WWE recently rounded off their year with WrestleMania 39, emanating from Los Angeles’ 82,000-capacity SoFi Stadium. The event is widely branded as the ‘Grandest Spectacle in Live Entertainment’, and this year, it didn’t disappoint. Vince McMahon’s moneys-spinning company composed a stacked card for fans of professional wrestling, with stars such as Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, and Logan Paul all featuring, as well as surprise appearances from music megastars Snoop Dogg and Bad Bunny.
The two-night mega card was headlined by the Reigns and his attempt to keep his 940+ day title reign ongoing. Cody Rhodes, the winner of the 2023 men’s Royal Rumble match, was the man trying to climb to the top of the mountain. In the end, however, the American Nightmare couldn’t get the job done, and Roman’s reign of terror is set to continue throughout the rest of 2023.
Triple H’s Creative Gamble
WWE’s Head of Creative, Triple H, took a huge risk with his decision to continue with the Head of the Table as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Many fans have been crying out for a change, with the ongoing reign approaching three years and with no end in sight. But with the company coming off another stellar year, the world’s number one professional wrestling organization may feel that the gamble is a relatively safe one.
Just like choosing to bet on red or black when playing roulette for real money online, rather than individual numbers, Triple H’s gamble has a high chance of succeeding. Reigns has proven that he can carry the weight of the company on his shoulders, and he has done for many a year, as proven by his number of appearances in the main event of WrestleMania. His spot in the showcase match at SoFi Stadium was his seventh ‘Mania main event, and he is now just one behind the legendary Hulk Hogan.
But are you one of the many fans that have grown tired of Roman’s record-breaking reign? Well, you need not worry. WWE 2K23 – whose producer 2K Sports has produced a number of quality games over the years – is a place where you can fix that, virtually at least.
The Bloodline Implodes
WWE fans have been eagerly anticipating the downfall of the Bloodline ever since the faction’s foundation back in the summer of 2020. Back then, Roman Reigns’ returned after global events forced him away from the company. He at once turned to the dark side and joined forces with the eternal bad guy Paul Heyman.
From there, his real-life cousins Jimmy & Jey Uso fell in line, as did their younger brother, rookie Solo Sikoa. The faction even had an honorary member in Sami Zayn, however, he has since left the group after striking the Head of the Table down with a steel chair at the Royal Rumble. Many predicted that that was the beginning of the end, however, Reigns and his family have come out of WrestleMania stronger than ever.
Admittedly, The Usos have since lost their Undisputed Tag Team Championships. They lost to the Zayn and his Canadian compatriot Kevin Owens in the showcase match of WrestleMania night one. But Zayn has since been on the receiving end of a beatdown from Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa, and the faction continues to power on unfazed by the events unfolding around them.
The Main Protagonists
So, how does the Bloodline eventually implode? Well, that depends on how you want to do things. But we feel that there are a number of protagonists who are crucial to the story being told correctly. The first of those is Jey Uso. He was the first man Roman Reigns defended his Universal Championship against back in 2020. However, he never managed to pin or submit his cousin.
The first time the pair squared off, Jey’s brother Jimmy threw in the towel at the end of a vicious beating. In the second match, Jey uttered the words ‘I Quit’ after Reigns turned his attention to Himmy, who was injured when the match took place. Main Event Jey has since fallen in line, but the dissension between the ‘Right Hand Man’ and the Head of the Table has been clear for months.
At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, it seemed as though he was about to turn on his older cousin and attack him with a steel chair. Thanks to a wayward spear from Sami Zayn, which didn’t happen, Uso appears to be on the same page with his Tribal Chief for the time being. But how long will that last?
Another man who has done his utmost to topple the Roman Empire is Sami Zayn. After pledging his allegiance to the Bloodline at Survivor Series back in November, the former Honorary Uce couldn’t take the mental abuse from the Tribal Chief any longer and drove a steel chair in his back at the Royal Rumble. He would subsequently come up short in his effort to usurp the Tribal Chief as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
At WrestleMania though, Zayn did his all to ensure that Reigns lost his title to Cody Rhodes. Reigns would once again come out on top, but it appears that Zayn will stop at nothing to see the end of the Bloodline once and for all. How will you integrate him into your story in WWE 2K23?