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Roman Reigns' return on SmackDown this week may have laid the groundwork for the next year of WWE. The Tribal Chief has several top babyfaces coming after him, but his biggest threat might be the man standing alongside him.
Last night's episode of SmackDown saw Reigns declare Solo Sikoa the "next Tribal Chief," essentially confirming The Enforcer's time is coming. Sikoa is the heir to The Big Uce's throne, but will he take over peacefully or by force?
At some point in 2024, Solo might get sick of doing Roman Reigns' dirty work and challenge him for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. This could lead to a seismic title change as The Tribal Chief passes the torch to his younger cousin, only for him to be completely disrespected.
Solo Sikoa may work best as a dominant heel with Paul Heyman by his side, so him destroying Reigns could cause a massive turn. WWE's biggest star hasn't been a babyface since early 2020, so it would be fresh.
He is still incredibly popular, so Roman Reigns can become a good guy again once the title isn't around his waist. He can put Solo Sikoa over clean multiple times before going on hiatus.
Roman Reigns has a busy start to 2024 ahead of him
Before we can even think of Solo betraying Reigns, taking his title, and turning him babyface, The Tribal Chief has important matters to handle. His first match in 2024 is set for the Royal Rumble, with a number one contender's match announced on next week's SmackDown.
Randy Orton will likely challenge Roman Reigns, while a match with AJ Styles is also possible. The Tribal Chief looks set to headline WrestleMania 40 as champion, too, with Cody Rhodes as his potential challenger at the event.
The American Nightmare is heavily tipped to dethrone The Tribal Chief. However, WWE may opt to continue the record-breaking title reign until Solo Sikoa is the one who ends it. If that is the case, one will always remember December 15th, 2023, as the beginning of the end for Reigns, with his heir proving to be his doom.
