MR. TITO: Roman Reigns Should Reload the Bloodline like the Nation of Domination Did in 1997
At Smackdown this past Friday, the Bloodline stable fully split with the Usos both collectively leaving the group after a few weeks of drama following the last Paid Live Event. Now, for the upcoming PLE, WWE Money in the Bank 2023, we’ll see the Usos taking on Roman/Solo. The Bloodline is gonna collide, brotha!
But what happens after this tag match at MITB?
It’s simple… Turn to history and what another stable did.
WE ARE THE NATION… The NATION OF DOMINATION!
During late 1996, Faarooq Asad (aka Ron Simmons) was done with his gladiator gimmick and began appearing as the leader of a new stable known as the Nation of Domination. The stable was meant to have some resemblance to groups that surrounded Malcom X or even the Black Panther Party with Faarooq resembling NFL legend Jim Brown’s look. That said, the initial Nation of Domination actually had diversity with D’Lo Brown, Crush, Savio Vega, and the PG-13 Tag Team. However, the group just didn’t work, so Faarooq kicked out both Savio Vega and Crush, while the PG-13 tag team just went away. Savio and Crush would find their own buddies and form their own stables, Disciples of Apocalypse and Los Boricuas.
What Faarooq did in retooling the Nation of Domination, however, is what Roman Reigns should do for rebooting the Bloodline.
Faarooq kept D’Lo Brown in the group, who was a loyal member just like Solo has been loyal to the Bloodline. Faarooq would add some amazing talents that were set to breakout immediately and in the future years with Kama Mustafa (became the Godfather), Rocky Maivia, and Mark Henry. Instantly, the Nation of Domination was more powerful than the previous version… BUT, what Faarooq did was to rebuild the group too well and it cost him in the long-run. Kama, Rocky, and Mark Henry would begin to find their individuality within the group, as Kama began morphing into the Godfather, Rocky Maivia became “The Rock”, and Mark Henry became “Sexual Chocolate”. Meanwhile, D’Lo was a solid midcarder who proved that he didn’t always need the group to succeed.
As Rocky Maivia began to morph more into “The Rock”, Faarooq’s leadership within the group began to dwindle… Remember that time when the Rock gave the other NoD members Rolex watches and gave Faarooq a portrait of him? Faarooq, in attempts to reboot and rebuild the Nation of Domination, found himself overwhelmed with the newer personalities added to the group. The Rock became too much and by the Spring of 1998, the group was done and everyone went their separate ways (very successful, I might add). Rock kept growing and by Survivor Series 1998, he was World Champion. Godfather was a staple of the Attitude Era, as was the bizarre love affairs that Mark Henry had as “Sexual Chocolate”. Faarooq retooled himself and became an Acolyte with Bradshaw, eventually the Acolyte Protection Agency (APA) that went on for many years. D’Lo was a solid wrestler, but sadly wasn’t the same after the Drozdov accident for the WWE. However, he he was solid for TNA wrestling during their early days.
My point is that Roman Reigns needs to take a page out of Faarooq’s playbook and attempt to restock the Bloodline but attempt to make it better than ever. Then, the new members of the own group are just too much for Roman to contain and all want to take over the Bloodline. This could create an OUT for Roman Reigns to officially turn babyface again and/or cause him to lose his WWE Universal Title.
The PEFECT candidate for retooling the Bloodline is Jacob Fatu, who is a real life cousin to both Roman Reigns and the Usos. He’s a 6’1″, 280 pound monster who is very talented, agile, and physical to make a perfect addition. He has been working for Major League Wrestling (MLW) for the past 4 years and is their current champion. Jacob is also the son of Sam Fatu, who was 1/2 of the great Samoan Swat Team as “Samu” with his cousin “Fatu”, who would later become Rikishi. Reportedly for Jacob Fatu, he has a “criminal record” that has kept him out of the WWE. What is that criminal record, you say? Armed robbery when he was 18 years old. I’m not condoning it, but he was a teenager then and he’s a 31 year old man now. Come on, WWE… Look who runs your company!
With Jacob Fatu reportedly under contract with MLW until 2025, it would take a contract buyout to join the WWE. But it’s worth it and Jacob Fatu SHOULD be in the WWE. He has too much talent and he’s in the peak of his career.
Otherwise, as I look through the Anoa’i family tree, you have Lance Anoa’i who also works for MLW and is 1/2 of their existing MLW Tag Champions. He’s 31 years old, 6’1″ and around 230 pounds. His tag team partner is Juicy Finau, who is a 6’4 450 pound BEAST. Together, Lance and Juicy are actually called the “Samoan Swat Team” in MLW.
