The Rock is the Tribal Chief

The Tribal Chief was a title that Roman Reigns held with pride, tormenting the WWE roster from a position of power. He’s no longer the WWE Undisputed Champion, and he hasn’t been seen since losing to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. But that hasn’t stopped The Bloodline from running amok on SmackDown. Solo Sikoa claims his orders came directly from the Tribal Chief, but he never said it was Roman. Things have changed, and the new Tribal Chief is The Rock.

In recent weeks, Sikoa has made it clear that he’s talked to The Tribal Chief about his actions, and specifically the addition of the Guerrillas of Destiny to the faction. Paul Heyman’s acted surprised with that news, as he’s been Reigns’s right-hand man for much of the last four years. But the real surprise for him is going to be when The Rock dubs himself the Tribal Chief since Reigns failed to defeat Rhodes while the world watched.

During his last appearance, The Rock made it clear that his story with Rhodes just started. Rumors swirl around the idea that The Rock and Cody Rhodes could face off at WrestleMania 41, but again that is just a rumor. Would that be a big match? Sure, but the door for the match between The Rock and Roman Reigns is wide open and WWE needs to strike on that now before another big contest slips through the promotion’s hands.

There’s no set date for Reigns’s return to SmackDown. His return is going to be a huge moment, driving millions of eyeballs to the show to see what’s next for this story. If pro wrestling and sports entertainment have taught us anything, the predictable swerve is usually the best bet to take. Reigns may think he’s still in charge, but Sikoa isn’t going to listen to a word he has to say. There’s always been a hint of dissension between Sikoa and Reigns, ever since he was initially back at Clash at the Castle. Now that Roman isn’t in charge, Sikoa will jump at the opportunity to strike first, especially when that order comes at the behest of The Rock.

The Rock has talked about sticking around much longer during this run with the WWE. Some may be skeptical of how much time he’ll be around but turning him into an even bigger heel against a babyface Roman Reigns is the way to go. Slowly building to that moment when The Rock reveals himself as the new Tribal Chief is one of those moments that wrestling fans have come to love.

Could this lead to a big match at WarGames in November? What about a singles match at SummerSlam? There are so many ways this angle can go and that’s what makes the product so fun today. Their eventual face-offs are going to be huge moments when they finally do come. The Rock’s return was a major catalyst to the continued upswing that professional wrestling is experiencing, and there’s a strong chance this angle will continue that momentum forward.

Roman Reigns is no longer the Tribal Chief. He lost that moniker the moment he fell to Cody Rhodes. While it’s a “mystery” right now, the revelation that The Rock is the new Tribal Chief is the biggest story in wrestling this summer.