Roman Reigns’ Role in Bloodline Civil War, Cody Rhodes’ 1st Feud, More Quick Takes

Roman Reigns’ Role in Bloodline Civil War, Cody Rhodes’ 1st Feud, More Quick Takes0 of 5

Roman Reigns’ eventual return to WWE TV will mark a pivotal point in the Bloodline saga.Credit: WWE.com

With WrestleMania 40 marking the culmination of several stories in WWE, many more are about to begin if the immediate aftermath from The Show of Shows has been any indication.

Friday’s SmackDown featured a significant development in the long-running Bloodline saga as Solo Sikoa seemingly took center stage and exiled Jimmy Uso from the group with the help from the debuting Tama Tonga.

What role Roman Reigns will play in this pending Bloodline civil war remains to be seen, along with who newly crowned WWE champion Cody Rhodes will defend his gold against at Backlash on May 4.

LA Knight and AJ Styles will renew hostilities in a WrestleMania rematch this Friday to determine Rhodes’ first challenger. Both would make for solid matchups, but one makes more sense than the other at this stage of The American Nightmare’s reign.

This installment of Quick Takes will delve into who should be Rhodes’ Backlash opponent, why All Elite Wrestling must hit a home run with its Dynasty event, The Judgment Day’s shelf life being extended, and more.

Where Will Roman Reigns’ Allegiance Lie Once He Returns?1 of 5

For as successful and compelling as the Bloodline storyline has been since its inception nearly four years ago, a shakeup of some sort was long overdue.

Roman Reigns finally losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40 was the first step, followed by the introduction of Tama Tonga.

All signs point to yet another Bloodline civil war with Sikoa taking the reigns of the stable and recruiting new members in the absence of The Tribal Chief.

Sikoa teasing tension with Paul Heyman on Friday’s SmackDown planted the seeds for Reigns to return with a score to settle with his enforcer over who the rightful leader of The Bloodline is.

Reigns turning babyface should be the ultimate endgame, and the best way to accomplish that would be to reunite him with The Usos to combat an evolved Bloodline backed by The Rock.

Reigns vs. Rock at WrestleMania 41 will be made even more exciting by a buildup revolving around faction warfare. The key will be for WWE to take its time with it over the next year and space out each major plot point.

That includes the arrival of Jacob Fatu, who has reportedly signed with WWE as of last week per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and will be an incredible addition to The Bloodline.

The longer Reigns is away, the grander his highly anticipated comeback will be.

Damian Priest Winning World Title Extends Judgment Day’s Shelf Life2 of 5

WWE has done an exceptional job of taking something that wasn’t working with the original incarnation of The Judgment Day two years ago and turning it into one of the most entertaining acts in the entire company.

The group has proved to be a dominant force and has held almost every major title on the Raw brand, including the World Heavyweight Championship as of WrestleMania 40. Damian Priest’s successful Money in the Bank cash-in breathed new life into the faction coming out of the event.

It also extended its shelf life through at least SummerSlam season.

The Judgment Day appeared to be on the brink of collapse last summer with all of the dissension that was being hinted at before bouncing back and putting their differences aside. Every member is ready to move on to something new, but keeping the group intact for a little longer while Priest enjoys this run as world champ is understandable.

Being collectively drafted to SmackDown would provide them with fresh opponents to work with and set the stage for their next chapter, which should be a split around SummerSlam on August 3.

AEW Must Hit Home Run with Dynasty to Regain Lost Momentum3 of 5

AEW’s string of strong shows throughout March was quickly forgotten as soon as the backstage footage from All In 2023 involving CM Punk and Jack Perry aired on Dynamite.

The stunt came off as a desperate attempt to pop a rating and did nothing to add interest to the build for Dynasty, a show that has serious potential on paper despite much of the company’s current buzz revolving around other matters.

The weekly programming has a tendency to be hit or miss, but AEW rarely misses with its pay-per-views. Dynasty in particular boasts a loaded card including Samoa Joe vs. Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship, Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay, and FTR vs. The Young Bucks.

The match quality is hardly in question, but it’s imperative the event be executed properly on April 21. Strickland capturing the gold should be a massive moment along with an undercard where almost every match feels special.

Dynasty can be a positive turning point for AEW that gets the focus back where it belongs and restores some of the excitement that has been lost as of late.

Projecting Best Brands for Expected NXT Call-ups in WWE Draft4 of 5

With it being confirmed during last Monday’s Raw that NXT stars will again be eligible to be drafted, fans have begun to speculate which top prospects from Tuesday nights we could soon see gracing the main roster.

NXT champion Ilja Dragunov and NXT women’s champion Roxanne Perez both made an impact in their respective Raw debuts with wins in singles competition before declaring themselves for the draft on April 26 and 29.

If recent NXT call-up Bron Breakker stays on SmackDown, Raw would be the best landing spot for Dragunov, especially if his longtime rival, Gunther, remains on the red brand as well.

The Raw women’s division also needs a big boost, and Perez could be a tremendous asset either as heel or as a babyface.

Tony D’Angelo failing to clinch the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver leaves him with nothing left to do on the gold brand, so he should also be main roster-bound. He’d be a good fit for Raw, while Carmelo Hayes joins SmackDown after already appearing on the blue brand in the lead-up to the Royal Rumble.

Blair Davenport’s wealth of experience would make her a strong addition to the SmackDown women’s division.

The influx of new blood post-draft will bolster both brands and make for countless compelling matchups.

AJ Styles Is Perfect First Feud for WWE Champion Cody Rhodes5 of 5

Despite falling short of beating LA Knight at WrestleMania 40 and taking a back seat on SmackDown for the last year, AJ Styles is on the verge of becoming the new No. 1 contender to the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Backlash.

Knight was able to get his ‘Mania moment by beating Styles at The Show of Shows, but The Phenomenal One makes much more sense as Rhodes’ first challenger.

Knight would be better suited in the United States title picture right now while Styles serves as a stepping stone for Rhodes fresh off his huge title win.

The most intriguing aspect of a program between them is that they’ve never crossed paths one-on-one. In addition to Rhodes leaving WWE mere months after Styles signed in 2016, they were both leaders of Bullet Club at different points in time.

There’s history to tap into there, not to mention that their match is guaranteed to be great given their respective skill sets.

Aside from the Fatal 4-Way he was involved in at the Royal Rumble, it’s been years since Styles was last utilized in a meaningful manner higher up on the card. Although there’s zero chance he takes the title from Rhodes, he’s in a prime position to remind the world what he’s capable of and why he belongs in more main events.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham “GSM” Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.