The Bloodline welcomed a new member tonight on SmackDown.
Solo Sikoa made his presence felt at Clash at the Castle in the main event between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre. The Usos’ younger brother interfered in the match and it allowed Reigns to connected with his third Spear of the night to win the match.
Honorary Uce Sami Zayn and The Usos welcomed Solo to The Bloodline tonight on SmackDown. Roman Reigns was not with them during the segment. Sikoa announced that he was here to say but Drew McIntyre interrupted.
Drew marched to the ring with a steel chair but Sikoa remained in the ring as the rest of The Bloodline retreated. Sami then jumped in front of the chair shot but McIntyre was able to beat down Solo a bit. The Bloodline retreated as Drew demanded a match against Solo tonight.
MJF Reacts To The Bloodline Segment on WWE SmackDown
MJF returned to All Elite Wrestling this past Sunday at All Out. He confronted then-AEW Champion CM Punk to close the show. CM Punk then went on an absurd rant during his appearance at the media scrum following the PPV, which led to a physical confrontation with then-Trios Champions The Elite (Young Bucks & Kenny Omega). The fight after the media scrum (AEW Brawl Out) has led to CM Punk and The Elite being stripped of their titles and numerous suspensions.
On Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite, MJF referred Cody Rhodes and Triple H during his promo. He claimed that he views the AEW Championship as a bargaining chip for the bidding war of 2024. Maxwell was tuning into tonight’s edition of SmackDown and reacted to The Bloodline’s segment with a “we the ones” emoji.
Solo Sikoa is ready to take his rightful place alongside The Bloodline this Friday on WWE SmackDown.
The younger brother of The Usos (and cousin of Roman Reigns) has been making a name for himself in NXT since his arrival in October 2021. After weeks of rumors that he’s headed to the main roster, Sikoa appeared in the main event of Saturday’s Clash at the Castle premium live event.
Sikoa instantly proved his usefulness to Reigns by getting involved when it counted the most. With Drew McIntyre seconds away from dethroning Reigns, Sikoa emerged and pulled the referee out of the ring and interrupted what could have been the deciding pinfall.
Solo Sikoa Joins the Bloodline
Just because Solo Sikoa helped Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal championship, that doesn’t guarantee he will officially join the Bloodline faction.Well, WWE is now advertising exactly that.
WWE has published a teaser video hyping Friday’s SmackDown titled, “The Bloodline’s family grows.” The voiceover on the video states, “This Friday, Acknowledge a Bigger, Badder Bloodline.”
In his first public statement since Clash at the Castle, Sikoa replied to the Smackdown teaser on social media by writing, “[Blood] comes first. Always.”
Late last year, as part of the revamped NXT 2.0, Solo Sikoa debuted on WWE Television.
Despite being part of the legendary Anoi’i wrestling family, Solo, as his name suggests, has gone it alone in NXT 2.0
Sikoa has been absent in recent weeks, as he is recovering from a sprained PCL.
The Call-Up
Solo Sikoa has impressed fans during his run in WWE NXT 2.0, but it may be about to come to an end.
According to PW Insider, the plan isn’t just for Sikoa to be called up to the main roster, but for it to happen as soon as possible, maybe even this month.
This report is hardly surprising, as it has been previously reported that WWE planned on fast-tracking Sikoa to the main roster.
PW Insider also confirmed reports that Sikoa will be on SmackDown if the current plans don’t change, the same brand as his brothers Undisputed WWE Tag Champions The Usos and his cousin Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
The recovery window for his sprained PCL would line up with a debut on the main roster at some point this month.
Sikoa celebrated one year of being with WWE earlier this week.
The first big NXT call-up after Triple H taking over the creative might be coming soon and it can affect one of the most important storylines in the WWE.
According to sources in WWE, there has been a lot of talk within the past week that Solo Sikoa could be main roster bound in the very near future.
Sikoa made his wrestling debut back in 2021. He wrestled his first match in NXT in November 2021 and has been a regular for the brand ever since.
The 29-year-old is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and brother of the current WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos.
He is also the cousin of current WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Reigns is set to defend his title against Drew McIntyre at the upcoming Clash At The Castle event.
There were early reports that WWE can attempt to split the world titles by adding Karrion Kross to the mix. However, so far they seem to be moving forward with a singles match at the show with both titles on the line at the same time.
The curious timing of talks about the future of Solo Sikoa is making fans wonder if we will see his main roster debut at the upcoming PPV itself.
Solo Sikoa was diagnosed with a sprained PCL on Tuesday’s edition of NXT 2.0. The PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) is a ligament in the knee.
According to the WWE medical professional who examined Sikoa, he’ll be out of action for 4-6 weeks while he heals up. Thankfully, it’s not torn or broken. As a result, he will miss next week’s NXT Heatwave special.
It’s believed that Sikoa tweaked his knee during his Falls Count Anywhere match against Von Wagner next week. On this week’s NXT 2.0, Cameron Grimes visited Sikoa in the trainers room to congratulate him on that match.
