The Bloodline Timeline Part 4: The Evolution of Roman Reigns

With the Bloodline Saga reaching a huge climax soon, it’s time to start chronicling what it all looked like to us. To do that here, Tanya of the Suplexes and Shea Butter Podcast has once again lent us her talents. You can find her at @TheWitchMilitia on Twitter. Check out Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

From Hound of Justice to the Tribal Chief

The 2012 WWE Survivor Series show is now famously known as the debut of the Shield, a group of three FCW (WWE’s developmental promotion at the time) wrestlers who would change the game and set the standard for all future WWE “call ups”. The group was composed of two well known independent wrestlers, now going as Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, and second generation rookie of the Anoai/Fatu family, Roman Reigns. The group was thrusted into a major program and wreaked havoc on the locker room. They quickly became known for entering through the crowd and circling the ring before swarming their opponents with vicious attacks.

The Shield spoke on so-called injustices going on in the company, declaring that they were there to right the wrongs. They did covert promos backstage and always dressed in pseudo riot gear. Basically, they were evil cops. The group became red hot and gained a large following. Each member was perceived as equals even though all three filled different roles. Rollins was the risk taker/daredevil of the group. Ambrose was the wildcard and unpredictable. And Reigns was the silent enforcer.

The Shield dominated for well over a year, winning championships and playing spoiler to several babyfaces in the company going against the Authority. In the fall of 2013, Reigns began to define himself as more than the enforcer when he became the sole survivor in a Survivor Series style match, having to eliminate the last two competitors on his own.

At the 2014 Royal Rumble, Reigns set a record for eliminations and came very close to winning. The tension in the Shield began to show as Ambrose and Reigns began to compete with each other to the detriment of the group, with Rollins seemingly playing peacemaker. I say seemingly because ultimately he was the one who stabbed his “brothers” in the back on June 2, 2014 to join the Authority.

That night changed both Ambrose and Reigns forever. Their bond became even stronger as they banned together against the Authority. But, as Ambrose always expressed exactly how much Rollins’ betrayal affected him, Reigns did not seem too outwardly emotional about it. All his wounds from the split were visible but they just weren’t loud. For instance, Reigns never really FULLY let the Shield go. He still wore the same type of gear, used the entrance for years, and even using a modified version of the Shield’s theme as his own. Even now, there is a sample of the Shield’s theme in his new entrance music.

Professionally, Reigns became the ultimate do-gooder: always standing up for what’s right, always ready to fight, never taking shortcuts, and willing to walk through fire to attain his goals, whether it be going after championships or defending those that were close to him. He became “the Big Dog” and adopted the mottos of “I Can, I Will” and “One versus All”. He was all about fighting to do what is right and represent WWE “the right way”.

To the surprise of some, Reigns was not beloved by every WWE crowd. For a good guy, he was booed and rejected a lot, as it was felt the company was attempting to make him into “the next John Cena” and they were. The issue was that Roman Reigns was not John Cena and for a while was not allowed to even figure out who Roman Reigns truly was.

Reigns relationship with the Usos when he arrived as a Shield member was one of professional opposition. They often found themselves on the opposite ends of a conflict. I feel like that it because all three were relatively new to the company so were not in a position to do anything other than the roles they found themselves in. This would change after Reigns headlined WrestleMania for the second time in 2016. They helped Reigns in his defense of the WWE Championship against AJ Styles and his friends Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

As a result of working with the polarizing Reigns, the crowd began to turn on the Usos. So they distanced themselves from him and would not come to his aide in a significant way for years. The Shield would reunite several times again before his cousins came to help. Roman never forgot this time period apparently. The hate for Reigns at the top in this role that did not fit him came to a fever pitch when Reigns essentially retired the Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. “Anyone but Reigns” became an often used battlecry when any male WWE Superstar got the least bit of love from the crowd, even when it was clearly unsustainable.

