The June 16th episode of Friday Night SmackDown had another epic twist in store for fans of professional wrestling. The near three-year-long story of Roman Reigns and his Bloodline faction has been some of the best storytelling the company has done throughout the company’s 70-year existence. And the story may well be nearing its conclusion.
That’s because Jey Uso, a man who has been the Head of the Table’s closest confidant and designated Right-Hand Man throughout his record-breaking reign has also turned his back on his Tribal Chief. He follows in the footsteps of his brother Jimmy Uso and Sami Zayn, who also turned their back on the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at Night of Champions and the Royal Rumble, respectively. Reigns now sits on the Island of Relevancy with just two allies remaining, namely Solo Sikoa - the real-life younger brother of the Usos - and Paul Heyman.
Ever since Reigns retained his championship against 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble matchwinner Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 inside Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, it has been anything but plain sailing. If you’re interested in trying out sports betting, you’ll probably be surprised to know that online bookmakers actually made the reigning champion a +275 underdog for that main event with the American Nightmare. Ever since retaining however, it has been a rough and rocky road, and here are what we think may be the next four steps in the story of Roman Reigns and his Bloodline.
Triple Threat Match Against the Usos at SummerSlam
Following Jey Uso brutally dropping his Tribal Chief with a missile-like superkick on SmackDown, it seems as though WWE is putting together a tag team match for the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The Usos will face off against Reigns and Sikoa in London on July 1st. We can see Jimmy and Jey getting the victory, which could put both men in line for a title shot at SummerSlam.
Heading into the bout, the brothers will agree that as long as one of them manages to get the pinfall victory then they will be happy. However, the lure of becoming the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion will prove to be too much to ignore, and they will come to blows. That will result in Reigns retaining once more, with the assistance of Solo and Heyman, and his record-breaking reign will extend to 1,070 days, surpassing Pedro Morales as the fourth longest reign in company history.
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns Come Face to Face at Survivor Series
Following the successful retention of his title at SummerSlam, Reigns will be afforded some time off courtesy of his new part-time schedule. The Usos will embark on a new feud, perhaps against each other or perhaps they will attempt to persuade Solo Sikoa to follow suit and turn his back on his Tribal Chief. Reigns will return in time to captain Team SmackDown at Survivor Series and who will captain Team Raw, none other than the American Nightmare himself, Cody Rhodes.
The traditional five-on-five tag team extravaganza will mark the first time that Reigns and Rhodes have come face to face since the former defeated the latter at WrestleMania. Once the match draws to its conclusion, the eight other members of each team will slowly be eliminated, leaving the two former foes as the last men standing. Then, following an accidental collision with Solo, Rhodes will nail Reigns with the Crossroads and get the pinfall victory for Team Raw, simultaneously handing the Head of the Table his first pinfall loss since December 2019.
Solo Finally Turns, Faces Reigns at the Royal Rumble
After the accidental strike costs Reigns his near four-year-long undefeated streak, it’s safe to say that the Tribal Chief is p*ssed. He simply cannot accept responsibility for the defeat and blames it all on Solo Sikoa. The Street Champ already has one foot out of the Bloodline door, and this is the nail in the coffin.
Solo finally nails Reigns with the Samoan Spike on an episode of SmackDown, setting up a clash between the two at the Royal Rumble with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line. As Solo has all the momentum, many feel like the story is finally ending but once again Reigns manages to get the victory, escaping with his championship reign still intact, but barely.
On the same night, Cody Rhodes becomes the first man since Stone Cold Steve Austin 26 years prior to win back-to-back Royal Rumble matches, setting up his rematch with Reigns at WrestleMania 40.
Cody Finally Finishes the Story at WrestleMania
The plotline heading into WrestleMania 39 was all about Cody Rhodes and his dream of finishing the story, the story being that no member of the illustrious Rhodes family has ever held the WWE Championship. At WrestleMania 40 however, the American Nightmare will be finishing two stories: That of his own family and the end of the Bloodline.
Following his clashes with the Usos and Solo throughout the course of the year, Reigns finds himself alone with Paul Heyman on the Island of Relevancy at the Philadelphia showpiece. Without any backup, the Tribal Chief is unable to stop the onslaught of a relentless Cody Rhodes and after a plethora of Cross Roads finishing moves, the American Nightmare finally dethrones Reigns, ending his title reign at a whopping 1,316 days and closing the book on the Bloodline story once and for all.
