{"id":106351,"date":"2021-12-19T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2021-12-19T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=106351"},"modified":"2021-12-19T08:49:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-19T13:49:49","slug":"the-bloodline-in-2021-wwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/12\/19\/the-bloodline-in-2021-wwe\/","title":{"rendered":"2021: The Year of The Bloodline in WWE"},"content":{"rendered":"

2021 continued to be a banner year for Roman Reigns, <\/strong>capitalizing on the Cinderella story of his heel transformation in 2020. Following a quiet first half of the latter year, Reigns returned to World Wrestling Entertainment<\/strong> at August 23, 2020\u2019s SummerSlam<\/strong>, <\/em>interrupting Braun Strowman<\/strong>\u00a0and Bray Wyatt\u2019s<\/strong> match for the Universal Championship. Reigns captured the title at Payback<\/strong>,<\/em> and it soon became apparent that the former babyface had undergone a character transformation. In a psychologically nuanced performance, and the best character work of his career to date, Reigns became \u201cThe Tribal Chief:\u201d an aloof, power-hungry champion who cruelly imposes his will on others, in a single-minded quest to secure his status. As Reigns began to brutally vent on his Friday Night SmackDown <\/em>rostermates, such as Kevin Owens, Edge, <\/strong>and Bryan Danielson<\/strong>, he also came into conflict with cousins Jey <\/strong>and Jimmy Uso<\/strong>, who resisted as he tried, hell-bent, to yoke them to his vision of domination. Looking back, it can be argued 2021 has been the year of The Bloodline<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2021: The Year of The Bloodline<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A Brief Overview<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2021, the Usos’ compliance was secured, and they, and Reigns, became The Bloodline. The heel stable\u2019s foundational themes of family ambition and devotion struck a chord with WWE audiences. Whereas 2020\u2019s arc for Reigns drew on familial tension as Jey and Jimmy, in turn, bemoaned the \u201cnew Roman\u201d and fought to retain their autonomy from him, in 2021 their devotion was secured and they regularly spoiled matches in Reigns’s favor, fought at his side, or were aided by him in their own matches. However, one outlier remained in the \u201cTribal Chief’s\u201d inner circle: special counsel Paul Heyman.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Much like Kenny Omega\u2019s <\/strong>onscreen alliance with Don Callis <\/strong>across All Elite Wrestling<\/strong> and IMPACT Wrestling<\/strong>, Reigns\u2019s association with Heyman helped solidify and amplify his heel persona, with Reigns benefitting from Heyman\u2019s \u201cgift of gab\u201d on the mic. However, as 2021 came to a close, the Bloodline story\u2019s most effective moments lay not in Reigns\u2019s continued string of pay-per-view victories, but in the seeds of betrayal planted in the unfolding plot.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/p>\n

Major Feuds of The Tribal Chief<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The lead-up to 2021\u2019s SummerSlam<\/em> pitted Reigns against 17x champion John Cena<\/a>.<\/strong> The two engaged in some scathing promo battles, and on August 21, they faced off in SummerSlam\u2019s<\/em> main event, in a match for the Universal Championship. Reigns secured the victory, only to be confronted by an unannounced Brock Lesnar.<\/strong> Lesnar had not been seen in WWE for several months, and his appearance followed months of speculation across the spectrum of combat sports, from the worlds of pro wrestling to MMA, about where his future plans lay. SummerSlam<\/em> was Lesnar\u2019s answer: WWE\u2019s longest-reigning Universal Champion to date, at 507 days, planned to capture the title again, by dethroning Reigns.<\/p>\n

At the heart of Reigns\u2019s dominant, despotic, vicious \u201cTribal Chief\u201d character is a palpable note of vulnerability. He is determined to remain champion, and to secure championships for his family members, the Usos, dead set on them all remaining at the top of WWE\u2019s food chain, because the bottom of that ecosystem is a dark chasm of ignominy that he fears. The pressure of his family\u2019s illustrious legacy is a palpable motivation, as well. When Lesnar returned at SummerSlam, speculation, and suspicion began that Reigns\u2019s trusted \u201cWiseman,\u201d Heyman, was in the know and still serving as the \u201cBeast Incarnate\u2019s\u201d advocate. The ties between Heyman and Lesnar run deep, and Reigns\u2019s character\u2019s latent insecurities latched onto the possibility that Heyman had betrayed him, had perhaps been running a long game all the while that he\u2019d stood by Reigns\u2019s side on his rise to the undisputed top.<\/p>\n

\"Finn<\/p>\n

Other Grudges to Note<\/strong><\/h3>\n

WWE\u2019s storytelling left much to be desired in 2021, even in the confines of Reigns\u2019s storyline, which is otherwise the jewel in the crown though it is of WWE television. His program with Finn Balor<\/a>, <\/strong>for instance, ended in a match with an improbable and unexplained finish on a second-tier pay-per-view, Extreme Rules<\/em><\/strong>-an example of how WWE\u2019s generally poor booking still touched this storyline.<\/em> However, the months of suspicion around Paul Heyman, and the suspense of whether Reigns still believed in his special counsel or was planning a double-cross of his own on the man who had betrayed him, was WWE\u2019s most effectively executed storyline of the year.<\/p>\n

As Reigns and the Usos feuded with The New Day<\/strong> throughout autumn 2021, the sight of Heyman at Reigns\u2019s side, barking for him on the mic and holding Reigns\u2019s beloved Universal Championship, took on a new undertone of doubt and unclear loyalties. Heyman and Reigns both played their parts well, Reigns as aloof as Heyman was desperate to prove his loyalty. Another surprise appearance by Lesnar at SmackDown\u2019s September 10 SuperShow at Madison Square Garden raised more suspicions around Heyman, but Reigns\u2019s victory over Lesnar at October\u2019s Crown Jewel<\/em><\/strong> bought Heyman more time to spin his tires and ingratiate himself to Reigns. WWE struck gold with the comedic dynamic between Heyman and Kayla Braxton, <\/strong>as the plucky backstage reporter repeatedly got under Heyman\u2019s skin while trying to expose his divided loyalties.<\/p>\n