WWE's hidden connection between Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa explored

The Bloodline, brought to prominence throughout Roman Reigns' historic 1,300+ day run as WWE Universal Champion, appears to be in a rapid state of flux going off of recent weeks. In the absence of the "Tribal Chief" following WrestleMania in April, the stoic and brooding Solo Sikoa run roughshod over SmackDown backed by a new - albeit unsanctioned - addition to the faction in Tama Tonga. At the same time Sikoa proclaimed, "losing has consequences," as he kicked his brother Jimmy Uso to the way-side.

Paul Heyman's face has told the story of this better than anyone else; the special counsel to the Bloodline, the "Wise Man" of the group clearly taking issue with this new direction. And at Backlash, seemingly looking to former outcast Jey Uso for solace after Tanga Loa had been added to this new splinter group. There are now more Tongans than Samoans in the Bloodline seen on TV, somewhat going against the vision of Roman Reigns to bring his brethren onto the so-called "Island of Relevancy."

With the on-screen developments there has been speculation over the destination of the path the Bloodline has embarked upon under Solo Sikoa. Is he truly serving himself? Is a certain "Final Boss" pulling the strings? But let's take a look at what is rather than what could be.

There is much historical context to explore with this new Bloodline outfit, as can be expected with the multi-faceted Anoa'i wrestling dynasty which gave birth to the group.

The familial connection between Solo Sikoa and the Guerillas of Destiny

Born out of Roman Reigns and his cousins, Jimmy and Jey Uso, The Bloodline was a stable born out of the idea that they were the pinnacle of their familial legacy. The self-proclaimed greastest individual of all time, flanked by the self-proclaimed greatest tag team of all time. It was about harnessing the star-studded, intrinsic historical value of the Anoa'i family, and ensuring that they were the center of the WWE Universe for years to come.

Reigns beat those values into his cousins, like a father gaslighting his child into thinking the beatings were for their own good, he drilled his way into the reluctant Usos. He maintained that he had to hold the title for the good of them, pushing them out of the competition pool if it meant they had the chance to usurp him, and otherwise directing them to dominate everywhere else but the world title picture.

Solo Sikoa fell into The Bloodline with that goal in mind, sent by the elders to help Reigns where his older brothers couldn't, at WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales, in 2022. But Reigns never sent for him. Sikoa had not gone through the initiations that were expected before. He was the "Tribal Enforcer" but whom did he serve?

In the years that have passed, the solitary Fatu brother rose through the pecking order to become Roman Reigns' new right-hand man - a role previously given to Jey - and there were even moments of fear of the unknown for Reigns towards him. The catalyst for The Bloodline Civil War was the somewhat unfounded favor that Reigns had granted Sikoa. The Usos were cast to the side after months of antagonistic servitiude for their baby brother. Someone less than three years into their journey in WWE let alone within The Bloodline.

But by this point especially, little had been shown about his true allegiance. Sure, he served the family. But that's a family that is famously large, one that has seen countless world champions beyond Roman Reigns. So serving the family doesn't necessarily mean serving the designated chief at the time. In fact, when the family decided that Roman no long befits that title, then surely it would fall upon their enforcer to, well, enforce that decision.

Sikoa seems to be running on this wavelength, taking the group by the scruff of the neck when it had fallen below the standard expected, adding his own muscle in the Guerrillas of Destiny and removing the remnants of their recent failures. He showed little remorse for Jimmy much in the way he had done towards Jey previously, proclaiming love for his brothers but understanding that the family comes first. The one thing that doesn't seem to add up is the fact that he has invited another family to the table. Or has he?

Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, the Guerillas of Destiny, have long been touted for a dream match with the Usos. Such was mentioned during Jey Uso's interview with Cameron Hawkins. G.O.D have been one of, if not the, most dominant tag teams outside of WWE over the past decade. They have similarly served as the enforcers within a mega-stable, Bullet Club, underneath anointed leaders such as AJ Styles and Kenny Omega. When they decided the time had come, both Styles and Omega were ejected by their understudies, the latter of which saw Tama Tonga launch his own splinter group until finding a worthy leader in Jay White. So they are by now used to the idea that the group must come first, regardless of past allegiances.

But there is also a deeper familial connection tying the Tongans to the Samoan Anoa'i dynasty stretching back to the 80s. Sikoa's uncle, Samuel Fatu (Tama/The Samoan Savage/The Tonga Kid) and G.O.D's father, Haku, made their mark in the WWF teaming together as The Islanders. Seemingly tipped for big things they were managed as a heel outfit by Bobby Heenan after interest had waned in them as a babyface act.

However, The Islanders would never reach the success of their predecessors, the Wild Samoans, suffering continuous losses before breaking up with Samuel Fatu's departure in April 1988. Two had become three just before that, adding Siva Afi (real name Max Taogaga), who although not a member of the Anoa'i family directly was trained by the "High Chief" Peter Maivia - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's grandfather - and was billed later as "Superfly" Siva Afi, the cousin of Jimmy Snuka, who was himself bonded to the family through marriage.

