As promised over the last week, Roman Reigns came to “Raw” on Monday looking to address Jacob Fatu and the week he had given him to reconsider his challenge during last week’s show. 

The night started with a vignette showing Reigns and the Usos run over the options. Jimmy was playing good cop, trying to reason with Fatu’s frame of mind and find a middle ground to be shared between them; Jey played the bad cop, straight to the point and in a way that – intentionally or not – called back to his past in the Bloodline. 

He’s got reason to have limited time for outsiders. He had to earn his stripes with Reigns, he had to prove himself to and against him, and after Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Paul Heyman, he has seen many given oxygen on the “Island of Relevancy” that they ultimately, in his eyes, did not deserve. Giving credence to that fact, Reigns listened to Jey. 

He went into the main event with different designs, telling Fatu to his face that he hoped he had made the right decision to step down. Everyone in their family has stood up and either stood back down or been put down – “Final Boss” aside, he just disappeared into the ether – so Reigns went into that interaction with that hubris. 

Fatu came down to the ring and reiterated that he never needed a week to make any decision. He needs the title that Reigns has.  It was true what he said next — Fatu had to grind to get where he was, he wasn’t just picked from WWE developmental and given the straight route to the top. When Reigns was the “Tribal Chief,” Fatu was working MLW as its World Heavyweight Champion and he was broke. And Reigns never brought him to dance — that was Sikoa. 

Reigns came back at that, as one would expect him to, gaslighting his cousin like the “Tribal Chief” of old and claiming that he was the one that signed off on Fatu being brought in. Which would mean he signed off on Fatu coming in to attack him and usurp his Bloodline. Man, Jimmy should be p***ed. That was the point though — Reigns’ character has always been one to spin an idea of himself up in the genuine concrete lore of him and his family. He gets to write the story because he is the “Tribal Chief.” And if someone wants a new chapter written, they better step up and take the pen from him. 

Fatu proved he was about that, cutting Reigns off in his bulls*** with a Tongan Death Grip and walking off victorious. Plain and simple.

Written by Max Everett