Roman Reigns' trusted Bloodline member should have immediately gone after Cody Rhodes, says WWE veteran (Exclusive)
Former WWE writer Vince Russo had heavy praise for a recent SmackDown angle involving Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga that featured a car crash.
Last Friday night, Solo Sikoa arrived with his MFT, Tama Tonga, after officially taking over as the new Tribal Chief. They were looking for Kevin Owens, who was later brutalized backstage before being thrown in front of Solo Sikoa.
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis also dragged Paul Heyman to the parking lot to show him how Tonga's car crashed into Kevin Owens'. Aldis warned The Wiseman against the repetition of such acts on the show.
Vince Russo praised the WWE writers for booking this angle on SmackDown to present Solo Sikoa as a top heel. He also liked the many adjustments made to Sikoa's on-screen persona, from promos to clothes. He even argued that Sikoa should have gone after Cody Rhodes immediately on SmackDown. Vince Russo was quoted as saying the following on the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW:
"They don't care what they churn out, they don't care. As long as they are churning out content and fulfilling all their contractual obligations, they don't care. But I am going to go back to SmackDown, where I really liked what they did with Solo Sikoa. I liked him taking over, I like him wearing the suits, I like them setting up that car crash. Now bro, if it were me, though, it would have made a little more sense to me if Solo Sikoa immediately went after Cody Rhodes. That would have made a lot of sense in the world to me."
You can watch the full video below:
Vince Russo explains why WWE must book Cody Rhodes vs Solo Sikoa
The former WWE writer noted that despite knowing Cody Rhodes would win the championship at WrestleMania for months, the creative team did not build up a hot heel. Vince Russo argued that The American Nightmare could have been Solo Sikoa's first target if the angle was explored while leading up to WrestleMania. However, he was still pleased with Sikoa's new role as The Tribal Chief and explained,
"But they knew for months that Cody was going to finish his story and be the champion, and they didn't even have a strong heel ready for him. They had to make these two makeshift triple threats; that was horrible. They really could have made Sikoa if he immediately went after Cody Rhodes, but I do like what they are doing with him. The overhaul, the dress, his being in charge—I think they did a really good job. So, I really started out with a positive note from SmackDown going into tonight."
Solo Sikoa orchestrated Jimmy Uso's exit from The Bloodline after he was punished for losing against Jey Uso at WrestleMania. He has found a new confidant in Tama Tonga, leaving Paul Heyman in fear. The Wiseman's attempts to contact Roman Reigns were sabotaged, and fans are excited to see what's next for the new Tribal Chief following WWE Draft 2024.