After watching Nia Jax get coronated as the new Queen of the Ring in the opening segment of SmackDown, Paul Heyman decided to catch up with a few more members of the greater Anoa’i-Fatu wrestling family, Solo Sikoa and his Gorillas of Destiny, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, in order to discuss the increasingly alarming behaviors of The Bloodline without Roman Reigns as the “Head of the Table.”
Asking the second-generation WWE Superstar if they are all still on the same, page, Heyman begged Sikoa to keep everything in order, as the goal is to keep things right for when Reigns returns.
“You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this, a lot of introspection about how I can better serve you while you’re in charge, and with Roman as your ‘Tribal Chief,’ there was a lot of violence in The Bloodline, but that was to preserve the family, to preserve everything The Bloodline was working for,” Paul Heyman told Solo Sikoa. “And before Roman ever said yes to an act of violence, there was a lot of counsel from the ‘Wise Man.’ I see you are recruiting some very violent men into The Bloodline, and all I see are random acts of violence. But I don’t see any strategy at all. Because Solo, the strategy has to be when Roman comes back, we have Cody Rhodes in check.”
Sikoa smiled and responded.
“‘Wiseman,’” Solo Sikoa began, “we got Cody Rhodes in check, and he doesn’t even know it.
“Let me ask you a question, with all due respect, who’s we?” Heyman asked.
After noticing Kevin Owens walking to the ring for a promo, Sikoa demanded that Heyman take care of his issue.
“I’ve got a strategy for you,” Sikoa demanded, “you’d better go out there and fix this. Now!
Oh no, how was Heyman going to fix the faction’s KO problem? Well, WWE fans didn’t have to wait long to find out, as he marched right down to the ring and turned Owen’s monologue into a conversation… or maybe something more like a cry for help.
“With all due respect, who’s ’WE’?” — Paul Heyman #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/YEl8F5KRc4
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) June 1, 2024
Paul Heyman is truly afraid of The Bloodline under Solo Sikoa.
After watching Kevin Owens attempt to talk a big game in the opening moments of his promo, talking smack on Gunther for how he defeated Randy Orton in the King of the Ring finale before calling out Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline, Paul Heyman cut into the proceedings, announcing his presence to the fans before breaking things down for KO and the rest of the audience.
As the crowd cheered “We want Roman” while Heyman ran through his accolades, the “Wise Man” agreed with him, noting that no one wants his “Tribal Chief” back in the WWE Universe more than him.
“I don’t think there’s a person in this arena tonight who wants Roman here more than I do. And here’s why: you can keep calling out Solo’s name, and you know Roman Reigns had and has great respect for you, and anything you went through with Roman Reigns was because of how much he respected you and admired you, and dare I say acknowledged you as a true threat to his championship,” Paul Heyman explained.
“Solo has no respect for you, and he is recruiting these criminals into The Bloodline. We, Roman Reigns and I, turned down every new member of The Bloodline because we did background checks on them, we didn’t want these people in The Bloodline, representing The Bloodline. These people that you are picking a fight with, Kevin, these are the people that you’re antagonizing. These people, they’re not, they’re not even people; they’re just bloodthirsty, sadistic thugs. They’re not looking for a reason to take you out, they’re looking for an excuse to take you out, and that’s bad for WWE. I like you in WWE, they love you in WWE, and if you keep calling out Solo’s name, they’re going to do something really bad about it. I am asking you, I am pleading with you, Kevin Owens, I am begging you: back off The Bloodline, please.”
After giving KO his turn on the stick, declaring that he doesn’t care which Bloodline member stands opposite him in the ring, Heyman forced his way back into the conversation, begging KO to take him seriously.
“Maybe I’m not trying to help you, maybe I’m just trying to save you; ever think about that, huh? Did you ever think maybe, just maybe I’ve met your kids, huh? You’ve met my kids, and I’ve met your kids, and maybe what, a man can’t redeem himself after all of these years?” Heyman asked. “How many times have you redeemed yourself? But me, oh no, let’s not think that Paul Heyman can ever redeem himself, not Paul Heyman, not Paul Heyman, he can never redeem himself! Why won’t you understand what you are up against with these thugs? Why won’t you understand what I am trying to do for you right now? I am a freakin’ Hall of Fame ‘Wise Man,’ but now let’s not listen to the Hall of Fame ‘Wise Man,’ no, let’s just think that I have some features, I have some vision for the future of Solo taking over the entire Bloodline. Why won’t anybody listen to me!”
Practically on cue, The Bloodline marched down to the ring to challenge KO, who had the Street Profits by his side for backup against their onslaught, leading to a brawl that eventually turned into a tag team battle between GOD, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford; a match the former NJPW stars won. While Heyman remains a member of The Bloodline for now, it’s worth wondering how long he can last under Sikoa’s rule and when his “Tribal Cheif” will finally answer his calls to return to WWE once more. Needless to say, The Pickup can’t finish filming fast enough.