The Bloodline (professional Wrestling)
The stable officially formed in July 2021 after a feud between Roman Reigns—managed by Paul Heyman—and his cousins The Usos. The three then formed The Bloodline with Heyman as their manager. From April 2022 until April 2024, Reigns was promoted as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, as he simultaneously held both the WWE and Universal championships in his fourth and second respective reigns, having the longest reign for the latter before losing the Undisputed title at WrestleMania XL. He took on the nicknames "Tribal Chief" and "Head of the Table" in reference to his role as the leader of the family. From May 2022 until April 2023, The Usos were promoted as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions until they lost their titles at WrestleMania 39, as they simultaneously held both the Raw and SmackDown tag titles in their third and fifth respective reigns, having the longest reign and the longest male tag team title reign in WWE history for the latter. During this time, the stable included Sami Zayn as an honorary member, and also The Usos' younger brother Solo Sikoa.
After a falling out with Reigns, Zayn left in January 2023, followed by Jey in June. In February 2024 during the build up to WrestleMania XL, The Rock joined the group, but following the event in April, both Reigns and Rock took an indefinite hiatus, with Sikoa assuming the role of "Tribal Chief". Following this, Jimmy and Heyman were removed from the group by Sikoa, while Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu were added. Reigns then made his return in August, turning face for the first time since 2020. On the November 8, 2024 episode of SmackDown, the original members of the Bloodline officially reunited when Sami Zayn made his return to assist the group in preparation for their upcoming Survivor Series: WarGames match against The Bloodline.
Background
The Bloodline members have long histories in professional wrestling before the advent of the stable. The original members, Joe Anoa'i, better known as Roman Reigns, was born in Pensacola, Florida as the son of Sika Anoa'i of The Wild Samoans and twin brothers Jonathan Fatu and Joshua Fatu, also known as Jimmy and Jey Uso respectively as part of The Usos and sons of Solofa Fatu (better known as Rikishi), were born in San Francisco; as the trio attended Escambia High School in Pensacola where they played gridiron football together and graduated in 2003.
Paul Heyman's managership and relationship with the Anoaʻi family dates back to 1988 when he, under his Paul E. Dangerously name, managed The Samoan SWAT Team, which composed of Rikishi (then known as Fatu), Rosey (then known as Big Matty Smalls), Samu, and Sam Fatu (also known as The Samoan Savage). Many years later, Heyman also introduced Reigns, alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, as The Shield, who were hired as mercenaries for then-WWE Champion CM Punk in 2012. Reigns made his professional wrestling debut in 2010 at WWE's former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), under the ring name Leakee. After FCW was shut down and rebranded as NXT in 2012, he took on the name "Roman Reigns" and had a short stint on NXT before being called up to the main roster in late 2012 where he became part of The Shield; he would later win multiple world championships after the stable's dissolution in 2014.
Meanwhile, The Usos and Solo Sikoa are the sons of Rikishi. The Usos made their pro-wrestling debut in 2009 in FCW where they were one-time FCW Tag Team Champions before moving to WWE's main roster in 2010 where they were managed by Tamina Snuka, who was the original manager of The Usos, and would go on to win multiple tag team championships. Tamina is the daughter of Jimmy Snuka, who is the uncle-in-law to Peter Maivia via marriage. The Usos' relationship with Sami Zayn began when they had their first match together facing against The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) and Corey Graves on the April 24, 2014, episode of NXT in a six-man tag team match with the trio emerging victorious. Sikoa made his pro-wrestling debut in 2018 before signing with WWE in 2021 where he made his NXT debut that October until his main roster call up in September 2022.
The Rock, like Reigns, had a successful professional football career; he later debuted in 1996 and became a member of the Nation of Domination the next year before becoming a multiple time world champion during the Attitude Era. His first interaction with Reigns on WWE television took place on the January 21, 2013, episode of Raw. Before that, a possible future match between the two men was referenced in the second season, fifth episode of Young Rock.
