Roman Reigns says Cody Rhodes was ‘never more relevant’ than when he was involved with The Bloodline

The Bloodline has been a dominant stable and storytelling device this decade. Family drama helped to elevate the careers of Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa and others. It’s also been integral to their rivals’ careers.

Reigns’ faction feuded with high-profile WWE superstars including Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. “The Tribal Chief” overcame every challenger during his 1,316-day as undisputed WWE universal champion until Cody Rhodes dethroned him at WrestleMania 40. 

Rhodes’ title win was an all-time WrestleMania moment. Yet The Bloodline remains a centerpiece of WWE programming well after its fall from title supremacy. Reigns acknowledges Rhodes as a great champion but says all roads lead back to The Bloodline.

“Cody’s a great Champion, he beat me so he’s gotta be, right?” Reigns told CBS Sports while discussing his role as WWE 2K25 cover star. “But he was never more relevant than when he was in my circle, on my island, and that continues to shine through.”

The family’s influence is pivotal even when WWE superstars aren’t actively engaged with the group. Such is the case in the ongoing feud between Rhodes and Kevin Owens, which revolves around Owen’s anger towards Rhodes for briefly teaming with Reigns. McIntyre is another example. The Scotsman is on a roster-spanning revenge tour, which has put him in conflict with The Bloodline.

“That’s the beauty of this,” Reigns said. “Even when they feel like they’re done with us or we’re done with them, we’re still able to push everybody and make everybody better because it’s a competition.

“There’s no sabotage, no bullshit, behind the scenes type stuff, the cream rises to the top, and if you’re better than me then go out there and show me, you can get as much time as you want. Anybody who orbits The Bloodline and I, it’s proven.”

Check out the full interview with Roman Reigns below.

Reigns’ sentiments echo that of his manager, WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman. Reigns’ “Wiseman” previously claimed The Bloodline is the most significant storyline in professional wrestling history.

“Because of the longevity this storyline has had, I’d have to rank it No. 1,” Heyman told CBS Sports. “The money-drawing years of The Four Horsemen weren’t this long. The money-drawing years of the NWO weren’t this long. The money-drawing years of [Steve] Austin vs. [Vince] McMahon weren’t this long. [Hulk] Hogan vs. [“Macho Man” Randy] Savage, Hogan vs. [“Rowdy” Roddy] Piper which put WrestleMania 1 on the map.

“It has done so by being the most intriguing and compelling because at every turn you see the characters not just turn towards what the story calls for, but the long-term effects of the development of these characters and the evolution of these characters is never lost on us. If something happens that changes Roman Reigns in 2022, we don’t disavow knowledge of it in 2024. It plays into what’s happening in 2024.”