Roman Reigns Soaks in Crowd Reaction After 8/9 WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns made a surprise return at SummerSlam, targeting Solo Sikoa rather than Cody Rhodes and he would then make his return during SmackDown this week. After the show went off the air, Reigns soaked in the crowd’s reaction.

On the August 9, 2024, episode of WWE SmackDown, the main event saw Solo Sikoa discovering that Roman Reigns was not at the arena. Undeterred, Solo declared that Reigns would be there eventually and took the mic to demand that the WWE Universe acknowledge him. However, the crowd’s reaction was tepid. Solo then challenged Roman, claiming the title of Tribal Chief and daring Reigns to come and take it from him.

Roman Reigns answered the challenge, making his way to the ring to confront Solo and the new Bloodline. Reigns first took out Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa before focusing on Solo.

As fans chanted “OTC” for the Original Tribal Chief, Reigns and Solo engaged in a fierce exchange. Reigns landed a Superman Punch, but before he could follow up with a spear, Solo was pulled out of the ring. Tama and Tanga took the opportunity to attack Roman, but he quickly turned the tide. Reigns delivered a spear to Tanga Loa and then speared Tama Tonga through the barricade, marking a decisive moment in his return.

The show concluded with Solo Sikoa taunting Roman Reigns from the entrance ramp, leaving the Original Tribal Chief to watch from the ring. After the show went off the air, Roman Reigns could be seen soaking in the crowd reaction, as fans were clearly happy to see him. Reigns also threw up his signature ‘One’ hand gesture to make his point clear that he was back for good.

Roman Reigns has already been advertised for the August 16th episode of Friday Night SmackDown, so we will have to wait and see whether The Tribal Chief will be able to destroy Solo Sikoa on SmackDown next week, as it’s clear their storyline has only just begun.

What’s your view on Roman Reigns’ comeback on Friday Night SmackDown this week? Do you feel WWE programming will become better now that he is back? Let us know in the comments section below!