Roman Reigns has not been seen on WWE programming since he was dethroned by Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL. In fact, apart from a Tik Tok video where he vowed to come back stronger, The Tribal Chief has kept near-radio silence in this post-Mania absence. This has left The Bloodline in a state of disarray, with the faction going through a flurry of changes.
As Solo Sikoa reshapes the group in his vision to a backdrop of “We Want Roman” chants from every arena, The Head of the Table’s return doesn’t seem close. The best guess as to when he could potentially resurface would be the road to WWE Summerslam, which is a “Big 4” premium live event. However, some exigent circumstances could force the six-time world champion to make an early comeback.
Here are four storyline and backstage factors that could prompt Roman Reigns to make an immediate return to WWE.
4: Jacob Fatu’s impending WWE debut could bring Roman Reigns out of hiatus
Jacob Fatu is arguably the most anticipated WWE signing of the year. The former MLW World Heavyweight Champion’s work has been making waves for a while, and reports that he signed with the TKO-owned promotion caused great excitement among fans. In fact, a section of the audience went so far as to label The Samoan Werewolf the most talented member of the entire family.
It’s very likely Fatu will be presented as a major player in The Bloodline upon arrival into the company. So major that his arrival might force Roman Reigns to return to reassert himself as the Tribal Chief and demand acknowledgement. This would be an excellent way to show the fans that the 32-year old is a serious main event talent and give him instant top star momentum.
Alternatively, Reigns could return with Fatu by his side to oppose Solo Sikoa’s alliance with Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa.
3: Various backstage reasons could bring Roman Reigns back to WWE early
Although WWE’s business is still incredibly hot, the company’s product is going through a somewhat lean period. The few months after WrestleMania have traditionally been somewhat dull compared to the fireworks of the road to the Show of Shows, and 2024 is no different.
Although Backlash: France was incredible and the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments have produced some great matches, ratings and attendance have noticeably dipped. On top of that, main event stars like CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre are all out of action with injury and The Rock is back in Hollywood.
Should one or two more top competitors catch the injury bug or ratings take a sudden plunge to worrying levels, Triple H could call on his biggest star to save the day. Given that he’s a free agent, Roman Reigns could pop up anywhere and stay as long as needed.
2: The Rock making a move in The Bloodline could flush Roman Reigns out of hibernation
After the blockbuster events of WWE WrestleMania XL, a pretty big question hangs over The Bloodline: Who is the group’s real leader? Is it still The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns? Is it The Tribal Heir, Solo Sikoa, who seems to be taking advantage of Reigns’ absence to take the family in his own direction? Is The Rock behind Sikoa’s apparent hostile takeover?
That final question could be the one that brings Reigns out of his break. Fans have long suspected that The Enforcer’s bold moves are backed by The Final Boss, although he claims to have been given the go-ahead by The Head of the Table. Should it be revealed that The Great One is, indeed, behind The Street Champ’s recent moves, The Tribal Chief could imminently return to reassert dominance.
This would kick-start a “Bloodline Civil War”, eventually leading to a dream match between the two biggest megastars in the family. All it takes is one revelation to immediately light the fuse.
1: An attack on Paul Heyman could trigger an immediate return to WWE for Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns’ disappearance after WWE WrestleMania XL has affected one person most above all: Paul Heyman. The Bloodline’s Wise Man has looked lost without his Tribal Chief, and often scared whilst dealing with the young and brash Solo Sikoa. It has been teased that Heyman could be in danger should he fail to do the bidding of The Tribal Heir, whose methods he seemingly disagrees with.
It seems like only a matter of time until Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa lay the smack down on Heyman, kicking him out of the faction and completing their takeover. This attack on Reigns’ beloved advocate, who imposes The Tribal Chief’s will in the latter’s absence, could be what brings the six-time world champion back to WWE.
With the way things have been going on WWE SmackDown, it may not be long until this happens.
