{"id":127528,"date":"2024-10-19T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-19T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=127528"},"modified":"2024-10-18T08:58:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T12:58:36","slug":"why-solo-sikoas-tribal-chief-persona-falls-flat-and-how-wwe-can-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/10\/19\/why-solo-sikoas-tribal-chief-persona-falls-flat-and-how-wwe-can-fix-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Solo Sikoa\u2019s Tribal Chief Persona Falls Flat\u2014and How WWE Can Fix It"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Roman Reigns<\/strong> being just over two months into his post-world title return run and the WWE<\/strong> landscape shifting in a significant way since that fateful night at WrestleMania 40<\/strong><\/em>, it’s time we have a chat about the supposed heir to the Tribal Throne and how he has fared in the six months since the Era of Reigns came to a close. Let’s talk about Solo Sikoa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Who is Solo Sikoa?<\/h3>\n

Solo Sikoa made his main roster debut at Clash at the Castle<\/strong><\/em> on September 3, 2022, as the enforcer of The Bloodline, <\/strong>leaving his “Street Champ” persona in NXT<\/strong><\/em>. From his debut to WrestleMania 40<\/em>, Sikoa frequently stood ringside during The Bloodline\u2019s matches, ready to interfere. When he wrestled, it was against top stars like Cody Rhodes<\/strong>, Sheamus<\/strong>, and Kevin Owens<\/strong>, establishing him as a gatekeeper for anyone seeking to challenge Reigns.<\/p>\n

The dynamics of The Bloodline changed after WrestleMania 40<\/em> when Reigns lost the Universal Championship to Rhodes. Five days later, Sikoa called for Jimmy Uso<\/strong>\u2019s removal from the group following Jimmy’s loss to Jey Uso. <\/strong>This was done via an ambush from the debuting Tama Tonga<\/strong>, who joined the group, followed by his brother Tonga Loa<\/strong>, both coming over from New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On June 21, Jacob Fatu<\/strong> debuted, aligning with the group after attacking Rhodes. The following week, Paul Heyman<\/strong> was written off television after refusing to acknowledge Sikoa as the new Tribal Chief and getting attacked. With Heyman gone, Sikoa assumed complete leadership.<\/p>\n

As the head of The Bloodline, Sikoa’s primary goal was to defeat Universal Champion Rhodes. Despite Fatu and Tonga\u2019s success in winning the WWE Tag Team Championship, SummerSlam<\/strong><\/em> did not go as planned. Reigns returned during the main event between Sikoa and Rhodes, attacking Sikoa and helping Rhodes retain his title.<\/p>\n

This set up an unexpected alliance between Reigns and Rhodes for their match against Sikoa and Fatu at Bad Blood<\/strong><\/em> on October 5. After the event, The Rock<\/strong> returned, hinting at a full-time comeback. With WrestleMania<\/em> season approaching, Solo Sikoa\u2019s leadership of the new Bloodline is in jeopardy as Reigns and The Rock loom larger in WWE.<\/p>\n

Why Solo Sikoa isn’t Working (And How He Can Work)<\/h3>\n

Before criticizing Solo Sikoa\u2019s current trajectory, it\u2019s important to clarify that none of this is his fault. He\u2019s playing a character that doesn\u2019t align with his strengths in the ring or on the mic. In short, Sikoa is being positioned as a Roman Reigns stand-in, which is not working for him.<\/p>\n

Personality and Promos<\/strong><\/p>\n

To better understand, let’s look at what made Solo Sikoa work in NXT<\/em>: his personality and promo style. Sikoa functions best as a trash-talker and hard-hitter. This was evident during his time in NXT 2.0<\/em>, where he was one of the few highlights of the brand’s rebirth under Vince McMahon<\/strong> and Bruce Pritchard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In NXT<\/em>, Solo was allowed to cut promos better suited to his style. It was the promos of a confident, loudmouth ass-kicker who didn’t take flack from anyone.<\/p>\n