WWE's Roman Reigns vs. AEW's MJF: Which Champion is the Ultimate Heel?

Pro wrestling is built on the foundations of good vs. evil, or in this case, babyfaces vs. heels.

Fans love to pack into an arena to cheer for their favorite heroic wrestlers, but when it comes to entertainment value, a babyface is only as good as the heel on the opposite side of the ring.

A villain is often the most interesting part of any story. Their motivations can range from the outrageous to something more agreeable.

In WWE and AEW, the two biggest heels are undeniably Roman Reigns and Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Both men currently rule over their respective promotions as world champions but employ very different strategies.

Let's examine how both men operate to determine who is the ultimate bad guy.

MJF Channels the Classic Wrestling Heel

MJF is only 26 years old and is already one of the top stars in one of the biggest promotions in North America. To say he is ahead of the game is an understatement.

What's interesting about him is that, in many ways, he evokes memories of some of the classic heels who were famous before he was even born.

As a student of the game, MJF has likely studied tape on all of the greats: Ric Flair, Harley Race, Ted DiBiase, and possibly even as far back as Gorgeous George. He's probably read about all of their exploits and watched countless hours of matches to study them.

The AEW world champion relies on tried and true formulas to generate heat. Whether it's calling someone in the crowd fat and ugly or insulting an entire city's favorite football team, he knows exactly what to say to make the crowd boo.

The only place that is spared from his wrath is his own home of Long Island. Whenever AEW is in the vicinity and residents of his hometown are in attendance, he gets the same pop most of the babyfaces receive.

He also knows how to upset AEW loyalists. Every time he teases signing with WWE when his contract is up in 2024, the diehard fans hope and pray that he's just trying to goad them into a reaction.

Another hallmark of MJF's heel persona is his habit of making his future opponents go through a series of challengers to get to him. Paying others to do his dirty work is straight out of The Million Dollar Man's playbook.

But even after all of that, the Long Island native's defining trait is his ego. He thinks he is the best and has accumulated multiple accolades to back up that argument. He has several catchphrases about being superior to everyone else, and he values money and fame over friendship and applause every single time.

Even when he was paying Wardlow to do his bidding, the powerhouse didn't actually like him. He used MJF as a means to an end. Once he was able to break free from his contract and earn his way onto the roster, Wardaddy ditched his former employer.

Success fuels his ego, and his ego drives him to be more successful. The more he accomplishes, the more callous he becomes. At this point, it feels unlikely that we will ever see him have an extensive run as a babyface because he is just too good and too comfortable playing the bad guy.

Roman Reigns Manipulates Everyone

Reigns has been at the top of the mountain in WWE for over 900 days, and he has been the face of the company even longer than that. Nobody is on his level in WWE, especially when it comes to being a heel.

For a long time, WWE relied on babyfaces to sell tickets. Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin and John Cena are just a few of the people who carried the company at different points while being the good guy. Sure, some of them had runs as heels, but a lot of them spent a lot more time as babyfaces.

What sets Reigns apart from other villains is his ability to manipulate those around him. Sometimes it's by intimidation; other times it's by force. Whatever means he uses, The Tribal Chief has been getting his way for years.

He has built up a wall around him in the form of The Bloodline. The Usos and Solo Sikoa are responsible for multiple successful title defenses by Reigns. With Paul Heyman as his wise man and Sami Zayn as his former ally, the undisputed universal champion was almost untouchable.

Recently, cracks have started to form in that protective wall. Zayn is no longer part of the family and is hellbent on taking it down, and Jey Uso appears to have mixed emotions about remaining loyal to Reigns.

But back when this all started, it was Jey who first felt the wrath of an angry Tribal Chief. Reigns expected him to fall in line, and when Jey refused, the champ beat him senseless until he had no choice but to pledge his allegiance. Jimmy soon followed his brother, and Sikoa joined up with the family at last year's Clash at the Castle.

The way Reigns has been able to pull everyone's strings has been one of the most interesting long-term stories we have seen from WWE in many years.

He uses things like body language and microaggressions on his own family to make sure they do exactly what he needs in order to maintain his position of power. He has even manipulated management on several occasions.

Unlike MJF, Reigns doesn't appear to detest the crowd. In fact, he wants them to adore him. He wants desperately to be acknowledged by everyone he meets. When somebody refuses to bend the knee and pay him respect, you can see flashes of rage in his eyes.

However, when he was fighting Zayn at The Elimination Chamber PPV, the thing Reigns kept yelling about was that his former friend tried to break up his family. He wasn't as mad about the prospect of losing his title as he was at the idea of Zayn causing his own flesh and blood to turn on him.

At the end of the day, what Reigns craves is power. He loves being the champion, but he is addicted to running his family.

What's the Verdict?

As you can see, being a heel in professional wrestling doesn't mean you have to act one way. We have seen many different types of antagonists over the years, and you would be hard-pressed to find two who embody different values more than MJF and Reigns.

Friedman is a loner who has to pay people to do his bidding. He appears to have no friends, and he doesn't seem to want any, either.

Reigns, on the other hand, is a man who wants to establish his family as the ultimate dynasty in this business. He may be a brutal narcissist, but he also wants to bring his loved ones with him to the top.

The way they speak to the fans, the ways they generate heat, their style in the ring and their goals seem to be completely different. One of the few things they have in common is their love of championships and success.

The biggest thing that separates them is experience. MJF is only 26, while Reigns is 11 years his senior. This means The Tribal Chief has had much longer to establish his patterns and figure out who he is.

It feels like the Reigns we are seeing right now is him in his final form. He has reached the peak of what his character can be as a heel. MJF is still young enough to make minor or major changes to his persona over time as he figures out how he wants to be remembered.

Both of these guys are outstanding performers in the ring and on the mic, but right now, The Tribal Chief has the advantage of time on his side. If we were to revisit this argument in 5-10 years, the answer might be different.

So, in other words, we acknowledge The Tribal Chief as the ultimate heel, but MJF gives him a good run for his money.

What do you think? Which world champion is the best bad guy in your opinion?