Could The Rock's SmackDown presence lay the foundation for another impending WrestleMania 40 feud? Analyzing the impact and more

The Rock vs. Roman Reigns was a long time in the making (Image source: WWE)
The Rock vs. Roman Reigns was a long time in the making. [Image credits: wwe.com]

The Road to WrestleMania 40 officially kicked off last weekend. The editions of RAW and SmackDown that followed witnessed an uneven curvature of reactions from the WWE Universe.

The Bloodline's issues have largely overruled SmackDown in the past year, especially when The Usos hit The Tribal Chief with a Superkick at Night of Champions. Soon after Jey Uso left the heel group and traded to RAW, his brothers, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, continued to do the dirty work for the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. The Usos' sibling rivalry intensified over the past few months and more so when they were the first two entrants in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble Match.

The addition of The Rock's SmackDown return and a face-off with Roman Reigns could lead to WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi making a return after more than three years. The Samoan Stinker left the Stamford-based company in 2004 but stopped by to make appearances on a few occasions. He has been keeping a close eye on events surrounding The Bloodline, which is evident from his social media posts.

Jey Uso has been vocal about a WrestleMania feud with his twin brother, and the same could be imminent if Rikishi returned in an attempt to sort out matters within The Bloodline. He could approach The Usos for a reconciliation between them, resulting in a WrestleMania 40 feud wherein he could act as a Special Guest Referee.

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The Usos were a dominant tag team in the respective division and were the longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions before it was unified.


Rikishi is rooting for another Anoa'i family member to join The Bloodline on WWE SmackDown

The legendary Anoa'i family is deeply rooted in the wrestling industry. It started with The Wild Samoans, who were associated with WWE in the 1970s.

Despite not being a part of WWE television for a long while, Rikishi shared his thoughts on the happenings and developments on the Stamford-based promotion's weekly shows. Most recently, the 58-year-old has promoted and highlighted Jacob Fatu's wrestling capabilities.

The 31-year-old star is currently competing on the independent circuit as a free agent. Given all the turmoil within The Bloodline, Rikishi has been asking fans which promotion Fatu should sign with: WWE or AEW?

It seems The Rock's presence on the latest episode of SmackDown stirred up mixed reactions from WWE fans. It remains to be seen how the other Bloodline members express their thoughts on the matter.


Do you think Rikishi should return to set up a WrestleMania 40 feud between The Usos? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Edited by Pratyush Rai
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