A lot has changed in Roman Reigns’ absence.

Roman Reigns is currently off WWE television, following his loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. In his absence, The Bloodline story is still going on. Meanwhile, The Rock appeared on RAW to set up a potential singles feud with The American Nightmare in the future.

However, The (now former?) Tribal Chief hasn’t been seen. This has led to speculation that The Final Boss is set to turn on Reigns, with Rikishi seemingly suggesting that he doesn’t trust what he saw from the Hollywood megastar on RAW.

Speaking on his podcast, Rikishi Fatu Off The Top, the WWE Hall of Famer has gone on to predict that The Rock will betray Roman Reigns. This would lead to the latter returning as a babyface, with various members of The Bloodline picking sides ahead of a potential WarGames match.

Rikishi also predicted that the saga would culminate at WrestleMania 41, likely to be held in Minnesota.

“I kinda see a WarGames. I kinda see somewhere down there The Rock turning on Roman Reigns. Rock becomes the heel, Roman comes back as the babyface. I kinda see the Bloodline family members spread up and take sides. And then I kinda see something huge as far as WarGames or some type of gimmick matches amongst each other. They would probably want to build that up for the next WrestleMania. I believe they have it in Minnesota,” said Rikishi. [45:40-46:19]

Rikishi also claimed that the culmination between The Rock and Roman Reigns should happen at a WrestleMania on the West Coast, because it would allow a lot more Samoan, Tongan, and Hawaiian people to witness the match.

The wheels are already in motion for Roman Reigns’ babyface turn

It seems like the teams have begun forming on SmackDown. Solo Sikoa went rogue and seemingly made himself The Tribal Chief without Paul Heyman’s knowledge, before kicking Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline and replacing him with Tama Tonga.

This may have been under the direct orders of The Rock, who could influence WWE programming despite being on hiatus. As a result, Roman Reigns may very well return as a babyface after potentially being replaced as The Tribal Chief. He might have Jimmy and Jey Uso back on his side, which falls in line with Rikishi’s prediction.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Rikishi Fatu Off The Top and add an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

Roman Reigns withdrew himself from 2024 WWE Draft

This year’s edition of the WWE Draft is finally over, but the roster will officially be locked after Backlash France, which is scheduled for this weekend. The recently concluded Draft saw Bianca Belair as the overall number one pick on Night One and Imperium as the overall number one pick on Night Two.

Interestingly, WWE is currently missing several big names, including multiple decorated champion, who were neither picked by RAW nor SmackDown. Roman Reigns was the number one Draft pick for 939 days until he withdrew himself from the pool this year.

Others are currently injured, but it is worth noting that Seth Rollins was drafted despite undergoing surgery. Here, we look at five huge names who RAW or SmackDown didn’t pick during the 2024 WWE Draft. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

#1 Roman Reigns (withdrew himself from the 2024 WWE Draft)

Roman Reigns last appeared on television at WrestleMania XL, where he lost his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Cody Rhodes in the main event. Although his Wiseman Paul Heyman has continued to appear on SmackDown alongside the Solo Sikoa-led Bloodline, Reigns is nowhere to be seen.

Interestingly, Roman Reigns was initially listed among eligible superstars on Night One. However, he withdrew himself from this year’s WWE Draft. As of this writing, there is no confirmation on when Reigns will return, but when the day comes, both RAW and SmackDown would want to host the former Universal Champion.

#2 Rhea Ripley (injured on WWE RAW)

Rhea Ripley successfully defended her Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania XL. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury on the first episode of RAW after The Showcase of the Immortals. The injury forced Mami to relinquish her title and take time off for recovery.

She wasn’t picked by a brand, but it is worth noting that The Judgment Day was drafted to RAW. Considering she is still part of the faction, Ripley is likely to return to the red brand. There, she could pick things up where she left them off, especially considering that the title now rests with Becky Lynch, and Liv Morgan is the pursuing the gold.

#3 Jimmy Uso (injured)

Jimmy Uso also suffered an injury following WrestleMania XL and was ruled out of action. He faced Jey in a brother vs. brother match at The Grandest Stage of Them, All, and lost.

Jimmy was punished for his failure the following week on SmackDown when Solo Sikoa revealed Tama Tonga as the new member of The Bloodline. The new Tribal Chief’s MFT brutally assaulted Jimmy, seemingly scripting his exit from the faction. With The Bloodline on SmackDown and his brother Jey Uso on WWE RAW, it will be interesting to see where Jimmy returns.

#4 Charlotte Flair (injured on WWE SmackDown)

Charlotte Flair tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus during a match on SmackDown in December, and she was ruled out for approximately nine months. Although The Queen has made monumental progress in her recovery, the most decorated female superstar in WWE history wasn’t drafted to either brand.

While Charlotte wasn’t officially a part of the Draft, we could see her eventually return on SmackDown. We rarely see real-life couples working on different brands. Since Andrade was selected by the blue show on Night One, The Queen will likely join her husband there.

#5 Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss last appeared on television at Royal Rumble 2023, when she challenged Bianca Belair for the title but fell short. The multi-time Women’s Champion has since been away from in-ring action and welcomed a child. Her recent post about returning to the gym led to several speculations about her potential in-ring comeback.

Many expect Bliss to return as part of Uncle Howdy’s rumored faction to pay tribute to late superstar Bray Wyatt. The creative team has been building up the angle on both RAW and SmackDown, increasing the anticipation surrounding Uncle Howdy potentially returning alongside Alexa Bliss.