Sikoa made it clear that he’s got his sights set on the NXT North American Championship, currently held by Carmelo Hayes.
Solo Sikoa (Joseph Fatu) is a member of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling dynasty. He’s the real-life brother of The Usos and son of Attitude Era star Rikishi.
Below, you can watch highlights of the hard-hitting war between Sikoa and Von Wagner from the August 2nd episode of NXT 2.0:
The Bloodline could be getting another member if WWE goes through with calling up WWE NXT’s Solo Sikoa.
Fightful Select reported today that as recently as this week, there have been serious discussions about bringing up to the main roster.
It’s unclear which brand he could be on as his brothers, The Usos, and cousin Roman Reigns are technically on both WWE Raw and SmackDown due to them holding the Undisputed WWE Universal and Tag Team Titles.
Sikoa, real name Joseph Fatu, is the son of Rikishi and the younger brother of Jimmy & Jey Uso (Jonathan & Joshua Fatu). He signed with WWE last year.
While speaking with BT Sport last month, Sikoa revealed that before making his NXT TV debut, WWE considered putting him with The Usos on SmackDown. He admitted he was hesitant about it, but they put him in NXT instead.
Solo explained the reason for being hesitant is due to him wanting to stand out on his own and not just be known as The Usos’ brother.
Original plans for a current NXT 2.0 star to join the main roster have been revealed.
The WWE machine has been trucking along for a long time. It’s gotten to the point where the company has its own developmental brand, rather than relying on a separate promotion.
That brand is NXT and it has undergone many changes throughout the years.
One NXT talent who has been making a name for himself was initially due for a big spot on the major WWE shows but the timing wasn’t right.
Original Plans For Solo Sikoa
(via WWE)
Solo Sikoa, the younger brother of Jimmy and Jey Uso, has quickly become a fan favorite on the NXT brand. Some believe he can turn into a top star if he and WWE play their cards right.
Sikoa recently revealed to BT Sport that there were initially plans to have him sent to the main roster to be aligned with The Usos.
“I don’t want to be referred to as their brother, their cousin, I want people to recognize me for me. Before I debuted, they wanted to put me with The Usos, but they said ‘let’s see what you can do alone.'”
Sikoa said he was more than happy with the change of plans because he said it sparked a fire within him. He was happy to get a chance to shine on his own rather than have The Bloodline carry him early in his WWE run.
WWE NXT 2.0’s Solo Sikoa changed as much about himself to separate himself from The Usos.
Sikoa is the younger brother of Jimmy and Jey and the cousin of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
During the latest episode of WWE After the Bell, Jimmy and Jey were asked about the success of their younger brother, and said he felt the need to establish himself as his own person. Jey said:
“We look a lot alike, so he had long hair, he chopped his hair and dyed his hair. Went from the Air Forces to barefoot, he’s uncomfortable in the ring barefoot but he’s just doing whatever he needs to do to make his mark. I told him he’ll find it. I remember Randy Orton telling us he wasn’t Randy Orton until six years into the game, and then he started finding Randy Orton. It dawned on me that, man, like, that’s what it is, the grind of just constantly throwing at the wall and whatever sticks, sticks, and if it doesn’t, we’re going to keep throwing.”
“He chopped his hair and dyed his hair. Went from the Air Forces to barefoot, he’s uncomfortable in the ring barefoot but he’s just doing whatever he needs to do.”
Jey Uso
Jimmy added that he hopes to see Sikoa one day join The Bloodline
Sikoa last competed on this week’s WWE NXT 2.0, teaming with North American Champion Cameron Grimes to defeat Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams.
There is no doubt that Roman Reigns is the top dog in WWE, but is the clock ticking?
The Tribal Chief garners all the attention whenever he’s out with The Bloodline. His presence oozes ‘superstar’ and the WWE Universe has indeed acknowledged him.
The ‘Head of the Table’ gimmick was a much-needed turnaround for Reigns. While WWE always viewed him as a main-eventer, the audience knew he was being forced on them for many years.
Back in the summer of 2020, Reigns turned heel and aligned with Paul Heyman. Eventually, he forced The Usos to join him and they formed The Bloodline faction.
Since then, Roman Reigns has become the top draw in WWE. He is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
While WWE has been enjoying the success of the “Tribal Chief,” it may not last much longer. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Reigns has signed a new contract for fewer dates.
Prior to the news breaking, Reigns spoke to fans during a house show in Trenton, New Jersey and said that he was entering a new phase in his career.
It’s also been reported that Reigns could be missing the June 5 Hell in a Cell show. With Reigns having fewer dates and the potential of Hollywood knocking on his door in the not-so-distant future, it’s left many wondering who could be the one to replace Reigns when the time comes.
For the five stars named here, we won’t be including the likes of Cody Rhodes or Drew McIntyre. They have already been established as big stars who are in their mid-30s. Instead, we’ll be taking a look at talent on the rise.
Let’s dive into five potential WWE Superstars to replace Roman Reigns:
Gable Steveson
Gable Steveson was drafted to Raw
WWE has high hopes for Gable Steveson. The Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling is signed to a WWE contract. While Steveson hasn’t had a match yet, he’s already gotten physical, giving Chad Gable an overhead belly-to-belly suplex at WrestleMania 38.
