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At SummerSlam, Roman Reigns returned to WWE after a four-month hiatus to reclaim his throne and begin his path to redemption.
The process hasn't been easy for The Original Tribal Chief, who has had to face the consequences of his past actions. Following a loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, the 39-year-old lost the top prize in the company, his tribe and his claim to power.
In his absence, Solo Sikoa took advantage of the disarray and reformed The Bloodline in his own image. Fans ultimately rejected him and his methods, sparking "We Want Roman" chants ahead of The Biggest Party of the Summer.
Although the new leader of his faction helped to build anticipation for Reigns' return, it was unclear how he would react to everything that transpired. The OTC immediately attacked Sikoa to regain what was taken from him, but to what end?
Yes, teaming up with Rhodes at Bad Blood and acknowledging Jimmy Uso on the following episode of Smackdown proved that defeat humbled him a little. However, he also admitted that he didn't like that he was no longer in control in the same instance.
All's Fair in Love and War
Most of Reigns' teammates for the upcoming men's WarGames match at Survivor Series have only aligned with him to take down the new Bloodline.
Jey Uso and Sami Zayn still have unresolved issues with The OTC, and their failed attempts to find a fifth member indicate that most of the roster has a hard time believing he has seen the error of his ways.
Honestly, why would they trust him? The second-generation Superstar never apologized for his actions, and his current alliances are seemingly just a means to an end for him.
To Seth Rollins' point, how do they know he's not using them to help him get the ula fala back and rebuild his empire?
The Visionary's reservations are valid. After all, he threw himself in the line of fire to ensure his former Shield teammate's reign of tyranny would end, and he wouldn't willingly help him regain that kind of unchecked power again.
Conversely, all four potential members of his WarGames team are integral to Reigns' attempt to atone for his wrongdoing. His right-hand man, Main Event Jey, bore the brunt of his abusive and vindictive leadership. Zayn was an outsider, who forced him to open up again, but The Tribal Chief's insecurities eventually pushed them apart.
Admittedly, Rollins created the monster Reigns eventually became. His infamous betrayal motivated his former stablemate to build a faction with the people he knew he could trust most—his family—and he demanded unquestioned loyalty.
Properly mending things with all of them is important to his redemption arc, especially Rollins. The OTC lost everything at WrestleMania 40 because he couldn't pass up the chance to exact revenge on him again.
Reigns had the chance to pin Rhodes and retain his title, but he just couldn't resist the opportunity to give him a receipt for the chair shot that ended The Shield.
To close this chapter of his career, he has to address the anger and fear that pushed him to create The Bloodline in the first place.
All the pieces are in place for an emotional finale at Survivor Series, but will he make the right decision? Can fighting alongside his friends and family again remind him who he was before he joined forces with Paul Heyman?
Old Habits Die Hard
Speaking of The Wiseman, it's telling that even he has seemingly turned his back on The Head of the Table. Reigns left him alone to deal with Sikoa and his new followers for weeks, and he never came back to help.
Calling Heyman as a last resort when he couldn't find a fifth member was incredibly selfish. It's another sign that he's still just as manipulative and self-centered, but his usual tactics aren't working because he has burned so many bridges.
The OTC will find another teammate in time for WWE's last major premium live event of the year on November 30. However, the question surrounding the match and its outcome remains whether anyone should trust him afterward.
It's unclear if facing his demons and the monstrosity he created in the men's WarGames match will make him see the light. His successor is only doing what he taught him to do. His lust for power is a direct result of the example he set for his family as a leader who ruled with an iron fist.
Even if he regains the ula fala and his ceremonial title, it's up to Reigns to break the chain of violence and trauma that he started. The Undisputed WWE Championship is likely his next conquest, but it's up to him to decide what kind of champion he wants to be this time.
His choice will determine the next chapter for The Bloodline and impact WWE programming for the next few months as we start the road to WrestleMania 41.
As Reigns' motives become clear, it's likely we will quickly discover who his opponent at The Show of Shows could be.
Even the most ardent critic would have to admit Cody Rhodes' return to WWE paid dividends, but his continuous success in 2024 has been a sight to behold.
The second-generation star's meteoric run as the top babyface in the company almost defies all logic at this point. His ability to overcome every obstacle, disprove every prediction of his downfall and remain popular is impressive.
After all, he withstood a crushing loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 and became a back-to-back men's Royal Rumble winner. The Rock's wildly entertaining comeback and a long-awaited dream match with The Head of the Table couldn't even derail his rise to the top.
His most vocal supporters famously rebelled ahead of The Showcase of the Immortals, and Rhodes finally finished his story on Night 2 of the event. Nothing could stop him from achieving his ultimate goal, but it didn't stop there.
Online fans were sure viewers would grow tired of The American Nightmare and the familiar calls for him to turn heel would eventually start. But it hasn't happened, and he is still one of the most celebrated protagonists in the industry.
It's astonishing, but the numbers don't lie. Maybe, it's time to admit that The American Nightmare is the pure babyface WWE has been in search of since John Cena left for Hollywood.
Staggering Metrics and an Unmatched Connection
That may sound like a stretch to some, but it's hard to argue with the results. Reigns is undeniably the biggest star of his era, but his return hasn't eclipsed Rhodes' title reign as most of us expected.
In fact, his merchandise is still the hottest commodity. According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, "It has consistently been Cody Rhodes for quite a while now. Outside of occasional live events when generic WWE-themed or PPV-branded merch is collectively the top seller, it's almost always Cody."
In September, the 39-year-old entered rarefied air when he became one of the top five athletes and personalities in overall sales on Fanatics. This was a major milestone because no other wrestler has ranked this high on the store among names from other sports.
The feat even earned an endorsement from Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.
Getting back to the Cena comparison, Dave Meltzer put his popularity in perspective in July. He explained in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the numbers would indicate Rhodes surpassed him as the most successful babyface since the Attitude Era:
Even if that sounds like a bold statement, it's hard to deny his contributions to the most lucrative period in over 20 years.
Two consecutive WrestleMania main event appearances speak for themselves, but Rhodes is also consistently well-received at live shows and international events.
The Ideal Face of the Company
Let's face it. The undisputed WWE universal champion is the face of the company, and WWE is generating mainstream attention and record sellouts again. Even more, Rhodes has connected with its audience in a way he didn't during his first run.
The "We Want Cody" chants forced the powers-that-be to prioritize his crowning moment at The Show of Shows. The response from the fans proved he wasn't just a shiny new toy and their adulation would endure.
It was easy to assume it wouldn't last because viewers inevitably reject so many pure babyface characters. To that end, we saw how his act eventually grew stale with All Elite Wrestling after such a hot start in 2019.
Still, there's something different about him now. His drive to fulfill his lifelong dream and build a legacy felt genuine. All of his struggles and the fire it lit in him to go from undesirable to undeniable made him relatable.
Rhodes has captured the imagination of children in the live crowd across the world and created an underdog even adults can believe in. It's so rare in this current era of pro wrestling, but he has tapped into do-gooder shtick that inexplicably works no matter how much anyone doubts him.
The Bloodline is still the main storyline on SmackDown, and Reigns will come looking for a rematch. Nevertheless, The American Nightmare has delivered some of the year's best matches and unforgettable moments.
His first WWE world title reign will always spark debates online, but he continues to rack up achievements and silence critics.
Whether you love or hate Rhodes, he has accomplished what he set out to prove and so much more.
