Roman Reigns competed in a rare televised match during the premiere episode of WWE Raw on Netflix, taking on Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat match.
The match opened the night with Sikoa dominating much of the action. Both competitors utilized weapons, including steel steps and chairs, to gain an edge. At one point, Reigns drove Sikoa through a table, but Tama Tonga interfered, pulling the referee out of the ring during the pin attempt. Jacob Fatu then appeared, attacking Reigns and teaming up with Sikoa to hit their finishers, leading to a near fall.
The chaos escalated when Sikoa took out the referee with a Samoan Spike. Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso ran in to even the odds, with Reigns hitting a spear on Sikoa for a two-count. Kevin Owens entered unexpectedly, delivering a Stunner to Reigns for another near fall. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, who faces Owens in a ladder match at the Royal Rumble, rushed out to neutralize Owens. Reigns ultimately secured the win with a final spear to Sikoa.
After the match, The Rock entered the ring and placed the Ula Fala, a symbolic necklace, around Reigns’ neck as a gesture of respect. The two embraced in a powerful moment.
Reigns has been feuding with Sikoa since returning at SummerSlam, where he helped Rhodes retain the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sikoa. The rivalry included multi-man matches, such as The OG Bloodline defeating The New Bloodline at WarGames.
Since signing a reduced-schedule deal with WWE in 2022, Reigns has made fewer appearances on television and primarily competes at Premium Live Events, emphasizing his status as WWE’s top draw. His last TV match was on December 30, 2022, in the episode of SmackDown, where he and Sami Zayn lost to John Cena and Kevin Owens in a tag team match. However, Reigns is expected to make more appearances on Raw moving forward, while still remaining a key figure on SmackDown.