It was a SmackDown opener fit for a soap opera, folks! Roman Reigns returned to WWE TV for the first time since his shocking defeat at Crown Jewel, only to leave fans with another shocker—an icy rejection of the “Honorary Uce” himself, Sami Zayn.
Reigns opened the show, and tensions were high from the start. Jey Uso, trying to patch up the fractured family vibes, urged Reigns to let Zayn plead his case after Zayn’s unintentional Helluva Kick hit the Tribal Chief in Riyadh. Sami entered the ring, emotions pouring out like a wrestling ring tears-and-sweat mix. “I didn’t mean to kick you, Roman. I just wanted to save Jey,” he explained, pouring his heart out to the Tribal Chief and reminiscing about their “special” times together. And, folks, he really went there, saying he knew, deep down, Reigns still loved him.
For a split second, the crowd thought maybe, just maybe, we were witnessing a Bloodline family reunion. But in true “Original Tribal Chief” fashion, Reigns didn’t exactly play Cupid. Instead, he fired back with an apology—but not to Zayn. Nope, he apologized to Jey for wasting everyone’s time on Zayn! With a final gut punch, Reigns declared Zayn was “not family” and that he only cared about avenging himself against Sikoa and the New Bloodline.
As Sami walked off, visibly crushed, the drama wasn’t over. Backstage, Jey and Jimmy, fed up with Reigns’ attitude, walked out too, leaving the Tribal Chief alone, for once without his loyal Bloodline entourage.
So much for family loyalty in the Bloodline, folks! Stay tuned to see who crosses Reigns next—and how long he’s left holding his crown alone. 🍿