Solo Sikoa is no longer the Tribal Chief. But how did he become the Tribal Chief in the first place? Who was a better Tribal Chief: Solo Sikoa or Roman Reigns?
Sikoa’s rise to power began when Roman Reigns lost the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion title to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL. According to WWE’s Wade Barrett, this loss made Sikoa see “a weakness in Roman Reigns.”
On July 5, 2024, Solo Sikoa shook the wrestling world to its core. In the final moments of Smackdown, Solo Sikoa placed the Ula Fala around his own neck! With the whole wrestling world watching, Sikoa publicly berated Roman Reigns and declared himself the new Tribal Chief.
“This is not what I wanted, but this is what my family needed,” Sikoa said, “Roman Reigns was not man enough to defend our Title at WrestleMania. He was not man enough to defend our legacy against Cody Rhodes and his legacy. Therefore he shall no longer call himself the Tribal Chief because I’m the Tribal Chief now.”
During his reign as Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa made significant changes to The Bloodline. He added three new members: Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu. He also kicked Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline. Tama Tonga “joined forces with Solo as the duo laid out Jimmy with a vicious beatdown.” Fans have taken to calling Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline “The New Bloodline” or “The Bloodline 2.0.”
After losing his title at WrestleMania XL, Roman Reigns took a hiatus from WWE.
On July 26, 2024- right before SummerSlam- The New Bloodline issued an exhilarating promo. Sikoa declared that “In one weekend, the Bloodline will handle family business.'” He called out the former Tribal Chief by name, taunting “‘Roman Reigns, you have a problem with me, you know where to find me.” He ended the promo by demanding that Roman Reigns “acknowledge me!'”
The most-anticipated match of SummerSlam 2024 was Solo Sikoa vs. Cody Rhodes, competing for the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion title.
At first, Solo Sikoa dominated the match. Cody Rhodes found his stride and landed a CrossRhodes on Sikoa. Tonga and Tonga Loa entered the ring to defend Sikoa. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton came to Rhodes’ defense. Finally, Jacob Fatu arrived and “took out Rhodes and the announcer’s table.”
Just when it looked like it was over for Rhodes, Roman Reigns arrived. He took out Sikoa with a Superman Punch and a spear, allowing Rhodes to pin him, win the match, and retain his title.
Roman Reigns’ return ignited a bloody feud between himself and Solo Sikoa’s New Bloodline. Roman Reigns paid his dues to the Usos and reunited with Jey and Jimmy.
Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa finally went head to head on January 6, 2025.
Reigns sent Sikoa through a table and pinned him. Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu saved their Tribal Chief by pulling the referee out of the ring and “delivering a vicious beatdown to Reigns.”
Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso rushed to Reigns’ defense. Kevin Owens saved Sikoa from a Superman Punch and hit Reigns with a Stunner. Cody Rhodes entered the fray to defend Reigns.
By the end of the match, all of the reinforcements were gone and the former and current Tribal Chiefs stood alone in the ring. Reigns “delivered back-to-back spears, securing the win via pinfall.”
This was when The Rock made his grand entrance. He placed the Ula Fala around Reigns’ neck, acknowledging him as the true Tribal Chief.
Roman Reigns did his fair share of unsavory things during his reign as Tribal Chief.
In the early days of The Bloodline, Roman Reigns challenged Jey Uso to Hell in a Cell when Jey refused to acknowledge him. During Hell in a Cell, Reigns “beat Jey within an inch of his life.”
Even after Jey acknowledged him, Reigns “continu[ed] to psychologically gaslight Jay over the next month.” Reigns’ cruel treatment of Jey was designed to “to [break] down his cousin.”
But did Solo Sikoa treat his Bloodline members any better?
After Tama Tonga’s WWE debut in April 2024, Solo Sikoa gave him the nickname “My MFT.” Fans have yet to pinpoint the meaning of “MFT”. Many fans think it stands for “my family tree”, a reference to “the blood connection of the Samoans and Tama Tonga.” The Rock has also mentioned the Samoan Family Tree. It could also mean “My Mother F’n Tongan.” Regardless of its meaning, “My MFT” is an affectionate nickname that Sikoa uses to show that he values Tama Tonga.
Jacob Fatu, “one-man wrecking crew”, has posted several heartfelt messages to X, expressing his love and gratitude towards Solo Sikoa.
During The Bloodline’s Acknowledgement Ceremony, Jacob Fatu recognized Solo Sikoa as his Tribal Chief with the phrase “Solo, I love you!”
Sikoa repaid Fatu for his loyalty by granting him the sacred responsibility of dressing Sikoa in the Ula Fala. It is clear from Fatu’s behavior that Sikoa inspires genuine respect and affection in his Bloodline members.
In October 2024, Roman Reigns and former Bloodline member Jimmy Uso joined forces against Solo Sikoa. Jimmy told Reigns that they will need more help to defeat him. This caused fans to wonder if “Solo Sikoa’s time at the top [would be] coming to an end soon.”
After Smackdown, Solo Sikoa took to social media to share an “intense new image” of The Bloodline.
Solo Sikoa posted this picture to boost morale among the Bloodline.
Despite these improvements, Solo Sikoa wasn’t a perfect Tribal Chief.
In the middle of the WWE Tag Team Championships, Sikoa told Jacob Fatu to hand half of the titles to Tonga Loa.
Sikoa explained “you can’t be a tag team champion if you’re going to be my own personal enforcer.”
Once the titles had been handed to Tonga Loa, Sikoa hugged Fatu. Fatu accepted the embrace while shouting “I love you Solo! I love you!”, but didn’t hug the Tribal Chief back.
And, of course, there’s Jimmy Uso, who Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga “laid out with a brutal beatdown.”
The Ula Fala is the sacred Samoan Necklace that gives a Tribal Chief their power. But Solo Sikoa didn’t take very good care of it during his time as Tribal Chief.
In late August, Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns went face-to-face in a Tribal Combat segment on Smackdown. Before the segment, Solo Sikoa bit the Ula Fala while posing for the crowd. When the camera panned closer, fans saw that “the red color on the necklace was fading.” Some fans observed that the Ula Fala “appear[ed] rotten.”
According to EssentiallySports, the Ula Fala is made from dried pandanus fruit that is painted red. Because the fruit is dried, it can’t rot. It is more plausible that the paint is peeling and The Bloodline hasn’t been repainting it.
Regardless of whether Solo Sikoa was a “good” Tribal Chief, his reign was definitely an exciting one. As Leader of the Bloodline, Solo Sikoa introduced charismatic new members to the WWE universe. His feuds with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes brought fans hours of entertainment.
Solo Sikoa will continue creating exciting moments for fans, regardless of whether he has the Ula Fala around his neck.
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