Rikishi Is The Missing Ingredient To The WWE Bloodline Storyline
Elijah King
Published Mar 27, 2026
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Everything is clicking on all cylinders right now with The Bloodline drama in WWE. After Sami Zayn left the group and Roman Reigns surprisingly defeated Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, fans were worried that the faction had run its course. What else was there left to do? Instead, the story has gotten better than ever with the infighting and the defection of The Usos. It looks like it's all leading to Reigns vs Jey Uso at SummerSlam. To up the ante, it's time to bring in the father of Jey and Jimmy Uso and their younger brother Solo Sikoa, WWE legend Rikishi.
Rikishi Has Yet To Be A Part Of The Bloodline Story
Though Sami Zayn's role in The Bloodline created some instant classic moments, at its core, The Bloodline drama is all about family. At first, it was all about putting family first and having them rule everything. Now, it's about family falling apart. At the center of that is a man who has yet to be seen, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi. As the father of The Usos and Sikoa, he's mentioned here and there when it comes to lineage, but he hasn't played a role. It's surprising, given how popular of a figure he was in WWE. Rikishi survived several gimmicks during his career, working in The Headshrinkers, briefly as The Sultan, and then as Rikishi as part of Too Cool, before going on a singles run.
Though he hasn't been on WWE TV in a few years, he was supposed to be part of The Bloodline story very recently. In January, a Roman Reigns "Appreciation Ceremony" was scheduled for Raw Is XXX. Rikishi was announced to be a part of that, along with other members of the family, but it was quickly canceled. According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, "The change was made because Afa & Sika & Rikishi were all not going to be able to be there. They were to be the key people but Afa & Sika were not ready for the trip and Rikishi got sick this week so the idea basically fell apart." (h/t Sportskeeda)
RELATED: 10 Funniest Stinkface Moments From Rikishi's Career
Paul Heyman And Rikishi Drop Hints About What Could Happen Next
Lately, a Rikishi appearance in WWE is starting to look more likely. During an interview with Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, he was asked directly if he'd be involved with The Bloodline story. Rikishi smiled and put his finger to his lips before saying, “I would have to go silent on that one.”
Last week on SmackDown, Paul Heyman brought up Rikishi during a promo segment with his son, Jey Uso. With Jimmy Uso in the hospital after being attacked by Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, Heyman told Jey Uso, "Your father will never forgive you." Paul Heyman got superkicked in the face for his troubles, leading to Jey and his brother, Solo, fighting once more. With so much going on between brothers, it's time for their father to show up and make his presence known.
RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Rikishi
What Role Could Rikishi Play In The Bloodline?
Yes, Rikishi has a very close family connection to the situation, but there's another storyline from the past that can come into play as well. While in WCW, Rikishi was part of the Samoan SWAT Team. Who was the manager of that tag team? None other than Paul Heyman. Rikishi's past with Heyman makes for some easily crafted and fascinating plot lines.
What can do WWE do with Rikishi, however, if he does show up on TV? A wrestling match of some sort seems out of the question. Rikishi is 57 now and hasn't wrestled regularly since his time with TNA in 2007, only having a few nostalgic matches during the last decade in WWE. He doesn't need to wrestle though. Rikishi can still be used a number of different ways. He can come out and try to bring The Usos and Solo Sikoa back together again, creating a rift between Solo and Roman Reigns. This could lead to Roman Reigns attacking Rikishi, sealing Solo's face turn as he becomes the last Bloodline member standing to turn on Reigns. Or it could lead to Solo attacking his father as a way to prove his allegiance to Roman. Unfortunately for Rikishi, no matter how it would play out, it probably results in him getting beat up.
With this next chapter in The Bloodline well underway, the story can't be completely told without Rikishi. He has to show up in some form before SummerSlam, even if it's just a one-time appearance. The story needs it. The fans need it too. He was a fan favorite during the Attitude Era. It's been too long since he's graced our screens.
