WWE’s Solo Sikoa Dethrones Roman Reigns as Tribal Chief on SmackDown

WWE’s SmackDown was full of intriguing twists and turns, but one of the biggest was saved for the final moments of the show. That’s when fans saw the newest iteration of The Bloodline, with Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu all standing alongside Solo Sikoa. Sikoa then brought out the Ula Fala and had it placed around his neck, but then took things a step further and said Roman Reigns wasn’t man enough to defend their Title at WrestleMania or their legacy. That’s why he’s no longer the Tribal Chief, and Solo is now assuming that Title. Sikoa then said they will recapture their Undisputed WWE Title, and if Roman wants it back, he will have to take it from him. Sikoa has now made it official. Reigns is out, and Solo is taking his place.

The New Tribal Chief

“This…is an Ula Fala. This makes me the Tribal Chief,” Sikoa said. “This is not what I wanted, but this is what my family needed. Roman Reigns was not man enough to defend our Title at WrestleMania. He was not man enough to defend our legacy against Cody Rhodes and his legacy. Therefore he shall no longer call himself the Tribal Chief because I’m the Tribal Chief now. And I’m going to take back our WWE Undisputed Title from Cody Rhodes.”

Sikoa then had another message for Roman, saying that if he ever returns and wants that Title back, he will have a fight on his hands. Sikoa said, “And if Roman Reigns wants that back, he can try and take it from me, because I am going to show everyone in the Money in the Bank six-man tag match. Cody Rhodes, I am coming for you, and you will acknowledge me.” Then the Ula Fala is placed around Sikoa’s neck and the video ends.

Bloodline 2.0

Roman Reigns faced Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, and despite his and The Bloodline’s best efforts, Reigns would finally fall to Rhodes with some help from Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, John Cena, and The Undertaker. Reigns hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since the match at WrestleMania, but Paul Heyman had orders from Reigns to keep an eye on Rhodes and keep him in check with The Bloodline in his absence.

Sikoa had other plans though, and soon he would start to put doubt in Heyman’s mind about Reigns’ plans and goals. Sikoa would then introduce Tama Tonga to the group and kick Jimmy Uso out of it, much to Heyman’s surprise. Then Tonga Loa would make his appearance and be added to the group. The final piece was Jacob Fatu, who made his grand debut by attacking Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens.

Last week the ultimate move was made when Sikoa asked Heyman to acknowledge him as the Tribal Chief. Heyman wouldn’t, so The Bloodline would put Heyman through a table after attacking him in the ring. Now with this latest video, the group is no longer Roman’s to lead, and it will surely be interesting to see what happens next when he comes back.

Money in the Bank Card

• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest (C) vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
• Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline
• Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Chad Gable vs. Jey Uso vs. Andrade
• Women’s 2024 Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Zoey Stark vs. Chelsea Green
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn (C) vs. Bron Breakker

When do you think Roman Reigns will return to confront Solo Sikoa? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!