In a wild turn of events, the new Solo Sikoa-led Bloodline stole the spotlight on tonight’s “WWE SmackDown.” Solo Sikoa, eyeing his official coronation as “The Tribal Chief,” “Head of the Table,” and all those fancy titles, found his moment cut short in a spectacular “Acknowledgment Ceremony.” With WWE Undisputed World Champion Cody Rhodes and his crew, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens, taking an early leave from the show, it seemed the coast was clear for Sikoa to snag the ceremonial ula fala. The Madison Square Garden crowd, however, buzzed with anticipation for a potential double-cross from the latest Bloodline recruit, Jacob Fatu, or a surprise comeback from Roman Reigns or The Rock. Spoiler alert: neither showed up. Instead, the spotlight fell on the ultimate rebel—Paul Heyman—who took a beating for the ages.
Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Heyman strutted into the ring together, introducing Fatu as the freshest face of the faction, complete with the grand entrance, TitanTron, music, graphics, and all the bells and whistles. Tonga, Loa, and Fatu fell in line, acknowledging Sikoa as the new Tribal Chief. But when it was Heyman’s turn, he hesitated, hung his head, confessed his love for Sikoa, and dropped the bombshell: he couldn’t acknowledge him as Reigns’ successor.
Cue the chaos. Sikoa unleashed the Samoan Spike on his former “Wiseman,” followed by Fatu delivering a bone-crushing diving headbutt. As the crowd chanted for Roman, Fatu, with a little help from Tonga and Loa, executed a Triple Powerbomb that sent Heyman crashing through the announce desk. The New Bloodline stood tall, raising “The Ones” as the show faded to black.