Very few are doubting that Steveson can become a great in-ring performer given his amateur wrestling background. The real question is, can he captivate the WWE audience with his personality?
So far, Stevenson has been purely presented as an athlete but he’ll need more than that to thrive in WWE.
Time is certainly on Gable Steveson’s side. He will turn 22 years old on May 31. He’ll be hard at work in the ring and in promo classes behind the scenes before he becomes a regular on WWE TV.
Theory
(WWE)
At least for now, Theory is Vince McMahon’s golden boy.
The reigning United States Champion has been pushed on TV as Vince’s new “chosen one.” WWE officials are high on Theory as he seems to attract younger viewers to Monday Night Raw, something the company has struggled with.
Some fans are struggling with Theory’s rise, however. The concern is that he’s a bit too generic on the mic and in the ring, at least when working the WWE style. Some feel Theory is being held back by heavily scripted promos and needs to be unchained similar to what happened with Reigns.
This option would certainly be close to home for Reigns. Solo Sikoa is the younger brother of Jimmy and Jey Uso. He’s currently featured on the NXT 2.0 brand and it hasn’t taken him long to become a fan favorite on the show.
Being a member of the Anoai family certainly isn’t a bad thing when you’re a WWE superstar. At 29 years old, Sikoa isn’t the youngest guy on this list but he isn’t the oldest either. His size certainly fits the bill with WWE’s new initiative when looking to build stars.
If Sikoa develops fast enough, they may just have the perfect person to dethrone Reigns and possibly snap his brothers out of the mind control that the “Tribal Chief” has over them.
Madcap Moss
(via WWE)
Madcap Moss is in the midst of a babyface push. After winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Happy Corbin got jealous and the team ended up splitting. They had a one-on-one match at WrestleMania Backlash, which Madcap won.
While many within WWE feel Madcap has potential, he has some things working against him. WWE has had difficulty finding the right fit for Moss and even as a face, he has still retained his bad joke gimmick when he was with Corbin.
At the age of 32, Moss isn’t exactly a young prospect either. While he may not seem like the most appealing choice, don’t rule out WWE trying to tie the rocket ship to Moss’ back.
Bron Breakker
(via WWE)
To many fans, this is the only option.
Bron Breakker just looks like he was born to be a WWE main eventer. The son of Rick Steiner hasn’t had a lot of experience but he’s already been impressive in the ring.
He certainly stands out above the other green talent that fills up NXT 2.0. Breakker made his WWE TV debut back in Sept. 2021 and he’s already a two-time NXT Champion.
He’s got an intimidating presence, has great facial expressions when selling, is as intense as they come, and can hold his own on the mic.
To top it off, Breakker will be 25 years old this October. He has all the ingredients to headline WrestleMania one day. It’s up to WWE to maximize his potential.
Whether that means replacing Roman Reigns remains to be seen.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa revealed that professional wrestling legend Rick Steiner was going to appear at Halloween Havoc on October 26th. Steiner is the father of Bron Breaker, whose real name is Bronson Rechsteiner.
TalkSport’s Alex McCarthy interviewed Ciampa about his current status in NXT 2.0. McCarthy asked about working with Bron Breaker. Ciampa replied to McCarthy that his father wanted to appear at the event. However, Steiner pulled out of the event at the last minute. He successfully defended the NXT Championship against Bron Breaker at Halloween Havoc.
McCarthy transcribed the following quote.
“So, he was meant to be at Halloween Havoc,” Ciampa started. “He pulled out last minute. Maybe because I retained, but I won’t say that’s why [laughs]. I would love to be friends with him.” However, Steiner hasn’t confirmed that he was going to be at Halloween Havoc.
Tommaso Ciampa Second Reign as NXT Champion
Ciampa became the two-time NXT Champion when he won the fatal four-way championship match on September 14th. NXT 2.0 immediately put him in a feud with Breaker afterward. While he lost at Halloween Havoc, Breaker teased in last week’s NXT 2.0 episode that the rivalry wasn’t over.
New Contenders for the NXT Champion
NXT 2.0 has introduced new contenders to go against Ciampa. Along with Breaker, Carmelo Hayes also teased a feud with the NXT Champion. Longtime rival Johnny Gargano on the same episode also indicated a match with Ciampa may be near. However, Ciampa already has his eyes on another new potential contender. In the interview, McCarthy asked Ciampa what new NXT talent he wanted to work with next. Ciampa responded by saying Solo Sikoa.
“If I could pick anybody, it would be the third Uso, Solo Sikoa. I like his catchphrase, Street King of the Island. That vignette said star to me, said Ciampa. He continued, “When I watch him come out and the way he carries himself, he looks like a star. I think if I can work with him, I can pull a greatness out of him that would turn a lot of heads. It would be amazing.”
It’s unclear whom Ciampa will defend his championship against next. Although it seems he is ready to take on all challengers.