The Tongans (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) are the sons of Haku, who are unofficially apart of the Anoaʻi family, as the Rock considers Haku his uncle. Previous to their WWE debuts, they teamed together in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and were multiple time IWGP Tag Team Champions, with Tonga founding the Bullet Club stable. Loa also had a brief stint in WWE previously as Camacho, usually tagging with Sin Cara, who was wrestling under the name Hunico. Jacob Fatu, who had performed on the independent circuit from 2012 to 2019 and then in Major League Wrestling (MLW) from 2019 to 2024 where he was the longest-reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion, is the son of Sam Fatu and the nephew of Rikishi, making him a cousin to The Usos and Sikoa. Both Haku and Sam Fatu (also competed as Tama) previously wrestled together as The Islanders in the late 1980s. Sikoa and Fatu would team with his cousin Journey Fatu in the independent circuit in 2018.
However, The Usos and Tonga Loa, then performing under the name of Donny Marlow, were part of the stable named The Polynesian Power Pack in FCW that competed in early 2010 with G-Rilla and Snuka.
History
This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (February 2023) |
The Usos' feud with The Shield (2013–2014)
Before The Usos began teaming up with Reigns, they had several matches against The Shield, Reigns' old stable, with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, with the majority taking place in 2013. On the May 6 episode of Raw, The Usos and Kofi Kingston teamed up against The Shield, who won the match after Ambrose pinned Kingston. On the May 17 episode of SmackDown, Reigns and Rollins defeated The Usos after Reigns pinned Jey. After the match, The Shield continued to beat down Jey until Kingston ran to make the save by hitting them with a steel chair. The Usos gained their first win on the June 28 episode of SmackDown after their teammate, Christian, pinned Ambrose in another six-man tag team match. On the July 1 episode of Raw, however, they lost a rematch, this time with Ambrose pinning Christian. On the July 12 episode of SmackDown, Rollins defeated Jey in a singles match. At Money in the Bank on July 14, Reigns and Rollins defeated The Usos to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship after Reigns pinned Jimmy. On the July 19 episode of SmackDown, the two stables brawled until Mark Henry came to The Usos' aid. In return, The Usos helped Henry fend off The Shield on the July 22 episode of Raw. The following week, they lost after Ambrose pinned Jimmy. Despite this, Henry attacked The Shield after the match, forcing them to retreat. The same match result occurred on the August 7 episode of WWE Main Event. Throughout the remainder of the year, the two stables would exchange wins, with The Usos teaming with the likes of Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Big E Langston, Cody Rhodes and Goldust, Rey Mysterio and CM Punk. The last match that the two stables would have against each other was on the January 3, 2014, episode of SmackDown, where The Usos and Punk won after the latter pinned Ambrose.
Occasional team-ups (2015–2020)
Following his split from The Shield and his subsequent singles career, Reigns would occasionally join forces with The Usos in numerous tag-team matches, with The Usos also occasionally becoming involved in Reigns' feuds in support of their cousin. The trio first teamed together on the November 2, 2015 episode of Raw, where they teamed with Ryback and Dean Ambrose in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match against Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods), in which Reigns' team was victorious. Reigns and the Usos continued to team that year until Tribute to the Troops, where the trio teamed with Ambrose, Ryback, Kane, and The Dudley Boyz to defeat The League of Nations and The Wyatt Family.
On the May 2, 2016 episode of Raw, The Usos became involved in Reigns' feud with AJ Styles, as the duo had been feuding with Styles' allies, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson at the time, with The Usos and Reigns facing Styles, Gallows and Anderson in a six-man tag team match. After Styles, Anderson and Gallows won the match, Anderson and Gallows wanted Styles to hit Reigns with a chair but Styles refused. When The Usos attacked Styles from behind with a chair, Styles retaliated with the chair. Ultimately, Reigns powerbombed Styles through the broadcast table. At Extreme Rules, The Usos were defeated by Gallows and Anderson in a Tornado tag team match. Later that same night, after Gallows and Anderson interfered in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between Reigns and Styles, The Usos interfered to assist Reigns, ultimately allowing Reigns to retain the title.
On the May 14, 2019 episode of SmackDown Live, The Usos aided Reigns from an attack by Elias, Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, and Rowan, and then lost to them in a handicap match. On the June 3 episode of Raw, The Usos saved Reigns from an attack by Drew McIntyre and The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson), but lost to them in a six-man tag team match. On the January 3, 2020 episode of SmackDown, The Usos returned with a new short hair look, aiding Reigns from an attack by King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler. On the January 31 episode of SmackDown, Reigns and The Usos defeated King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode in a six-man tag team match to end their feud. Jimmy suffered a legitimate knee injury during the match at WrestleMania 36, putting him out of in-ring action indefinitely.