Following his loss to Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 40 , Roman Reigns has taken a break from the squared circle. This has left The Bloodline to navigate their path without their Tribal Chief.
We’ve seen new stars emerge during this time, but the absence of Reigns has been deeply felt. Let’s explore how The Bloodline has been managing without Reigns and the potential implications of his return. When will Reigns make his comeback?
Bloodline without Roman Reigns
Since Roman Reigns stepped away after losing the World Heavyweight Championship, Solo Sikoa has been instrumental in reshaping The Bloodline.
On the episode of WWE Smackdown (4/12/2023) after WrestleMania 40, Solo Sikoa took it upon himself to step up into Reigns’ former position while he is taking time off. His first decision was kicking Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline and replacing him with the debuting Tama Tonga.
During the attack, even Paul Heyman looked horrified by their actions against Uso yet remained on their side, following them week by week.
The following month, at Backlash 2024, Tonga’s brother, Tanga Loa, would debut by joining The Bloodline. The brothers are widely known among the wrestling community for their prior experience in New Japan Pro Wrestling. They quickly became a powerful stable with Sikoa as their leader.
The newest member of The Bloodline, Jacob Fatu, made a robust debut on WWE Smackdown (6/21/24), laying out Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes. Fatu joined forces with his cousin, Sikoa, making The Bloodline a powerful stable combined of two wrestling families.
Roman Reigns vs Solo Sikoa?
Since Solo Sikoa took over The Bloodline following WrestleMania 40, it has been evident that Sikoa is not awaiting the return of Reigns anytime soon. Nearly every week, a match is teased between Sikoa and Reigns, considering some of Sikoa’s comments about Reigns during his absence. Paul Heyman has been trying to keep Sikoa in check based on what rules Reigns had left before taking time off.
Sikoa broke the news to Heyman on WWE Smackdown (6/21/24), telling him, “Roman, he’s not coming back.”
The following week on WWE Smackdown (6/28/24), tensions boiled over between Heyman and Sikoa. Solo Sikoa stood in the ring with the new members of The Bloodline, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Jacob Fatu, who acknowledged him as the new Tribal Chief.
Once Heyman refused to turn his back on Reigns and acknowledge Sikoa as Tribal Chief, a brutal beating would ensue on Heyman by Sikoa and The Bloodline.
Will this attack on Heyman be what brings Reigns back to the ring? Summerslam is right around the corner, and Solo Sikoa vs Roman Reigns would be a solid match on the card, with a heavy story to follow. It would make the biggest party of the summer even bigger.
Reigns and Heyman built a strong relationship together, but would anyone be on their side considering their ruined relations with the rest of the roster? Will it be an outnumbered fight against the current Bloodline?
What’s Next for Roman Reigns?
Whether the match against Sikoa happens or not (even though it is highly teased), what would be next for Roman Reigns? There were strong rumors about Roman Reigns vs The Rock for WrestleMania 40, and we almost saw that happen.
Once The Rock came back on WWE Smackdown (2/2/24) and had a face-off with Reigns, it left everyone debating whether that would be the WrestleMania 40 main event.
A match between Reigns and Rock has been rumored for years but has yet to be acted upon. Before this feud with Rhodes, they only met against each other in the ring in the days of The Shield, where Rock was triple powerbombed by them on an episode of Monday Night Raw (1/21/13).
Then they met again in the ring in 2015, where Rock helped Reigns win the Royal Rumble match.
There is a lot of family history behind a match between the two of them, and a lot of wrestling history. If this match does get set to happen, a lot can be done with their story, considering how much they have done together leading up to WrestleMania 40.
This match has been highly anticipated among fans for years, but especially in wrestling, timing is everything. It was never the right time, but it may be approaching.
This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
