Roman Reigns’ rivalry with Cody Rhodes was one of the main storylines that dominated this year’s WrestleMania. The Tribal Chief had one the best title reigns in WWE since 1988 and held that title for a historic 1,316 days. No one was able to successfully beat Reigns for the title until Rhodes beat him under Bloodline rules at WrestleMania XL.
Reigns has been absent from the ring since his defeat at WrestleMania this year. Fans did not know whether he would appear in any of the major events of the year but believed that he would make a strong comeback sometime in the future. However, the Tribal Chief stunned everyone as he returned to Summerslam, surprisingly helping Rhodes retain his title.
Roman Reigns Makes His Grand Return At Summerslam, Wreaks Havoc on Solo Sikoa
Cody Rhodes faced his greatest battle this year as he went against The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and The Rock in an effort to finish his story and become the Undisputed WWE champion. Reigns let The Rock wreak havoc on Rhodes leading up to WrestleMania XL but the American Nightmare was undeterred in his goal to finish his story.
Rhodes did the impossible as he defeated The Tribal Chief on Night 2 of WrestleMania XL, ending his historic WWE title reign. He has not been since his defeat until now as he made his triumphant comeback at the recent Summerslam main event during Rhodes’ match against Solo Sikoa.
Sikoa has been acting as the new Tribal chief since Reigns’ brief hiatus and has been calling the shots in the Bloodline. However, Reigns did not seem pleased with Sikoa as he attacked him during his return to Summerslam. His comeback got a huge pop from the audience as the Tribal Chief reminded everyone that the ring was his playground. Here are some of the reactions on X,
ROMAN REIGNS STOOD IN THE RING SHOWING EVERYONE WHY THIS IS HIS COMPANY
WWE IS BACK. THE POWER IS BACK.
THE ORIGINAL TRIBAL CHIEF IS BACK ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️#SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/Xqm6HnivYM
— Nav (@Navtreaks) August 4, 2024
The ONLY tribal chief. Original would imply that there’s two of them and solo is a tribal chief but that can’t be.
— Joe (JaeBsoNasty) (@JaeBsoNasty) August 4, 2024
That look was as if to say Cody your time is up… your story is finished
— King of DC Sports (@dcsportsking) August 4, 2024
We Acknowledge the real Tribal Chief, Our Tribal Chief! Roman Reigns!! pic.twitter.com/aPkJrPd2M3
— Cain Upsilon ♦️ VTuber🔞 (@CainUpsilon) August 4, 2024
Goat is back
— Bridget Nahwera (@BridgetNBrina) August 4, 2024
The match saw a host of other WWE superstars from the Bloodline along with Rhodes’ supporters including the Tongas, Jacob Fatu, Kevin Owens, and Randy Orton. After delivering a spear to Sikoa, Reigns stared at Rhodes without saying a word, maybe implying that he would challenge his title again. It remains to be seen what his return means for Rhodes’ current title reign.
Cody Rhodes Comments On Roman Reigns’ Surprise Return And Their Unique Relationship
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns had an intense rivalry and showdown at WrestleMania XL, where Rhodes defeated the Tribal Chief. Since then, the two have not faced each other as Reigns went on a brief hiatus. The Tribal Chief made a surprise comeback at Summerslam and helped Rhodes retain his title against Solo Sikoa.
In a post-show interview (via YouTube), Rhodes shared his views on Reigns’ return to the media. He gave a shoutout to the Tribal Chief as the reason for where he is today and thanked him for helping him secure his recent victory. The American Nightmare pointed out how they have a unique relationship and is happy about Reigns’ return. Rhodes said,
I don’t want to fill the room with positive platitude and hot air about the real ‘Tribal Chief,’ Roman Reigns returning. But without a doubt, that probably would have gone a different way. I probably wouldn’t be sitting here with the North Star of the industry had it not been for Roman Reigns. I’ve got quite a list of people who I owe one. I might owe him more than one. No love lost. That’s as much a shoot as it gets.
Reigns’ return will surely establish a new order in the Bloodline and he will try to reclaim his lost glory by possibly challenging Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE title. Fans are incredibly happy with his triumphant return to the ring and the Tribal Chief’s intentions will be known soon enough.