What's important to note with The Bloodline, ironically, is the fact that biological relations mean virtually nothing. What's well known is that The Rock's lineage is bonded to the Anoa'i family through the blood oath taken by Peter Maivia and Reverend Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi - father of the Wild Samoans, grandfather of the Usos and Roman Reigns. Lesser known is the fact that Peter Maivia is actually the adoptive grandfather of Dwayne Johnson. Lia Maivia had Ata - Johnson's mother - prior to her relationship with the "High Chief".

Much in the same way Haku had adopted Tama Tonga and Hikuleo, his nephews through marriage to their maternal aunt, Peter Maivia adopted Ata as his own daughter. In a world where your word is your bond and family is what you make of it, Haku is also closely knit to the Anoa'i dynasty in that regard, referred to by Dwayne Johnson as "Uncle Tonga". In December 2015, after buying Haku a truck, Johnson went into detail as to why that was the case.

"Known my 'Uncle Tonga' [Haku] since I was 5 [years] old. My grandfather, Peter Maivia, helped train him to become a professional wrestler in the '70s... Years later, I get a call from WWE saying, 'Vince McMahon wants to see you wrestle immediately. He's flying you to Raw tomorrow and you'll have a tryout match.'"

"WWE thought I had already had multiple matches under my belt, but little did they know. What they also didn't know was I didn't actually own wrestling gear - no boots, knee pads or most importantly, wrestling trunks. I went to Sports Authority and bought some bright ass white volleyball knee pads, called my Uncle and asked if he had ANY trunks I could use for my tryout. He said all I have is a pair of shiny purple trunks... I told him I don't care if the trunks are all the colors of Skittles, I'll happily wear them. When I picked the trunks up from him I'll never forget the monster hug he gave me, look me in the eyes and said, 'I'm so proud of you. Go get 'em nephew!'"

"My Uncle Tonga is a family man, a humble man and champion. Most importantly one of the greatest human beings I know."

Solo Sikoa bringing Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa may appear to be a random way to cluster Pacific Island descendents together for the sake of introducing them to the audience. But there is a true history that bonds Haku and his family to The Bloodline. If Reigns and The Rock are billed as cousins, able to proclaim their allegiance to one another through a spiritual bond set forward by their grandfathers, then it's not too far of a stretch to see Solo Sikoa and the Guerillas of Destiny as cousins in their own right. Especially when Sefa Fatu - Sikoa - had made his way to WWE, as his name suggests, solo. While The Bloodline was picking up steam as a trio of Reigns and the Usos, Sikoa was still trying to prove himself in NXT.

It was only once he was sent by the elders did he become a part of The Bloodline, he wasn't plucked out of the "Ocean of Obscurity" by Reigns, and one could argue that he has given to the group more than he has got out of it at present. Reigns brought the Usos onto the "Island of Relevancy", boasting them to be the best tandem simply on the basis that they were his brethren and it was their birthright. He didn't afford that to Sikoa, it was given to him by a higher degree of power.

Solo Sikoa is now bringing more family to eat at the table, and while it may not be the family Reigns pictured or recognizes, there is a claim for G.O.D to be there through their father. Besides, Reigns was ordained the chief of the family in parallel with his historic reign. It may not have been just his reign as world champion that came to an end at WrestleMania.

The Tribal connection between Tonga and Samoa

Samoa and Tonga are part of the larger Polynesian Triangle and share a deep tribal history with one another - much in the same way Norway and Sweden are unified in Scandinavian culture. The connection between Tonga and Samoa traces back centuries with archaeological evidence suggesting human settlement in these islands dating back over 3,000 years. Both nations share a connection in Polynesian culture, albeit with the differences that can be expected of the two autonomous regions.

Oral traditions and mythology have played a crucial role in bonding Samoan and Tongan Polynesian tribes. Through generations, stories passed down have intertwined the genealogies of chiefs and deities from both islands. And they have continued to preserve this bond through initiatives, cultural exchanges, and educational collaborations.

There isn't much of an explicit rivalry between the islands, bonded and reinforced by their differences to rest of the globe. This is especially the case in professional wrestling, with their shared heritage providing familiarity with one another in an industry born out of close-knit ties and connections.

Lance Anoa'i cited this bond as it pertains to Tama Tonga specifically in a previous interview with Steve Fall.

"I believe it's just more like the island culture. You know, we're all from the South Pacific. So the islanders just stick together, man, like it's just one breed. I seen Tama Tonga growing up. I hung out with them while I was out in Japan... So there's always love there."

The general perception of The Bloodline is that of a Samoan dynasty. But recent developments appear to indicate that the group is widening that scope for the prevalence of Polynesian culture if anything. There is a lot more to bond its members than basic biology, it's a relationship nurtured for over 3,000 years with the collective goal of preserving the values and traditions of the Polynesian people.

Within wrestling and therefore WWE, it's very much the same. Samoa and Tonga together boast some of the world's most prevalent wrestlers in the history of the industry, and the fact of the matter is that there is much more to bring them together than drive them apart. The Bloodline has officially accepted Tonga into its kingdom, only time will tell where the story goes from here.