In the world of professional wrestling, there have been several dominant family dynasties that have left an undeniable impact on the industry. One such family is the Anoa’i, Fatu, and Maivia families. Collectively known as The Samoan Dynasty, they have tasted success through the likes of the Wild Samoans and Samoan SWAT Team tag teams in the 80s to Yokozuna, Rikishi, and The Rock in the 90s.
However, their latest standout creation has been The Bloodline. The storyline involving Roman Reigns and The Usos as part of The Bloodline has become one of the most captivating storylines in professional wrestling history. Thanks to their legacies and stories backed by generational talents such as Reigns and The Usos, they’ve amassed a dedicated following over time.
A Brief Look at The Anoa’i Family
Starting from Afa and Sika’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 as part of the headlining class to Roman Reign’s ongoing Universal Championship reign, Samoa Joe’s days with WWE until his recent release alongside cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso who currently holds WWE Smackdown tag team titles along with Paul Heyman’s guidance through his association were only able to sustain by portraying themselves as a never-ending wave of brute strength backed up by their bonds.
The Wild Samoans were a historic tag team that were feared in their day. They were known for playing up their wild nature by not speaking English but communicating via grunts and nonverbal sounds which helped add a mystique to their characters. They also portrayed themselves as consumed with hunger, even eating raw fish aboard WWE cruises.
The Relation between The Rock and Roman Reigns
One of the most talked-about topics when it comes to The Bloodline is the relation between WWE megastar The Rock and Roman Reigns. Both are not really brothers, but they are part of the same family of Anoa’i as second cousins. Despite not sharing the same bloodline, The Rock and Reigns share a familial bond because their grandfathers were blood brothers.
The Rock’s father, Rocky Johnson, married Peter Maivia’s adopted daughter, and the third-generation family of the Anoa’i clan are still considered cousins of The Rock.
The Bloodline Storyline
The rise of Roman Reigns to Universal Champion in 2020 has been spectacular to watch. Still, after his taking a hiatus due to health concerns related to leukemia which he would later thankfully overcome, it was a 2021 storyline involving him teaming with his real-life cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso that changed things. After an early iteration brought in another cousin Solo Sikoa, a storyline that saw a heel turn by Reigns that aligned him with Heyman proved to be the transforming element for his legacy.
The Bloodline storyline has been layered and detailed, with several memorable moments along the way. One such instance was Reigns declaring that the next mission for the group was to unify the tag titles. Later, The Usos unified the tag titles with an assist from Reigns.
Sami Zayn proposed to become an honorary member of The Bloodline and offered assistance to the group during title defenses night after night. Reigns eventually defeated Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam while Solo Sikoa made his debut and helped Reigns retain his title. Loyalty was often questioned during this period in areas such as Zayn’s dedication right through until Survivor Series WarGames where Zayn ultimately proved his loyalty and won over Jey Uso in the process.
The Future of The Bloodline
The future of The Bloodline remains uncertain. While it’s possible that fans might see Reigns go toe-to-toe with The Rock in a storyline where their family history is on full display, Roman Reigns is set to defend his WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 38 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
Additionally, The Usos will look to defend their WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens on Night 1 of WrestleMania 38. Despite what the future holds, The Bloodline storyline has already cemented its place as one of the most memorable pieces of professional wrestling history.
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