Roman Reigns makes long-awaited WWE return at SummerSlam

Roman Reigns is back to reclaim control of The Bloodline in WWE and likely begin a babyface run for the first time in more than four years.

The former Undisputed WWE Universal champion made his long-awaited return to WWE television during SummerSlam at Cleveland Stadium on Saturday night.

Reigns, 39, hasn’t been seen since April 7 when his 1,316-day world championship reign ended with a loss to Cody Rhodes in the Bloodline Rules main event of WrestleMania 40 .

Reigns’ music hit after Rhodes was left decimated by challenger Solo Sikoa and fellow Bloodline member Jacob Fatu in the main event.

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He walked to the ring alone and delivered a Superman punch and a spear to Sikoa.

It allowed Rhodes to hit a Cross Rhodes on Sikoa and pin him to remain the Undisputed WWE champion.

The landscape of WWE and The Bloodline faction Reigns had led has changed drastically in his absence.

Sikoa, who Reigns previously named his future successor as Tribal Chief, has grabbed the reins of the faction with Regins away and gone against his wishes by going after Rhodes and the Undisputed WWE championship.

Sikoa brought in brothers Toma Tonga and Tonga Loa – the sons of Haku – and the vicious Fatu to go after Rhodes and friends Randy Orton and Kevin Owens.

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Tonga and Loa both interfered in the match on Saturday but were chased away by Orton and Owens

“I know I’m not his friend,” Rhodes said in the post-show press conference. “He didn’t do this for me. He did that because of what happened with the Bloodline, with Solo.”

Reigns’ “Wiseman” Paul Heyman had a falling out with Sikoa and the new group after he asked the WWE Hall of Famer to acknowledge him — not Reigns — as Tribal Chief and but the ceremonial  Ula Fala (Lay of the Chiefs).

Heyman refused in an epic moment before getting Shield power bombed him through the announce table at Madison Square Garden on June 28 .

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Sikoa directly called out Reigns during a SmackDown vignette on July 5.

“Roman Reigns was not man enough to defend our title at WrestleMania,” Sikoa said. “He’s not man enough to defend our legacy against Cody Rhodes and his legacy. Therefore, he shall no longer call himself the Tribal Chief because I’m the Tribal Chief. … If Roman Reigns wants that WWE championship] back. He can try to take it from me.”

That moment as well as the heat Sikio’s Bloodline received but decimating Orton and Owens prior to SummerSlam was the exact foundation Reigns needed to return as a babyface after kicking off one of the greatest heel runs ever when he came back at SummerSlam in 2020.

Reigns doesn’t feel done with Rhodes in storyline, however, staring back at him after he helped deliver him a win.

The champ doesn’t feel done either.

“Roman Reigns is entitled to not just a rematch, I mean Roman Reigns held this title for so long that that match had to happen,” Rhodes said …”That’s there to do. I don’t know if anyone saw, but I was tapping the title like this because I know there is a third one somewhere down the line.”

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