5 possible reasons why Roman Reigns withdrew his eligibility from the 2024 WWE Draft - Bloodline issues, revenge & more
Roman Reigns has withdrawn his name from the WWE Draft and will be remaining on SmackDown. The Wiseman of The Bloodline, Paul Heyman, made the announcement at the beginning of this week's episode of the blue brand.
The Tribal Chief lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL. Since then, he has not appeared on WWE television, and The Bloodline has completely changed.
Listed below are five possible reasons Roman Reigns may have withdrawn himself from the WWE Draft to remain on SmackDown.
#5. Roman Reigns has been a constant on WWE SmackDown
Paul Heyman was interviewed by Kayla Braxton at the beginning of tonight's episode of SmackDown and revealed Roman Reigns will not be returning anytime soon. He claimed that Reigns didn't want to take the number one draft selection if he wasn't going to be around for a while and added that is not how a real Tribal Chief leads.
WWE could have simply decided that there is no reason to remove Roman Reigns from SmackDown if he is going to be out for the foreseeable future. The Head of the Table has been a staple of the blue brand, and the company likely didn't see any reason to change that.
#4. He will be a major draw for USA Network
WWE SmackDown debuted on Fox in 2019, and the deal with the network will be expiring later this year. The promotion inked a massive 10-year deal to bring WWE RAW to Netflix starting in 2025, and SmackDown will move to the USA Network next year.
Wrestling fans who have tuned in to watch SmackDown over the past few years on Fox now know that they will continue to see Reigns on Friday nights. It could be the difference between someone deciding to find something else to watch on Friday nights or making the switch to USA Network.
#3. Roman Reigns could still want to go after Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes was finally able to finish his story in the main event of WrestleMania XL, where he defeated Roman Reigns to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. As a result of the victory, Rhodes is also now an official member of SmackDown.
When he returns, Reigns could form a plan to try and get his title back. He held the title for so long, it has to bother him seeing The American Nightmare carry it around. Reigns could pick the perfect time to strike and reignite his rivalry with Rhodes down the line.
#2. He may secretly be building the new version of The Bloodline on SmackDown
The Bloodline has made some major changes since Roman Reigns lost the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania XL. Solo Sikoa has seemingly named himself the new leader of the group and has kicked out Jimmy Uso. He has introduced Tama Tonga to the group, and the duo brutally attacked Kevin Owens last week on SmackDown.
Roman Reigns could secretly be building the new version of The Bloodline behind the scenes. Solo Sikoa may willingly step aside once The Head of the Table returns and revert back to being The Enforcer of The Bloodline rather than the group's leader.
#1. Roman Reigns could want to destroy the new version of The Bloodline
Solo Sikoa has seemingly been doing whatever he wants on SmackDown now that Reigns is not around. Paul Heyman has appeared to not be in favor of some of the decisions made by Tonga and Sikoa on the blue brand in recent weeks.
The Tribal Chief could be watching on from home and may be ashamed of his stablemate's actions. Reigns has portrayed a heel character for years, and the company could want him to return to SmackDown as a babyface.
Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins made it their mission to take down The Bloodline ahead of WrestleMania. While Rhodes successfully dethroned Reigns, the heel faction is still very powerful. Reigns may be the only person capable of taking it down, and he could return to SmackDown to destroy what he created.