During the late 2000s, WWE employed Afa Anoa’i Jr. who also wrestled under “Manu”. He’s 38 years old, 6’2, and almost 300 pounds. I’m unsure if he’s been active lately, but he has WWE employment history.
But honestly, we don’t HAVE to stick with someone of a Samoan heritage or someone related to the Usos/Solo or Roman Reigns. Look how well Sami Zayn was with the group, as it’s my opinion that Zayn’s involvement lit a match under the arse of the group to make them more compelling and dramatic with each other on promos. The Bloodline’s interest increased when Zayn got involved, added some comedy to the group, and then added some heart as he got close to the Usos and when Sami was kicked out of the group, it felt tragic. The events that transpired with Sami has eventually led to the Bloodline split-up between the Usos and Roman.
We need PERFECT fits, however, for this retooled Bloodline just as Kama/Rocky/Henry were perfect fits for the Nation of Domination.
If you add the wrong guys, it will spell disaster… Just look at the Four Horsemen when they botched a few member additions. The New World Order became an eventual joke with the many bad or worthless additions made to the groups and then by 1998, there were 2 NWO groups that were constantly adding guys.
But the new additions to the Bloodline have to spell DOOM for Roman Reigns as the heel leader for the group, whether that results in him dropping the WWE Universal Title or getting kicked out himself to return to being a babyface. Roman, since August 2020, has done so well as a a heel that the fans will now 100% back him after the job well done. Just look at how fans rewarded the Rock… He started off as a babyface and was overpushed, then turned heel… Fans fell in love with the Rock as a cocky heel and by late 1999, they were ready to cheer for him as the top babyface. Roman has proven himself to be the #1 guy on the WWE roster and it’s time…
We cannot, however, end the Bloodline storyline… It’s TOO GOOD to end and it’s boosting Smackdown’s television numbers, attendance for shows, and has WWE merchandise growing for the first time in years. Usos and Roman don’t even have to wrestle… Just stand in the ring and talk. It works BECAUSE wrestling isn’t just about in-ring stuff, it’s about the build-up and hype to eventual matches. If you’re not compelling on the microphone, you won’t succeed in wrestling. Roman and the Usos are KILLING IT NOW and I’d spend the next year extending their feud.
It will be the Usos versus the NEW Bloodline consisting of Solo Sikoa, Roman Reigns, hopefully Jacob Fatu, and someone else that fits. At first, the Usos struggle heavily and receive many beatdowns. In fact, Solo and maybe Jacob Fatu are keeping the Tag Titles away from them. Meanwhile, the newer members and even Solo are lusting over Roman Reigns’s WWE Universal Title and how he is the “head of the table”. Cracks begin to show in the NEW Bloodline and create doubt in Roman as their leader. Roman cannot contain the new version of the group, and longs for the days when his longtime friends, the Usos, were by his side.
Or maybe, just maybe… Roman Reigns rules the NEW Bloodline with an Iron Fist and takes on The Rock at Wrestlemania 40. However, Roman, still acting as a heel, is arrogant and blows his opportunity to lose to the Rock. That loss to the Rock creates the fissures in the NEW Bloodline and that creates the eventual dissention. Then, for Wrestlemania 41, Roman and Rock can have a rematch and Roman can how confidently defeat the Great One, much like John Cena loss one and then overcame the Rock in the rematch. Money, money, money…
In the Short-Run, Roman has to remain heel and needs to rebuild the Bloodline to get even with the Usos. REBUILD like Faarooq did with the Nation of Domination during 1997 and have the NEW Bloodline work really well at first in beating down the Usos… However, the new members get too much of a taste of success and want more, just as Rocky, Kama, and Henry wanted more with the Nation of Domination. And that gives you many great options for Roman, whether that costs him the WWE Universal Title and/or turns him back into a babyface to draw for many years (unless the movie industry grabs him).
If you don’t believe me, just watch the WWE Network from late 1997 through the Spring of 1998. Just watch and enjoy Faarooq being unable to control his associates in the newer Nation of Domination, especially The Rock. Ron Simmons reacting to the Rock helped make Dwayne Johnson an instant success as a heel.
I’ve been saying it for years… The WWE Creative Team has non-stop footage of great storylines and character on the WWE Network for the past 40 years of many territories. Just grab a few storyline concepts and retool them for the modern era to get guys over. Bloodline borrowing from the 1997 rebooted version of the Nation of Domination is the perfect idea.
But damn it, get Jacob Fatu in the WWE! He is the perfect addition to the Bloodline and makes them become an instant threat that the Usos will soon regret.