WWE's Next Big Star is Hiding in Plain Sight

All this talk about the next big thing in WWE highlights the rise of Oba Femi and the likely temporary stumble of Bron Breakker. 

But one of the next mega-stars in pro wrestling is just lurking right there in plain sight on weekly programming, entertaining fans at a near-main-event level already, too: 

Solo Sikoa. 

A few years ago, this sort of statement would've been met with laughs, given Sikoa was a newcomer stuffed into a silent bodyguard sort of role while the bigger stars around him did the heavy lifting. 

These days, the only people laughing are…well, anyone who tunes into a Sikoa segment: 

For the older folks, this will feel oddly familiar. There's a young The Rock vibe here with Sikoa that nobody has captured all that well since Dwayne Johnson himself did it all those years ago. The turtleneck, chain and mannerisms from Sikoa are all very intentional (both for the Rock and his father, Rikishi, heel runs). 

And it's brilliant. 

Sikoa is goofy and charismatic stuffed into a 6'2", 250-pound enforcer who can put the bully into matches and feuds when needed. Fans who watched NXT knew this from his NXT days, which was what made the silent character pushes while he even worked with John Cena so frustrating. 

Because this is the Solo Sikoa NXT fans know, and it's very painfully obviously the one capable of getting massively over with fans. 

Best of all, WWE can't really go wrong with how they approach this and the Bloodline stuff…provided Sikoa gets to remain a babyface who is goofy. 

Think about it. Sure, Sikoa can beat Jey Uso and whoever else to stay away from the Bloodline family stuff and do his own thing if this gets drawn out. There was and will always be a route for him to make a, well, solo climb to the main-event scene, especially with events like Money in the Bank coming up. 

But…the Bloodline can work too. Maybe he really joins back up with the family, but is slotted into that sort of Sami Zayn lovable good guy role, where everyone is just rooting for the underdog to eventually break free of the gaslighting stuff and be on his own again. 

There's a reality where Sikoa gets to retain his current personality, to the point he's vibing and acting goofy in promos and trying to make Jey corpse…until Roman Reigns turns around to look at him. 

It can work. And like with Zayn, it can only work because Sikoa is just straight-up that talented and entertaining. That comedic timing Sikoa hits in the above promo (which had 29,000 likes and counting at the time of writing, dwarfing almost everything else on the company's feed) is not easy. If it were, most of the locker room would do it. 

Speaking of being talented enough, if we turn a long lens to the future, Sikoa certainly has it in him to go be a charismatic heel down the road, too. The problem with WWE booking is usually that they do these things too quickly. A gradual heel turn in a few years can work. 

For now, it's best to bask in the fact WWE is actively stumbling into a 33-year-old megastar because those in power of creative finally…let Solo be himself. 

This isn't a Jey Uso situation either. He got over with the crowd, then a little shoved down the collective throats of fans, to the point of derailing things like Royal Rumbles with yeet-sessions and so-so singles matches. In fact, WWE seems to be acknowledging this a bit already by setting up a corny Jey moment (warning shot) for Sikoa to strike. 

Some will argue this is getting away ahead of things. But WWE doesn't have time to fall behind. That's why Femi's on the rise, retiring Brock Lesnar and getting shout-outs from Reigns. It's why Breakker might have a feud with Femi right now. The older generation is on the way out. The newer one is limping as it attempts to find footing.

And here comes Sikoa. He's capable of a  Zayn-like ascent amid Bloodline stuff. Or not. But he's eerily reminiscent of a past all-time great with uncanny comedic timing and charisma. 

And right now? Solo's just what WWE and its fans need. He's sneaky, just right there, and the revelation is certainly better late than never territory.