it didn't go the way Vince McMahon wanted would be a massive understatement.
More often than not, the fans gave Reigns the heel treatment, even when he was feuding with other bad guys in the company. Heels like Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Triple H and Braun Strowman received more favorable crowd reactions than the Big Dog, but it didn't stop Vince from pushing him to the top anyway.
WWE has been using Reigns in the mid-card division since he returned from leukemia, and the fans have been giving him more cheers than boos along the way. All in all, things are looking up for Reigns as he tries to become "the guy."
But AEW superstar Chris Jericho suggested that WWE isn't getting the most out of Reigns. In an interview on Keepin It 100 with Konnan (h/t Andrew Ravens of Wrestling News), Jericho explained why he thinks the former WWE and Universal Champion would have more success in AEW.
"If you had a guy like Roman Reigns in AEW, he would be so over," Jericho said. "Roman is so legit, a real cool dude, man. He’s a great guy. He’s super cool. He’s like the guy you want to hang out with. They never portray him like that on the show. They always give him these promos to read and the real Roman Reigns never really shines through."
Related: Roman Reigns: 5 Reasons Why Fans Have Come Around On Him (& 5 Why They Haven’t)
Unfortunately for Jericho and AEW, Reigns isn't about to jump ship from WWE anytime soon. He signed a multi-year deal with the company over the summer, and it's impossible to envision Reigns ever wanting to leave WWE anyway.
Jericho and Jon Moxley - a pair of former WWE Champions - have taken a handful of shots at their former employer during the early stages of the Wednesday Night Wars. Moxley (previously known as Dean Ambrose) said that the WWE "creative process sucks," and that "Vince's way sucks," after his AEW debut.
WWE Has To Prove Jericho Wrong
Y2J certainly offered an interesting take here on Reigns with WWE. Some can argue that he's been overused, but others can concur with Jericho and make a case that WWE hasn't allowed Reigns to reach his ceiling. At any rate, we know WWE wants Reigns to remain one of their top guys for years to come. It's up for them to prove Jericho wrong and find a way to help Reigns truly become the No.1 face in WWE.