Why did WWE cancel Rikishi's planned appearance on RAW earlier this year? Looking back at scrapped ideas for Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns has cemented himself as one of the most iconic superstars of the current era. Not only has he successfully managed to become the face of WWE while being a heel, but he has also carried forward the Samoan wrestling family's legacy in the industry.

To acknowledge Reigns' commitment to the art, WWE had planned to host a segment on RAW XXX featuring many members of the Anoa'i Family. The angle was reportedly set to include appearances from Rikishi, Afa, and Sika.

WWE, however, scrapped the 'Acknowledgment Ceremony' ahead of the show and replaced it with 'The Trial of Sami Zayn.' As per a report, all three key stars required for the segment couldn't attend RAW because of different issues, and the idea was taken off the table.

"The change was made because Afa, Sika, and Rikishi were all not going to be able to be there. They were to be the key people, but Afa and Sika were not ready for the trip. Rikishi got sick this week [ahead of RAW XXX], so the idea basically fell apart.”

At 'The Trial of Sami Zayn,' Paul Heyman had almost convinced Roman Reigns to expel Sami Zayn from The Bloodline. Fortunately for Zayn, Jey Uso came to his rescue and presented evidence of the former Honorary Uce's loyalty towards The Tribal Chief and his faction. Hence, Sami Zayn was declared "not guilty."

It seems like Sami Zayn's trial won't be the only Tribal Court in this storyline. The Usos have declared to put The Tribal Chief on trial following their victory over the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank 2023.

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Another scrapped idea involving Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns' journey as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion has provided the fans with some of the most thrilling segments.

The popular storyline has included Sami Zayn's iconic run with The Bloodline, The Usos betraying Reigns, and many other subplots. However, all the segments that the WWE creative pitched for The Tribal Chief didn't make it to TV.

As per reports, WWE was supposedly planning a match between Karrion Kross and Reigns upon Kross' return. The Doom Walker was popular with fans when he made his comeback with Scarlett on SmackDown.

Unfortunately for fans looking forward to the promising feud, WWE decided to take a different direction for Reigns. Kross vs. The Tribal Chief was briefly rumored to take place at Clash at the Castle 2022 in Cardiff. However, the high-profile event required Drew McIntyre in the main event as he hails from Scotland.

Here's what Dave Meltzer reported about the scrapped feud ahead of Clash at the Castle:

“For Cardiff, it is still Roman and Drew. I was told – of course, this can always change – but I was told that it’s really not gonna change. They feel that has to be the match. So as far as when [Kross] gets his shot at Roman Reigns because obviously, they’re building to that, I have no idea when that will be.”

It's unknown if WWE is still planning Roman Reigns vs. Karrion Kross since most of The Tribal Chief's focus is on The Usos, especially Jey Uso.