4 things Roman Reigns must realize now that he's back on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns made his triumphant return to WWE at SummerSlam. The appearance marked his first time at a WWE event since losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 41.
Without lifting a finger, Reigns became a fan favorite as Solo Sikoa took over The Bloodline. Assaulting Jimmy Uso and Paul Heyman made The Head of the Table a hero by default, even though he was a tyrannical performer in the company over the last four years.
The audience cheers loudly for Roman Reigns each week, but that isn't the only big change since April. The former world champ needs to realize that the next four things have changed on SmackDown.
#4. A lot has changed a lot since he was last active
Every professional sport goes through changes to structure, rules, and other factors with time. Wrestling is no different. The physical nature alone means injuries will happen. Stars will come and go and changes will be made on the fly to address problems.
When Roman Reigns was last active, The Bloodline was on top, and he ran relatively unchecked on SmackDown. His loss facilitated a longer hiatus than he usually takes.
During that time, Jimmy Uso was kicked out of the new Bloodline, three new members joined, and Paul Heyman stood his ground. Expecting things to be exactly the same when he came back is naive for a character that has endured a lot of changes over the course of his career.
#3. Roman Reigns no longer possesses the Ula Fala
Losing family members to a mutiny is hard for any person. Roman Reigns first won a title but then had the Ula Fala necklace bestowed upon him by his tribal elders. This signified his role atop the family and the power structure within The Bloodline.
He was the unquestioned leader and was responsible for every member. Reigns teased his intentions to reclaim the Undisputed WWE Title. However, his immediate ambitions focused on reclaiming his Tribal Chief spot and the Ula Fala.
Reigns even admitted he'd acknowledge Solo Sikoa if he couldn't recover the necklace. Seeds for dissent were planted the second Sikoa was named Tribal Heir. It meant a mutiny would happen at some point, especially since power hates a vacuum and ambition has toppled many civilizations in history.
He held the necklace twice but lost it. In his Samoan culture, the person who possesses the necklace is in charge. If The Original Tribal Chief wants that spot back, he'll have to hold onto the Ula Fala.
#2. Adapting to changing situations is a sign of progress
The old adage that "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" may be tired and cliche, but it applies in many situations. When his group did whatever it pleased on SmackDown, nothing needed to change within The Bloodline.
Cracks started to show when mistreatment arose and members started thinking for themselves. These internal changes led to the dissolution of the first Bloodline and the rise of the second group.
Since he's returned, Roman has tried to operate the same way he did before everything changed. It hasn't worked. Jimmy Uso had the foresight to see that things needed to change.
He implored his cousin to reconnect with Jey Uso and ask for help. Instead of one final voice, The Head of the Table must start listening to others from time to time and alter his approach to achieve goals in the new landscape of WWE's New Era.
#1. He's not the undisputed world champion anymore
The biggest change that affects the entire WWE roster is that Roman Reigns isn't the undisputed world champion. He finally lost the title to Cody Rhodes, two years after holding both titles hostage.
With that type of power comes a lot of responsibility, like carrying the company on his back. Reigns did that in spirit but not in his acts since he worked a reduced schedule following the title unification. He's still one of the top stars in the industry but can't get whatever he wants now that he isn't holding the gold.
Things get done easier and people are more amenable to help if someone with power promises them a reward. Without the top reward in the business, Reigns must now operate like the rest of the roster had to when he sat on his throne.