WWE Hot Take: Paul Heyman's Betrayal is Next Great Chapter in The Bloodline Story

It doesn't feel like the tale of Roman Reigns and the Bloodline will end without a major moment from Paul Heyman.

After all, much of this all-time saga doesn't happen without Heyman in a prominent spot to move things along, adding to the tale in meaningful ways, likely behind the scenes as much as while on camera.

He is, without argument, one of the greatest minds, talkers and characters in pro wrestling history and his character demands some sort of involvement down the stretch as the saga wraps up.

And he's been noticeably quiet lately.

As things have started to unravel around Reigns, Heyman has seemingly talked less and less, ceding the microphone to the increasingly agitated and flustered Reigns. This, plus his mannerisms and Heyman's conniving nature over the years should set off a few warning bells for the unified champion, were he not under siege from all sides not named Solo Sikoa (for now, right?).

In a way, the end of the Bloodline could see Heyman do much of what he did near the tail end of Brock Lesnar's era of dominance when he switched over to the returning-as-heel Reigns. WWE played with this a bit, letting Heyman fence-sit and even get "fired" by the Tribal Chief, before ultimately aiding him in overcoming Lesnar.

For longtime fans it was deja vu. A long time ago now, Heyman was by a young Lesnar's side until the hottest prospect in WWE stopped heeding his advice, taking a match with Big Show. Heyman jumped ship, causing Lesnar to lose, and spurring a white-hot Lesnar babyface run that gave a massive boost to the GOAT-contender we know today.

So it feels like a matter of time before history repeats itself again. Just think like Heyman for a moment. He fully understands that while Reigns is dominant, his run doesn't last this long without assistance from The Usos and now Sikoa. Jimmy and Jey are out, even if it's the former dragging the latter kicking and screaming, and fans have already seen hints that Sikoa could eventually be out too.

The survival-at-all-costs Heyman sees this as well as anyone and could already have plotted an exit. Maybe it happens soon, if the current trajectory pits Reigns and Sikoa against The Usos at Money in the Bank. If he doesn't outright cause the unified champ to lose in this showdown, perhaps it's an unintentional thing he does to cause a loss, driving a bigger wedge between them.

There's also the Lesnar angle. It wouldn't be hard to sell the idea on Heyman skirting back to the safety float that is the current Cowboy Lesnar for old time's sake as he jumps off his current ship. Move a few things around, perhaps a MITB briefcase or something, position Reigns-Lesnar for another match. Much as fans don't want to see another repeat of that feud, it could work—though it likely has to wait for Lesnar-Cody Rhodes III after SummerSlam.

More attractive might be Heyman only slightly shifting his allegiances and pushing all of his weight into Sikoa's corner. The soft-spoken-but-dangouers newer arrival to the Bloodline has main-event material written all over him and would obviously benefit from a skilled manager and talker handling the non-conflict work.

A Heyman-backed Sikoa serving as the sort of final-boss-styled heel for a while if Reigns heads for a hiatus after his 1,000-plus-day streak ends makes a lot of sense. Such a swerve would keep the family-based theme of the journey going and also give a huge boost to the main-event scene by anointing a 30-year-old Superstar as one of the next big things.

Such is the flexibility WWE enjoys thanks to Heyman. It's hard to botch the ending of such a tale when he's likely a main driver in how things conclude because of his genuine nature as a survivor who remains atop the food chain. One might suggest it's also why Rhodes besting Reigns wasn't going to work and won't, as Heyman going quietly into the night as a loser without a backup plan doesn't fit the characters involved or the consistency.

This is especially true if the intent is to eventually use an upcoming Heyman chapter in the story (we're currently in the Jimmy arc) to position Reigns as an eventual babyface again. That's probably the only way it will work—Heyman betrays, Reigns goes away for a long time, surprise returns as the cheered challenger for Heyman's current champion. WWE finally gets a beloved babyface Reigns it always wanted. Heyman is the vehicle for that finally working out.

For longtime fans or otherwise, Heyman weaseling his way out of trouble and latching onto the next big thing feels as inevitable as the silly through-the-barricade spot during a match. It's coming, with the when and how still up for debate.

One thing about the inevitable-feeling Paul Heyman's Betrayal? Fans can rest assured it will be a classic high point of the saga, given his sheer involvement. The only question is, will Reigns see it coming?