Report: Roman Reigns Still Has "Substantial Creative Input" During WWE Hiatus

The Tribal Chief has vanished. Following his loss to Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 40 that consequently brought an end to his 1,316-day Undisputed WWE Universal Title run, Roman Reigns has not appeared on WWE programming. There is no word on when he will be physically factored back into storylines, but his spiritual presence remains in and around some of WWE's biggest angles. Reigns still lingers in the opening days of Rhodes's tenure as WWE Champion and remains an off-screen figurehead of The Bloodline on WWE SmackDown. That role within The Bloodline is not just for show either, as Reigns continues to steer the faction's direction even while away.

Roman Reigns's Creative Control Continues

The Head of the Table still decides who eats.

As reported by insider account @WrestleVotes, Roman Reigns continues to have "substantial creative input" within The Bloodline's storyline during his "indefinite" time away from television. The Bloodline's arc is described as "evolving."

That evolution was felt on the first WWE SmackDown after WWE WrestleMania 40. Solo Sikoa excommunicated Jimmy Uso from The Bloodline following Jimmy's loss to brother Jey Uso at the Showcase of the Immortals. Sikoa accomplished this by welcoming new recruit Tama Tonga into The Bloodline's ranks and instructing the Bullet Club co-founder to take out Jimmy. Tama is the first new addition to The Bloodline since September 2022, when Sikoa himself joined the faction in the final moments of WWE Clash at the Castle. While Tama is not a blood relative of the Anoa'is, his father Haku is a former tag team partner of Sikoa's father Rikishi.

Tama explained to The Bloodline's wise man Paul Heyman that his attack on Jimmy was "by order of the Tribal Chief." This would suggest that Tama and Reigns are already in communication behind the scenes, but it has been speculated that this "Tribal Chief" that Tama is referring to is actually Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The Bloodline is expected to get more new members as the year progresses. Independent standout and Anoa'i family member Jacob Fatu recently signed with WWE. There is no word on whether WWE plans on starting him in NXT or sending him straight to the main roster. Whenever he does come to television, Fatu has a built in reason to work his way into The Bloodline story and could be Sikoa's third man ahead of a theoretical clash with The Bloodline OGs of Reigns and The Usos.