Backstage updates on WWE plans for new Bloodline members following major SmackDown debut - Reports

WWE continued the WrestleMania XL fallout in a major way on tonight's SmackDown. New details on plans for The Bloodline have just leaked from backstage following tonight's major debut.

Tama Tonga has arrived in World Wrestling Entertainment. The 15-time NJPW champion is the nephew and adopted son of Haku, aka Meng, Hikuleo's older half-brother, Tanga Loa's cousin/adoptive brother, Bad Luck Fale's cousin. The 41-year-old is Tongan, not Samoan, and is not a part of the Anoa'i Family by blood, but he is related to The Rock as The Final Boss considers Haku to be his uncle.

Paul Heyman brought Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso to the ring on WWE SmackDown tonight, telling them how Roman Reigns wanted The Bloodline to take accountability for WrestleMania losses, and deal with the consequences. Sikoa interrupted, and reiterated that changes are needed, and there will be consequences. Tonga then made his surprise debut as The Street Champion and The Good Bad Guy destroyed the elder Uso in the ring even as The Wise Man looked on in shock.

Tonga's WWE debut was described as "a long time coming," and it had been expected for the past few months. Fightful Select reported that one idea being floated around the creative team would see the Tongan team with Jacob Fatu. This would be special as their fathers, Haku and Tama/The Tonga Kid, teamed up for WWE in the 1980s as The Islanders.

It was reported during the WrestleMania weekend that Fatu had signed with the Stamford-based promotion. This led to increased speculation on new members being added to The Bloodline. Fightful has now confirmed that Fatu was backstage at WrestleMania, and is signed to a contract, but there's no word yet on when the former MLW World Heavyweight Champion will debut.

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Possible angle for new WWE SmackDown storyline for The Bloodline

After almost 14 years with NJPW, and 9 of those as a member of The Bullet Club, Tonga is now officially on the WWE SmackDown roster.

Tonga was apparently brought in by Solo Sikoa. They double teamed Jimmy Uso and removed him from The Bloodline. It was teased that Paul Heyman didn't know of Tonga's debut, and perhaps Roman Reigns also did not give approval ahead of time. At one point, Sikoa stopped Heyman from calling Reigns, then stomped his phone.

The two rising Bloodline members later crashed Heyman's backstage interview and intimidated him. Tonga said a cryptic line to The Advocate, but did not elaborate. He said, "By orders of The Tribal Chief..." and left the implied threat hanging in the air.

WWE originally had interest in Tonga going back to 2016, around the time they signed AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson, but the two-time CMLL World Tag Team Champion wanted to stay in Japan to work with his brothers, Tanga Loa and Hikuleo. It remains to be seen if officials will bring in Tonga's 40-and-33-year-old brothers as they did have interest in both NJPW talents in mid-2023.

Corey Graves noted on commentary that Tonga is the son of Haku, adding that he has been wrecking shop in Japan for years, but he did not mention NJPW directly. There's been no talk of Tonga having had talks with AEW. Fightful's latest backstage report notes that the international star going to WWE has been seen as a foregone conclusion within the industry, and he's always maintained a positive relationship with the Stamford-based company.