After sharing the ring in a segment designed to not only hype up their tag team match against The Bloodline but also highlight the potential tension between the duo at Bad Blood, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes were advertised for a special segment on SmackDown, where they would talk turkey in the home of the former's collegiate football team, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
But what would they have to say? Would they break bread like old friends, reminiscing about the good old days they shared together? Or would it be more brooding, with their will they, won't they enough to make even Gangrel blush?
Well, after discussing their connections to the city of Atlanta, Reigns for his time at Tech, and Rhodes for his familial connection to the area, the “OTC” got down to brass tacks to discuss what the two men – plus their fans – really wanted to iron out.
“Enough of the history lessons; let's get down to business,” Reigns began. “You signed yourself into a lose-lose situation; you have everything to lose, and you're dealing with a whole situation with people who have nothing to lose. Take me for example, they took Jimmy from me. They took my ‘Wise Man.' They took my Bloodline. They took my ula fala. I don't have anything to lose. For the first time in a long time, there's no weight on my neck; it's all on yours. I'm a man with no country now.”
“You're telling me this like I'm supposed to be surprised,” Rhodes noted. “I told you before WrestleMania the first go around that you would be standing here just like you're standing here now, a ‘Chief' without a tribe. They took Jimmy, they took your ‘Wise Man,' they took the ula fala; do you really think you have nothing to lose, though? Because I see that situation and I will raise you another. Take a look around WWE, take a good look: we already have a ‘Tribal Chief,' and it's not you. We already have a WWE Champion, and it's not you. So if you can't even beat your own Bloodline, who is standing here right now? I'll tell you who, it's not the biggest box office attraction in the history of WWE. It's not that guaranteed WrestleMania main eventer. No, it's the guy that they used to call Roman Reigns.”
Asked what Rhodes wants ahead of their match together at Bad Blood, the “American Nightmare” noted that he simply wants the former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion to have his back. The only problem? Reigns is only down to make their tag team a temporary thing, as he has his sights set on something grander than tag team victory.
“I give you my word,” Reigns noted. “I'll have your back, but just understand this, when it's all done, I'm taking back what's mine.”
Frankly, what else is there to say? Rhodes and Reigns are going to wrestle this match together, even if there will be a few false starts and miscues along the way to heighten the drama, and no matter which team wins, Reigns and Rhodes will eventually duke it out again at some point in the future, as it's clear this feud still has plenty more drama left to play out.
Mark Henry doesn't quite buy Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
While the WWE Universe is currently rife with interest in the main event of Bad Blood, as it will feature Jacob Fatu's first showcase in front of a mainstream audience and the first face-to-face battle between the “Tribal Chief” old and new, some aren't quite sold on the actual angle between Reigns and Rhodes, including WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry.
But why? Well, for one reason, he simply doesn't believe Reigns has enough attention on the man who beat him at WrestleMania 40.
“I don’t know if Roman has been paying close enough attention. Maybe his judgment is clouded because he’s worried about the ula fala [Samoan necklace], and the rest of the family and The Bloodline, but I think he kinda poo-pooed on the fact that Cody beat him,” Henry explained via 411 Mania.
“Even though he may consider himself the ‘Tribal Chief' of their family, when you’re not the champion, you’re not the tribal chief of the WWE. Cody is the commander-in-chief of the WWE, because he’s the one that’s holding the strap. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are taking their uneasy alliance to WWE Bad Blood 2024, where they will team up against The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. The WWE premium live event is scheduled for Saturday, October 5 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be broadcast live on Peacock.”
Will Henry feel better now that WWE more or less addressed his biggest issue? Maybe yes, maybe no, but when you consider the match fans really want to see can't realistically happen until WrestleMania 41 or maybe Crown Jewel in November – more realistically, the former over the latter – it's clear Paul “Triple H” Levesque has to come up with believable side quests to keep things interesting until he can really go all-in on the juiciest storylines.
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