Roman Reigns discusses pressure on The Bloodline to elevate the family’s legacy: ‘We’re committed to it’

There are many legendary families in professional wrestling. But with each passing year, it seems the Anoa’i family pulls further ahead of all the others. 

Roman Reigns and The Bloodline have been the focal point of WWE programming for the better part of five years. The dynamics between real-life relatives Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and others are regularly the most gripping stories in the company. Multiple WrestleMania main events and record-setting title reigns have been achieved in The Bloodline’s name.

“I’ve always tried to implement the word ‘representation.’ I’ve said it on our show and probably drilled it into Jey’s head because I really, firmly believe in that,” Reigns told CBS Sports while discussing his role as WWE 2K25 cover star. “I think we’ve done such a phenomenal job with everything we’ve done over the past few years.”

While the WWE gave Reigns every chance to succeed early on, he followed a similar path to The Rock in that both had to overcome immense fan scorn to eventually become leading men. Plus, not every member of the family is singled out to eventually become a mega-star, either. 

Twins Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso were seen as identical, destined to be great tag team champions with little individuality. That was until a critically acclaimed 2020 feud between Jey and Reigns reminded upper management that The Usos are unique personalities despite looking alike. While the Anoa’i family is far better situated than most to thrive, each member meets unique challenges.

“Believe it or not, I wouldn’t say I’m introverted but I can be shy at times so it takes a little bit to open up and break that shell,” Reigns said. “Solo is very similar, but even then that’s the pressure we have on us to be entertainers.”

Sikoa leads a second iteration of the Bloodline consisting of relatives Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. He is the latest Anoa’i member to take center stage. There are lofty expectations placed on the current generation of a family housing The Rock, Yokozuna, the Wild Samoans, Umaga and Rikishi. Factor in The Bloodline’s revolutionary success and that pressure is amplified. Sikoa’s evolution from stoic enforcer to brash leader is a sharp contrast from the young man lip-synching Flo Rida songs on social media. According to Reigns, the desire to live up to the family name stirs a need for self-discovery.

“We all start somewhere. That’s the beauty of it,” Reigns said. “We’re all performers and entertainers. Even in the kitchen of a broken-down apartment, you’re still working on stuff and trying things. That’s kind of our family right there.

“He’s doing a lot better work in the entertainment field now than he was with that broom trying to sing in the kitchen. He needs to wash some dishes though, stop singing and get to work.”

Reigns is no stranger to the grind himself. Reigns — whose 1,316-day WWE universal title reign is the longest in history — distinctly remembers traveling with a blow-up air mattress when hotels were unavailable or quick snoozes were needed on WWE’s grueling road schedule.

“Who told you about the air mattress?” Reigns asked suspiciously.

Evidently, Reigns said it himself during a 2019 GQ video shoot.

“I’m a clever man. I’m always thinking. Don’t let the good looks fool you, I’m very cerebral,” Reigns said. “Before I had a bus and I was a younger man, my hours were a little different than they are now. Sometimes I didn’t get much sleep. Sometimes that was due to recreation, sometimes that was due to travel, or both. If you don’t get too much sleep in that hotel room, and you gotta get to the building and you want to lay down. It’s a different building every single time. You don’t know exactly what you have in the locker room. 

“I Amazoned a little blow-up camping mattress. I’d blow it up every once in a while to take a pre-show nap. Anytime anyone ever walked into the locker room and saw me using this thing, it’d blow everyone’s mind. They’d all think, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ Because you’re not the Tribal Chief.”

Check out the full interview with Roman Reigns below.

The family’s latest victory is their role in WWE 2K25. Not only is Reigns the cover star, but The Bloodline has a significant presence throughout the game. This year’s Showcase Mode, a retrospective game mode chronicling a superstar’s career, celebrates the Anoa’i family. Reigns’ manager Paul Heyman narrates “2K Showcase: The Bloodline’s Dynasty” with matches involving Reigns, The Rock, Yokozuna, Fatu and others. A new “Rule Beyond the Ring” mode centers around a player-created character attempting to join The Bloodline.

“We’re in a situation where the whole video game, WWE 2K25, for the first time is created around one man and one family,” Reigns said.

“To be able to relive them, it’s all to plan. I wish I could say this all happened by accident and, ‘Man, we got lucky with this one,’ but no, man. We put in a ton of work. It’s a collaborative effort. Everyone believes in what we do. That’s why you see it in such an authentic light. That’s why it’s so good because we all believe in it. We’re committed to it. The company’s committed to it. WWE 2K is committed to it. It’s a beautiful situation for us to continue to showcase our talents, represent our family and hopefully build up our family name and the Samoan dynasty to a different level than ever before.”