Summary
WWEsuperstarRoman Reigns made his return toFriday Night Smackdownfor the first time since dropping the Universal Championship to Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania 40, cementing a legendary face turn – something that would have been unthinkable even six months before – and in the process, setting up the next act of the company’s longterm storytelling.
After firing the first shots in the simmering Bloodline Civil Warat Summerslam the previous Saturday, Reigns made his highly anticipated comeback to WWE programming in a main event segment that witnessed him getting acquainted with his former enforcer Solo Sikoa’s new, more dangerous incarnation of the famous faction.
The melee that ended the show offered only a taste of what fans can expect over the next several months or more, as this storyline will likely still be reaching its peak when the rubber hits the road for the build to Wrestlemania 41 at next year’s Royal Rumble.
Biography: WWE Legends Featuring Roman Reigns Exposes Striking Depths Of Tribal Chief’s Journey
Screen Rant interviews the director & executive producer of Roman Reigns' WWE Legends bio-doc, Paul Heyman, about the Tribal Chief’s unstoppable rise.
The Bloodline Civil War Officially Begins, As Roman Reigns Makes His Return
“We Want Roman”: How WWE Pulled Off A Generational Babyface Turn
Fans will have to wait to hear Reigns cut his first babyface promo in years, but the sight of him in action once more at the end ofFriday Night Smackdownwas a thrill.
Roman’sSmackdownreturn completed what is already being calledone of the most effective face-turns in WWE history. After years of ruling the company as an iron-fisted heel, his defeat at Wrestlemania 39 in Philadelphia signaled an immediate shift. Already, the week after, crowds were chanting “Thank you, Roman,” – and with the introduction of Solo Sikoa’s revamped Bloodline, this quickly morphed into “We want Roman.” Now, the “Original Tribal Chief” is back, andthe Bloodline Civil War has officially been declared.
Fans will have to wait to hear Reigns cut his first babyface promo in years, but the sight of him in action once more at the end ofFriday Night Smackdownwas a thrill. Both Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa ate spears from the OTC, though Solo Sikoa managed to avoid a repeat of his Summerslam fate for now, escaping with the “ula fala” necklace that has come to signify true ascendency in the Bloodline storyline. From a business perspective, Roman’s comeback was a massive success, setting the stage for WWE to continue its streak of dominant, top-tier work.
WWE Teased “Roman Vs. Cody III” – But Fans Will Have To Wait For Now
How The American Nightmare Fits Into The Bloodline Saga
The expectation is that the next big chapter of the Bloodline Civil War will take place at this year’sSurvivor Series: War Games, with perhaps the unthinkable happening: [Roman] Reigns teaming with [Cody] Rhodes.
Memorably, at the press conference following Wrestlemania 39, Paul Heyman declared that the Bloodline Saga was only in its “third inning.” Over a year later,what could potentially be the final act of the story could be underway, as a heroic Roman Reigns seeks to quell the monster he unleashed upon the WWE. In the lead up to hisSmackdownreturn, the possibility of a third match withcurrent champion Cody Rhodeswas also hinted at, though it is likely that match won’t come until Wrestlemania 41 at least, if not later.
For now, Rhodes' next defense will be against his ally Kevin Owens atBash in Berlin; fans wouldn’t be wrong to anticipate interference from Solo’s Bloodline during the match, as both contestants should continue their prominent roles in the ongoing story. For many, the expectation is that the next big chapter of the Bloodline Civil War will take place at this year’sSurvivor Series: War Games, with perhaps the unthinkable happening: Reigns teaming with Rhodes a little more than half a year after Cody ended his historicWWEtitle reign.
