Triple H Must End the Bloodline Faction For Good on WWE SmackDown

The Bloodline will go down as one of the greatest stories WWE has ever told.

Its inception in 2020 carried the company through the pandemic and into its most prosperous period in years. Roman Reigns' heel turn not only revitalized his career, but it also elevated everyone else involved in the angle to new heights.

Although the decorated group has been vital to SmackDown's success in the last five years, the time has come for the faction to meet its demise.

Reigns' victory over Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat on Raw's Netflix premiere served as the climax of the storyline, but evidently not the end of it.

The Bloodline, albeit not by that name, has lived on with Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga remaining loosely aligned on Friday nights, while Tonga Loa has been injured.

With their best days behind them, the stable will slowly lose whatever appeal it has left for the remainder of its run together, which is why WWE chief content officer Triple H must book the definitive payoff sooner rather than later.

Tribal Combat Should Have Been Blow-Off to The Bloodline

WWE had the perfect opportunity to close the book on The Bloodline indefinitely when Roman Reigns decisively defeated Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat on the Raw on Netflix premiere at the start of 2025.

Reigns' rivalry with Sikoa leading up to that point was also excellently executed, and with the former undisputed WWE champion regaining the title of Tribal Chief and the rights to the Bloodline name, there was nothing left for the group to explore or accomplish.

While Reigns subsequently shifted his focus toward winning the men's Royal Rumble match, Sikoa's next steps weren't revealed. Instead, he briefly disappeared from programming and allowed Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga to renew hostilities with undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes.

In other words, there's no reason for The Bloodline to continue to exist now that Reigns has severed ties with the stable he started.

The Bloodline running it back with Rhodes is equally pointless other than it being a way to keep them busy before WrestleMania 41. Reigns no longer being the focal point means the storyline will suffer until it's given a permanent end.

Roman Reigns vs. The Rock Isn't Imminent

Long before Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa was in the works, Reigns vs. The Rock was believed to be the can't-miss attraction WWE was building toward.

The first-time encounter nearly went down at WrestleMania 40 before the company thankfully pivoted to Cody Rhodes "finishing his story" and dethroning Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship after almost four years, effectively putting Reigns vs. Rock on the backburner.

However, it appeared to be only academic for The Head of the Table to go babyface while Rock fully embraced the boos he was receiving as The Final Boss. Flipping the dynamic made the matchup even more appealing on paper.

Although Rock has made a handful of appearances on WWE TV since their successful team-up on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, there has been zero indication it's coming anytime soon. If anything, Rock vs. Rhodes would happen first, forcing Reigns to move on to other opponents for the event instead.

Rock vs. Reigns could still come to fruition down the road, but it seems highly improbable it will be at this year's WrestleMania. Regardless of when the match materializes, it won't have Bloodline implications with the group on its last legs as it is.

SmackDown Is Overdue for Non-Bloodline Centric Stories

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For as many memorable moments as The Bloodline has provided SmackDown in the last five years, WWE has also relied on the group far too often for its primary programs toward the top of the card.

The blue brand had the clear edge over Raw in the early days of the storyline, but whenever Reigns wasn't around to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship, the show tended to be throwaway television. That's largely been the case since it expanded to three hours at the beginning of 2025 and Reigns has been nonexistent.

In his absence, WWE has called upon Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga to build its main event scene around, even more so than current champ Cody Rhodes. They've done a perfectly passable job, but the endless amount of tag team matches and Bloodline beatdowns have gotten stagnant and repetitive, if they weren't already.

SmackDown has outgrown the need to feature The Bloodline so prominently on a regular basis. WWE giving that spotlight to other names and stories might give the blue brand the shot of adrenaline it desperately needs.

Jacob Fatu Is Ready for Singles Stardom

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Perhaps the sole recurring highlight of the Bloodline saga on SmackDown these days is the rise of Fatu, who crashed onto the WWE scene eight months ago and made an immediate impact as a member of the fearsome faction.

He played his role as Sikoa's right-hand man exceptionally well, but it was always more of a matter of when and not if he'd eventually outshine him and slide into his spot as the new leader of The Bloodline.

Sure enough, Fatu became the focal point of the faction when a speechless Sikoa walked away in early January, and he's since made the most of every opportunity he's been afforded.

Tonga works well as his hype man and occasional tag team partner, but Fatu gains nothing from being associated with Sikoa in any capacity.

In fact, Fatu is being held back by his ties to The Bloodline when he can become a much bigger star on his own. He's proved himself as a top talent and future world champion, to the point where he's surpassed whatever this iteration of the stable is supposed to be.

Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa Must Mark The Bloodline's Final Chapter for Now

Although WWE missed the boat by having Reigns vs. Sikoa serve as the long-awaited conclusion to the Bloodline saga on Jan. 6, it can still get an appropriate ending if the latter squares off with Jacob Fatu one-on-one at WrestleMania 41.

The tension has been teased since Sikoa resurfaced on SmackDown after the Royal Rumble, so the writing is on the wall for the group. The bigger question will be who between Fatu and Sikoa will be the one to turn babyface, if anyone.

Fatu is much more of a fan favorite, but SmackDown is seriously lacking in the heel department and he fills that void as a credible competitor.

As for Sikoa, it will be difficult to get fans to rally behind him after everything he did to elicit heat throughout 2024, but being betrayed might be enough to endear him to the audience.

Fatu vs. Sikoa is a simple story that sells itself for WrestleMania without anything tangible needing to be on the line. It's a logical midcard match for the event where the former can finally unseat the latter and reign supreme in what will be his 'Mania debut.

From there, Triple H can put a period on The Bloodline and lay the storyline to rest for the foreseeable future.

Reunions and revivals are inevitable, but nothing good can come from keeping the group around any longer in its current state.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.