Grading SmackDown: Bloodline Wins Gold

The Bloodline angle has been one of the best, drawn-out storylines in WWE history, mainly involving Roman Reigns, the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, and his cousins, The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso). As the special counsel, Paul Heyman has helped transform The Bloodline into the most dominant faction in WWE today, and their storyline has been central to Friday Night SmackDown for the past several years. Starting from family feuds to winning the championships, The Bloodline story has been an essential part of WWE’s journey and has attracted viewers worldwide.

In a recent episode of SmackDown, which was a very important show, the Bloodline continued their reign, and they captured more championships and thus proved that they are the rulers of the blue brand and WWE in general. In this article, we will discuss that particular episode of SmackDown, give segment-by-segment analysis, and discuss the consequences of The Bloodline’s dominance in WWE’s narrative canvas.

The Bloodline’s Dominance: The Setting

It is necessary to give a brief background of how The Bloodline got to this SmackDown episode in question before delving into the details of the episode.

Ever since Roman Reigns transitioned to a villainous character and started portraying the ‘Tribal Chief’, he has been the Universal Champion for more than three years. In the course of this period, Reigns evolved from a polarizing hero into the most interesting and dominant villain in WWE. His partnership with The Usos consolidated his control over WWE, where the three of them were often helping each other to maintain their title victories. The angles that were generated within the family, especially between Roman and Jey Uso, gave a multi-layered and intense narrative that has served as a springboard to enhance both Reigns and The Usos.

However, signs of weakness started to emerge in The Bloodline, especially in SummerSlam 2023, where Jey Uso wanted to challenge Roman Reigns for the title. This internal rivalry for control was the main theme of the storyline, but as the smoke cleared, The Bloodline was able to come out on top and reunite on SmackDown to chase after more titles.

The bloodline was evident from the beginning of the SmackDown episode to the main event, and the faction ended the show with a historic feat, the twelfth championship win.

Opening Segment: Roman Reigns Address The WWE Universe

SmackDown started with Roman Reigns and the rest of the Bloodline in the ring. The segment started with old Paul Heyman introducing Roman Reigns as the ‘Tribal Chief’ and the ‘Head of the Table.’ The crowd was mixed as usual with cheers and booing, but clearly, Roman Reigns is still WWE’s top moneymaker.

Reigns then took the microphone and spoke about his win against Jey Uso at SummerSlam saying that he had reminded the family who is the boss. It was evident that there was bad blood between Reigns and Jey, although the latter was missing in action. Roman said Jey was weak for thinking that he could ever be the tribal chief instead of him, while Jimmy Uso stayed by Reigns’ side, unmoved by the betrayals of his cousin.

This segment was done perfectly to remind everyone that Reigns is in control of The Bloodline again while at the same time setting up feuds for the stable members. It also focused on the psychological struggle between Roman and his cousins, which is the main premise of the show for several months now. The only criticism that could be made was that the promo was somewhat predictable, as Roman’s “acknowledge me” catchphrase has become rather clichéd, but the promo was still engaging.

The Usos against The Brawling Brutes (Tag Team Championship bout)

The first bout of the evening was for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles as Jimmy and Jey Uso faced Sheamus and Ridge Holland as The Brawling Brutes. The Usos came into this bout with a lot of confidence, and the Brawling Brutes were not going to be an easy opponent for them as they brought their brawling and stiff striking to this match.

This match was a good example of tag team wrestling since both teams were well coordinated and very muscular. The Usos, regarded as one of the best tag teams in WWE history, showcased a great understanding of the art of tag team wrestling as they made sure not to let Sheamus tag in Ridge Holland at crucial times.

Sheamus, the powerhouse veteran, was the standout wrestler of the match for the Brawling Brutes, blasting out hard-hitting strikes and near-fall sequences that got the fans on the edge of their seats. On the other hand, Jey Uso continued to bring aerial offense to the match while Jimmy used underhanded tactics, making the fans unsure of who would come out victorious.

Finally, the Usos were able to stand tall after executing the double superkick and the Uso Splash finishing move on Ridge Holland. It not only kept their championships but increased the dominance of The Bloodline in WWE’s tag team division even more. The match was intense, emotional, and full of episodes that were interesting for the spectators during the whole match.

Solo Sikoa vs. Rey Mysterio

The youngest of The Bloodline is Solo Sikoa, who has quickly climbed the ranks since his arrival on the main roster. They also add that his aggressive wrestling style and no-nonsense character make him ideal for the faction. In this episode of SmackDown, Solo faced Rey Mysterio, and the match was a good display of talent from both wrestlers.

The contrasting of Mysterio’s aerial-based offense and Sikoa’s power played out well in the ring. Mysterio was always a smaller man, so he was able to dodge most of what Sikoa was throwing at him, while Solo just absorbed most of the hits that Sikoa was able to land.

Some exciting spots in the match were Mysterio delivering a 619, but Sikoa was able to counter him with a Samoan spike while he was in mid-air. Sikoa was really dominant, and this was evident throughout the match, and in the end he pinned Mysterio clean in the middle of the ring with his finishing move, the spinning solo.