Still, Reigns did have a strong fanbase that kept him on top, therefore, the Big Dog soldiered on for them and the company that showed faith in him because he was consistently there. However, on October 20, 2018, Reigns had to relinquish the seemingly cursed WWE Universal Championship and disclose he was suffering from a form of leukemia. The wrestling world rallied around him and he was able to recover well enough to return the following January.

Many felt the booing would subside after Reigns return but, at this point, it was just too fun to boo him. The crowd was appreciative of his talent and all but it was what it was. And the company had no idea what to do other than to continue doing what they felt was good for them.

AND THEN COVID HAPPENED.

Reigns was set to take on Bill Goldberg at WrestleMania 37 at the Performance Center. However, he pulled out that day due to concerned over his health. Later, in a video to his fanbase, he also explained that he had two sets of twins under two and would not be risking their health and other vulnerable people in his family. He would not be returning until he was sure conditions were safe for him.

Now, the next bit is just MY theory on what happened while Reigns was away. He began to contemplate his career overall in WWE. He recognized that he was in a rut with his character and presentation and desperately wanted to change. The more he took stock of his career, the angrier he became: at his opponents, his so-called allies, management, and even the fans. So he called Paul Heyman.

Not only is Heyman a longtime friend of the Anoai/Fatu family (both in real life and onscreen), he was one of the main people who tortured and opposed Reigns as the advocate for Brock Lesnar, who is still Reigns biggest opponent. The wound from WrestleMania 34, where Lesnar bloodied and defeated Reigns in front of his family, lives rent free in his head. Knowing that Heyman had no hope for a future now that Brock had seemingly moved on from his wrestling career during the pandemic, Reigns hired Heyman to pull the same tricks for him that he had been on the receiving end of.

Roman Reigns is a very smart wrestler and always has been. As the Big Dog, he often baited his opponents and even the McMahons into giving him what he wanted by attacking their insecurities and angering them so they sabotaged themselves. And he had a plan to get back at everyone he felt had ever done him wrong, even Heyman. 

In his absence, Braun Strowman was representing SmackDown as the Universal Champion, a man that built his career terrorizing Reigns. His main adversary as champion was Bray Wyatt, the man who coined the “Anyone but Roman” phrase. His immediate disposal and dismissal of them when he returned and took the Universal Championship was warranted in his mind as they were not worthy to “take his place”.

Almost every move Reigns has made since returning at Summerslam appears to be a direct response to some sort of trauma he received either because of how the Shield ended or what happened to him as the Big Dog. The Big Dog never cheated; there is not a shortcut the Tribal Chief won’t take. The Big Dog was a lockerroom leader; the Big Dog hangs out in his own lockerroom with Heyman fiercely gatekeeping entry, even to his own family.

The Big Dog would fight until he was not physically able to move. The Tribal Chief will take a powder and let the Usos, and now Solo, get the hell beat out of them. The Big Dog was always ready to prove he was the best and answer any challenge: the Tribal Chief as routinely ignored several WWE Superstars calling him out. The Big Dog was all about the Bloodline. The Tribal Chief is all about the Bloodline . . . serving him.

Roman Reigns always had the Tribal Chief in him. One only has to go back and watch his feud with Triple H or other interactions with the Usos while he was in the Shield to see this. But he wanted to do things with honor and respect. He even revealed at the Tribal Court against him that he feels like he is bending his morals to achieve that success he has over the last three years. One has to wonder if he also spoke with the Elders during Covid and this is what they suggested. One thing is for sure, even though his behavior and actions have changed dramatically, to go back and watch his history, it makes perfect sense.

I feel like the Big Dog is still in there. He wants to be that person. He wishes he could be. But the Tribal Chief got him beating legends for longest reigns of all time and leading his cousins to WrestleMania preshows to the main event. I do not blame him for not wanting to let go. In his mind, he has to be this way. It will not work otherwise and someone outside of the family will be at the top. He is doing this, in his mind, for the family. And he is willing to sacrifice everyone, even his own family, to achieve it.

That’s scary yall!

Thanks for reading. Next article will be (sadly) what looks to be the conclusion of the Bloodline timeline.