During the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, Randy Orton posed a significant question to Paul Heyman, asking who's currently the real Tribal Chief amid Roman Reigns's absence. However, The Wiseman deftly sidestepped this serious inquiry by affirming that the world knew there was only one Tribal Chief.
Heyman's words suggest that he believes Roman Reigns is still the true Tribal Chief in WWE despite his absence. This belief stems from Reigns' continued insistence on acknowledgment from the crowd, wherever he appears.
In this article, we will compare the positions of Roman and Solo Sikoa to ascertain why the former Shield member is still considered the true Tribal Chief in the Stamford-based promotion:
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Losing the Undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania doesn't impact Roman Reigns' status as Tribal Chief
Roman Reigns lost his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Cody Rhodes on The Grandest Stage of Them All last month. Since then, The Head of The Table has not made an appearance. However, losing the championship does not automatically remove The Big Dog's status as The Tribal Chief.
No explicit or implied condition in his WrestleMania match stipulated that losing would result in him losing his Tribal Chief status. Therefore, suggesting that Reigns is no longer The Tribal Chief solely because of his loss at 'Mania would be absurd.
Heyman still considers Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief
Both Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman crafted the origin of the Tribal Chief character in WWE. During the recent episode of SmackDown, The Wiseman's actions seemingly confirmed that he still considered Roman the true Tribal Chief.
This was evident not only from his response to Randy Orton, stating that the world knew there was only one Tribal Chief, but also from his acknowledgment of fans' reactions, who were chanting, ''We Want Roman!''
Heyman's admission to fans' reactions and affirmation that he missed Reigns suggests that the Special Counsel still believes that The Big Dog is the true Tribal Chief in WWE.
Solo Sikoa is The Tribal Heir but not the Tribal Chief
In the absence of The Head of The Table, Solo Sikoa is acting as The Tribal Chief. However, officially, he only holds the status of Tribal Heir, bestowed upon him by Reigns himself. The literal meaning of the word "heir" implies that the person in question has the right to receive the title when the real owner permanently vacates their position.
Therefore, Solo will only be able to attain the title of Tribal Chief officially on the day Roman retires from the squared circle. Hence, this designation makes Solo Sikoa the Tribal Heir, not The Tribal Chief.