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Roman Reigns may think he's still in charge but he ended the latest SmackDown lying at the feet of Solo Sikoa and his Bloodline. This, however, wasn't new to The OTC.
Last week's show ended the same way, giving Sikoa two straight weeks of dominance over his cousin. Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns argued over the new dynamics with Jimmy pleading with Roman that they needed help.
With the path to WarGames still left to be blazed, several things will happen over the next six weeks. As for this week, Roman Reigns got destroyed again for the next four reasons.
#4. Solo Sikoa knew that his "acknowledgment" wasn't genuine
One theme of the latest SmackDown involved Reigns' favorite word - acknowledgment. After years of demanding others acknowledge him as Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa has adopted the same practice.
Roman and Jimmy conversed over what they would do, with Reigns even telling Jimmy that he'd appease Solo by acknowledging him. At the end of the night, The Original Tribal Chief acquiesced to Sikoa, but it didn't feel genuine.
Sikoa called Reigns out for this as it felt like he just said it so the infighting would end. When Solo asked him to acknowledge him "as his Tribal Chief," Roman lost it. If an apology or statement is made half-heartedly, most people can tell.
Roman's "acknowledgment" fell into this category and the new Bloodline made him pay for his refusal to accept a new leader.
#3. To sell that he needs help from Jey Uso
Jey Uso was one of the first foes of the heel version of Roman Reigns. The two battled in "I Quit" and "Tribal Combat" matches, both won by The Head of the Table.
While Jey eventually fell in line, he also was the most affected by everything that went down with The Bloodline. He took part in beating up Kevin Owens but hesitated when the focus turned to demolishing Sami Zayn.
He would leave the group and battle Jimmy at WrestleMania 40. The Yeet Master moved to RAW and after a few unsuccessful attempts to stand out on his own, he finally won the Intercontinental Championship.
Jey has now proved himself on his own and Roman will have to swallow his pride to bring Jey back to his side. That's more important since the Intercontinental Champ didn't stick around to save his family later in the night.
#2. It shows Roman Reigns things are much different than how he left them
Roman Reigns left WWE after losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at The Showcase of the Immortals. A lot has changed on both RAW and SmackDown, as well as within his family.
When he popped back up after months away, it was largely due to constant challenges from Solo Sikoa. When Roman spoke, he acted as if nothing had changed even though he lost and had been gone for months.
After falling to his cousin in two consecutive weeks, it now shows Roman Reigns that things have changed, whether he likes it or not. The world may revolve around him when he's present and champion. It doesn't necessarily always follow suit when the dynamics have shifted so much.
#1. It makes Solo Sikoa seem like a formidable opponent
Since fans know they're on the road to a Bloodline vs. Bloodline WarGames match, a lot will happen each week on SmackDown. Roman got the upper hand at Bad Blood thanks to Jimmy's return.
Solo Sikoa stood tall at the end of the last two shows. If the feud is one-sided, fans won't have reason to invest in the WarGames contest. Roman's team will probably win at the event, but bookers need to present both sides as having equal chances of winning.
It's the opposite of matches for the women's tag titles with Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill as champions. Having Reigns on the mat for two weeks in a row presents the new version of The Bloodline as formidable and dangerous.
Jey even mentioned that they didn't try to add Jacob Fatu when they were running things. Beating the former standard-bearer means that fans need to take the new Tribal Chief seriously.
