Following his loss to Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns has taken a vacation from the ring. The Bloodline now must navigate their destiny without their Tribal Chief.
We’ve seen new stars rise over this period, but Reigns’ absence has been felt terribly. Let’s look at how The Bloodline has fared without Reigns and the potential consequences of his return. When will Reigns make a comeback?
Bloodline Without Roman Reigns
Since Roman Reigns’ departure after losing the World Heavyweight Championship, Solo Sikoa has played a key role in reforming The Bloodline.
On the edition of WWE Smackdown (4/12/2023) following WrestleMania 40, Solo Sikoa took up Reigns’ former job while he was on leave. His first move was to replace Jimmy Uso in The Bloodline with Tama Tonga, who was just making his debut.
During the attack, even Paul Heyman appeared shocked by their acts against Uso but remained on their side, following them week after week.
Tonga’s brother, Tanga Loa, would make his debut the following month at Backlash 2024, joining The Bloodline. The brothers are well-known in the wrestling scene for their former work with New Japan Pro Wrestling. They swiftly grew into a dominant stable, with Sikoa as their leader.
Jacob Fatu, the newest member of The Bloodline, made a strong debut on WWE Smackdown (6/21/24) by taking out Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes. Fatu joined forces with his cousin, Sikoa, forming The Bloodline, a formidable stable comprised of two wrestling families.
Roman Reigns or Solo Sikoa
Since taking over The Bloodline following WrestleMania 40, Solo Sikoa has made it clear that he does not expect Reigns to return anytime soon. Given Sikoa’s statements regarding Reigns during his absence, a match between the two is teased almost every week. Paul Heyman has been attempting to keep Sikoa in control based on the guidelines Reigns had left before taking a break.
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 comes next for Roman Reigns?
What happens next for Roman Reigns, regardless of whether the bout versus Sikoa takes place (despite the fact that it has been heavily teased)? There were significant speculations that Roman Reigns will face The Rock at WrestleMania 40, and it almost happened.
When The Rock returned to WWE Smackdown (2/2/24) and faced off against Reigns, everyone speculated whether it would be the WrestleMania 40 main event.
A match between Reigns and Rock has been rumored for years but has yet to be carried out. Prior to this feud with Rhodes, they only met in the ring during the days of The Shield, when they triple powerbombed Rock on an edition of Monday Night Raw (1/21/13).
Then they met again in the ring in 2015, with Rock assisting Reigns in winning the Royal Rumble.
A match between the two of them is steeped with family history as well as wrestling history. If this bout is going to take place, a lot can be done with their story, given how much they have done together leading up to WrestleMania 40.
Fans have been anticipating this bout for years, but timing is key in wrestling. It was never the appropriate time, but it may be coming.