WWE: A Retrospective On Every Single Betrayal In The Bloodline Saga
For over four years, The Bloodline storyline has captivated WWE fans. While the angle has grown a little long in the tooth across so much time, it’s nonetheless undeniably impressive that most of its history has been so compelling with great matches, great promos, and a rare level of continuity and building a cohesive story across such a span of time.
One of the cornerstones of Bloodline booking has been betrayal. The angle started when Roman Reigns returned a heel at SummerSlam 2020 and has since seen family band together, family turn on each other, and all other manner of twists and turns. It’s fascinating to look back at the key pivot points of this historic wrestling plot line.
Roman Reigns Made The Initial Betrayal
Turning On Jey Uso Cemented The Tribal Chief’s Heel Status
Roman Reigns returned to WWE a heel at SummerSlam 2020.
Jey Uso earned a title shot, but he and Roman Reigns still didn’t seem like enemies.
Reigns cut down Uso in a promo before their title match, then nailed him with a Superman punch to shore up his villainous character.
When Roman Reigns returned to WWE after a months-long absence at the end of SummerSlam 2020, the direction of his character was unclear. The viciousness of his attack on Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt hinted at an edgier persona, but it was over the next week that he solidified a heel turn when he revealed a partnership with Paul Heyman and when he won the Universal Championship in heelish fashion, casually entering a Triple Threat match in progress.
There was some real intrigue at hand, though, when Jey Uso won the right to challenge for the title. In weeks to follow, Uso and Reigns even teamed up as WWE teased heat between them, though they were still ostensibly friendly. Everything culminated on the September 25 SmackDown, two days before the two had their first singles match against each other. Reigns cut down his cousin on the mic, suggesting despite how much Uso had evolved, he wasn’t ready for the world title picture. Then, Reigns at last stabbed him in the back with a sneak attack Superman punch. It was the first—and, in hindsight, a low-key—betrayal of The Bloodline saga.
Roman Reigns Fired Paul Heyman
Reigns Superman Punched His Wise Man
Roman Reigns had his ups and downs with The Usos, but the next major betrayal saw him turn on Paul Heyman.
Roman Reigns hit Paul Heyman with a Superman punch.
Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman teamed back up months later with implications it was all a masterplan.
While there were ups and downs between Roman Reigns and The Usos the first year-plus of the Bloodline angle, the next major betrayal came when The Tribal Chief relieved his Wise Man, Paul Heyman, of his duties. It was a testament to not only Heyman’s well-known promo chops, but how much Reigns had grown as a performer that he rendered real emotion from the crowd with this display.
Reigns not only fired The Wise Man, but nailed him with a Superman Punch. Over the years, WWE has been more and more selective about when and how an aging Heyman works physical spots and this one worked perfectly—even if WWE did ultimately retcon it as part of a larger plan.
Sami Zayn Stabbed Roman Reigns In The Back
Sami Zayn Failed The Ultimate Loyalty Test
Sami Zayn’s loyalties between The Bloodline and his old friend Kevin Owens put him in conflict from late 2022 into early 2023.
After Roman Reigns beat Kevin Owens, he gave Sami Zayn a chair to punish him further.
Pushed past his breaking point, Sami Zayn hit Roman Reigns with the chair instead.
In early 2023, WWE faced an interesting conundrum of Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn both heating up as men fans were sincerely invested in and might have credibly taken the title off Roman Reigns. Zayn was still a loyal Bloodline soldier going into Royal Rumble 2023. When Reigns tested his loyalty, though, by calling on him to continue the abuse on an already beaten Kevin Owens, Zayn drew a line in the sand.
To put a finer point on it, Zayn slammed a steel chair in The Tribal Chief’s back in a scene reminiscent of when Seth Rollins betrayed Reigns to break up The Shield. One might argue Reigns betrayed Zayn by pushing him past his breaking point, but in terms of physicality, it was The Honorary Uce who struck first and marked the next major pivot point in the Bloodline story.
Jey Uso Proved His Loyalty To The Bloodline By Turning On Sami Zayn
Jey Uso Chose His Family
Jey Uso seemed conflicted when Sami Zayn left The Bloodline.
Fans had watched Jey Uso and Sami Zayn bond over the preceding months.
After Sami Zayn beat Jimmy Uso on Raw, Jey Uso turned on him.
Sami Zayn’s schism from The Bloodline opened up all kinds of intrigue. Jey Uso–whom fans had watched him form a special bond with Zayn after months of refusing to trust him–appeared torn, and even like he was going to stand by The Honorary Uce.
On the March 6, 2023 episode of WWE Raw, Zayn bested Jimmy Uso, who had landed more squarely on the side of Roman Reigns in this dispute. Jey hugged Zayn after the bout, seeming to solidify his babyface status and his own separation from his kin. However, Jey followed that up by super kicking Zayn, marking another betrayal and re-shoring up The Bloodline’s army.
The Usos Declared Their Independence At Night Of Champions 2023
The Usos Had Enough Of Roman Reigns’s Abuse
The Usos were on thin ice after losing their Tag Team Championship.
Roman Reigns berated Jey Uso after a mistake at Night of Champions.
Jimmy Uso super kicked Roman Reigns and cost him and Solo Sikoa their match.
Tag team action headlined Night of Champions 2023 as Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa looked to do what The Usos couldn’t—beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the tag titles. The match to follow was predictably excellent, but the drama really clicked into focus in the closing moments, when Jimmy and Jey made their presence felt.
The two ostensibly seemed like they were there to help their Bloodline kin. Things went awry when they accidentally super kicked Sikoa. Reigns berated his cousins, reminding them he hadn’t asked for their help, focusing his disrespect on Jey. Having heard enough, it was Jimmy who stepped up to nail The Tribal Chief with his own super kick, which set the wheels in motion to cost The Bloodline the match. Jey would prove loyal to his brother and the Money in the Bank PLE to follow would see The Usos get the better of Reigns and Sikoa, with The Head of the Table eating a rare pin.