It was crucial for Sikoa to keep on growing as a dominant force in The Bloodline and WWE in general. Sikoa’s confidence grew even more after winning against another legendary wrestler in the WWE Hall of Fame, Rey Mysterio. The match itself was well paced but could have used more offense from Mysterio to make the viewer believe that Mysterio had any shot at winning. However, it was a good match, which continued the story of The Bloodline.

Main Event: Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn—WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship

The main show was SmackDown’s blockbuster tag team bout in which Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa would face Owens and Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles. This bout had been heavily anticipated because of the enmity that Owens and Zayn have had with the Bloodline family.

The match started with lots of striking from all four men, and as expected, Owens and Zayn targeted Reigns and Sikoa. Owens, in particular

He was also focused on his quest for payback on Roman Reigns and reminded fans of their past encounters from the previous years. While for Zayn, this match was more or less about emotions since he has had quite a lot of issues with The Bloodline, especially on his exit from the group.

Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa came out with a strong synergy as a team, which is quite amazing given the fact that they have not shared many tag team matches in the past. Sikoa’s brute force was a good foil to the tactical thinking of Roman, while the show put the confidence and composure of Reigns to good use. On the other side, Owens and Zayn demonstrated why they are one of the best tag teams in WWE today, explaining the perfect harmony of their work and the combination of the technical wrestling and the fight.

There was tension in this match, most especially due to Paul Heyman’s position at the ringside. As for the match, fans of wrestling were on the edge of their seats wondering whether or not The Bloodline would have to cheat to beat Reigns and Sikoa, as Heyman’s occasional distractions served as a reminder of the group’s underbelly.

The match was full of near falls and spectacular moves. At one point Zayn delivered a Helluva kick to Reigns, and Owens delivered a stunt, which looked like a victory. However, Solo Sikoa was able to break it up just in time, making sure that The Bloodline’s chances were still alive.

The final moments of the fight were when Reigns was being beaten to a pulp by both Zayn and Owens before he countered with a spear on Zayn. Solo then took out Owens with a spinning solo on the outside of the ring, thus minimizing Owens’ impact. Reigns took advantage of the opportunity by applying the Guillotine submission on Zayn, which made the former Honorary Uce unconscious and made the referee stop the match.

As a result of this win, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa captured the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship belts, which are the latest titles to join The Bloodline’s trophy cabinet. After the match, there was celebration with Reigns holding both the Universal Championship and the tag titles as the new top champion of WWE.

Consequences of The Bloodline’s Steadiness

The success of the Bloodline and the subsequent championships that the group has picked up have significant impacts on the WWE. Roman Reigns, who was already the most dominating champion of this generation, is now a dual champion and therefore has control over SmackDown as well as the entire WWE universe. The idea to switch the tag team titles to Reigns and Sikoa also creates new opportunities for the creation of new feuds and narratives.

First of all, the tag team division, which was brought back to life by Owens and Zayn’s championship run, will have to deal with the most dominant faction in WWE history. Both SmackDown and Raw tag teams will probably target The Bloodline; however, it won’t be easy to beat Reigns and Sikoa. This also brings some questions to The Usos, who, despite being a part of The Bloodline, now have no titles that were so much a part of their success in recent time.

Internally, The Bloodline’s win could worsen the existing rivalry that has been observed between the members of the faction. Jey Uso, who had been built as someone who may possibly pose a challenge to Roman’s reign, will probably feel even more the outsider, especially when Roman has taken a place of prominence to celebrate another championship win. Is it possible that Jey or Jimmy will betray Roman and thus create an internal conflict within The Bloodline? I believe that the seeds for creating such a storyline have been sown, and the fans will be waiting to know how the story pans out.

Moreover, Reigns holding both the Universal Championship and the tag titles may make the storylines too much for Roman, thus exposing him where a challenger may take advantage and dethrone him for one (or both) titles. Whenever it will happen, Roman’s defeat will be one of the biggest moments in the history of WWE, and this new title win only increases the anticipation.

Overall Show

This was SmackDown at its best, with excellent storytelling, physicality, and advancement of one of the best angles in the history of WWE. The Bloodline’s control remained strong and engaging in a manner that was both organic and enthralling, with each bout and angle progressing the story that has been established since the summer of 2019.

The opening promo was good as it served as the introduction to the show; the tag team match between The Usos and The Brawling Brutes was one of the best that WWE has to offer, and the win of Solo Sikoa over Rey Mysterio established him as the best in the company. The main event, however, was the true star of the show, and Reigns and Sikoa emerged as the undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions after a great battle with KO and Zayn.

SmackDown keeps on providing great entertainment each week, and The Bloodline story is the backbone of the show. Thus, this episode that saw The Bloodline clinch more gold is another installment of what has been one of the most enthralling narratives in WWE history. As The Bloodline’s power grows, the question remains: but who will be able to halt them in the end?

For now, the answer is clear, no one. The Bloodline is on top, and the WWE audience is excited to find out what more this amazing story has in store.