Finally…. the Tribal Chief has come back to WWE. After a nearly four-month absence, which felt like an eternity for wrestling, Roman Reigns made his long-awaited return at SummerSlam 2024 and showed his former Bloodline enforcer-turned-successor Solo Sikoa that the “Original Tribal Chief” was back running things. But instead of costing WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes the title the American Nightmare took from him which ended his historic reign during the crazy WrestleMania 40 main event, Reigns gave his real-life cousin a Superman Punch and turned babyface.
I know what you’re thinking: “Roman Reigns is back to being a face and will be forced down our throats for years to come.” And you have every right to be concerned, considering how the old WWE regime tried and failed for years to get him over. But this time, I think it’s going to be a very different story, and I think we’re about to see one of the greatest, and most earned, babyface runs in a very long time…
Roman Reigns' SummerSlam Return Was The Pop Of The Night, And Possibly Year
There was a lot of great action up and down the SummerSlam 2024 card, and there were so many great moments that got ridiculous reactions from the crowd at Cleveland Browns Stadium. However, the pop of the night had to go to Roman Reigns’ shocking return. I mean, just listen to the crowd and watch as they jump to their feet when Reigns’ music hits. Electric is the best word to describe it.
Honestly, outside of the John Cena and Undertaker pops from the WrestleMania 40 main event, this was the biggest crowd reaction of the year and up there with CM Punk returning in his hometown, Chicago, at Survivor Series: War Games in November 2023. The best part is that it just kept getting louder and more intense. It felt like the entire stadium was chanting alongside Regins right before he took Sikoa out with a spear.
Like Michael Cole said as Reigns stood over Sikoa, this felt like the “revival of the Roman Empire.” Considering the Tribal Chief’s history with fans over the years, especially as a face, this was just wild and awesome to experience.
It's No Secret That WWE's First Attempt To Get Reigns Over With Fans Failed Miserably
The Shield was one the hottest things in wrestling right before Seth Rollins turned on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose back in June 2014, and WWE tried to capitalize on that by pushing Reigns like the second coming of Christ immediately following the breakup. However, it failed miserably and fans were not having it. They weren’t having it during the 2015 Royal Rumble, they weren’t having it during the WrestleMania 31 main event until Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, and they especially weren’t having it when Reigns defeated Triple H in the WrestleMania 32 main event.
Until Reigns turned heel in the summer of 2020 and started the early days of the Bloodline story, fans booed him mercilessly because Vince McMahon and the powers that be simply wouldn’t listen to feedback and continued to push Reigns over anyone and everyone in his way. Sure, his WrestleMania matches with Brock Lesnar were brutal and often ended in both wrestlers wearing crimson masks of blood, but the fans just didn’t care and revolted.
This was kind of a blessing in disguise, as it turned Reigns into the biggest heel in the company, at least in the eyes of a large contingent of fans, and laid the groundwork for the multi-time WWE Champion to become an actual bad guy.
The Bloodline Storyline Helped Everyone Involved, Especially The Tribal Chief
When everything is said and done, the Bloodline may very well be one of the best WWE stables of all time. Over the course of the past three years, the group has turned perennial mid-carders like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Jimmy and Jey Uso into main event stars. It has helped kickstart the careers of Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu, all of whom are in the current incarnation of the group. Hell, even The Rock has been a part of the faction. But the wrestler who benefited from it the most is none other than Roman Reigns.
Nearly a year into his three-and-a-half-year title reign, the Tribal Chief went from being a main event heel to the biggest name in the company. His matches, though often ending with some shenanigans involving his stablemates, had that big fight feel to them, and each of those title defenses felt like a massive bout. Reigns was able to show off his physicality, dominance, and for the first time in his career, his personality.
Now that he’s no longer a part of the Bloodline, the redemption tour has begun…
A Decade After Being Booed Whenever In The Ring, Reigns Was Getting Massive Reactions Despite Not Being On TV For Four Months
In the weeks and months following Reigns’ loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, the Bloodline, and WWE in general, went through a major overhaul where everything pretty much changed overnight. For the first time in years, the Tribal Chief was not front and center on SmackDown, but that didn’t mean his presence wasn’t felt.
Whenever Sikoa, who essentially took over the Bloodline in a violent coup with his new running mates, would intimidate or physically attack Paul Heyman, you could hear chants for Roman. When Sikoa would make a claim for the throne, again, there were massive chants for Reigns. For the past four months, fans have been anxiously waiting for the now-beloved superstar to return. That’s the very definition of “being over.”
The 'Original Tribal Chief' Has Spent The Past Four Years Building Himself And Winning Over The Crowd, And It's Paying Off
This time around, Reigns wasn’t handed the brass ring on a silver platter or simply handpicked to be the top dog of WWE without putting in the work. No, he has put in years of hard work, great matches, and one of the best storylines in modern wrestling history to earn that pop at SummerSlam 2024. He spent the better part of the past four years winning over crowds week in and week out, and it’s beginning to show.
It’s not that we hated him, it was simply us, as fans, voicing our displeasure with WWE for not listening, for not paying attention, and for not believing when we said we knew what we wanted. And what we wanted was a compelling wrestler who could make us laugh, cry, and feel all other kinds of emotions. It looks like the “Original Tribal Chief” has done just that.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Roman Reigns, and I can’t wait to see him get back in the ring at one of the upcoming WWE events. Honestly, this is the most excited I’ve been about him in a very long time.
