The dethroning of Roman Reigns was always going to leave a void that, in theory, would let other Superstars shine.

Some of the fan theories suggested that challengers to Rhodes would be the ones to benefit most, once the company's top title was defended again. Plus, it would clear the logjam in the midcard and around the titles there, too.

But what few predicted was that this "new season" of WWE, sans Reigns, would create a sudden and must-see interesting Superstar:

Solo Sikoa.

It's nothing to scoff at. Maybe fans were dissatisified with Sikoa because of his consistent role in helping Reigns cheat to win that it bordered on feeling like the company was purposely annoying them. His losing matches despite the silent tough guy act didn't help.

But look how fast things can change.

After 'Mania and with Reigns and The Rock nowhere in sight, Sikoa effectively took over The Bloodline, disobeying direct orders from the Tribal Chief himself (via a very distraught Paul Heyman) and serving as the catalyst for the long-anticipated Tama Tonga debut.

In the process, Jimmy Uso got himself destroyed:

The storyline implications over the long-term are gargantuan in nature. A sudden expansion of the Bloodline (and it's likely not done with Tonga) under Sikoa's orders is must-see material. If it pushes The Usos back together, even better.

One would think, too, that Sikoa is the centerpiece of how WWE will build the inevitable-feeling Rock vs. Reigns clash over the summer or even at the next 'Mania.

If Sikoa's "losing has consequences" theme of the last few weeks is a directive of The Rock himself from afar, it stands to reason to theorize that Reigns might eventually return as a babyface. And if that happens, fans might just get a heartwarming reunion with Reigns and the Usos as a Bloodline civil war kicks off in earnest. Given how well the storytelling was handled to get to this point, it's sure to be fantastic.

Or, we could theorize another direction that is just as interesting. Since Heyman is a weekly presence on WWE programming, perhaps he throws in the proverbial towel and aligns himself with Sikoa too, putting him against the Tribal Chief. The big Heyman betrayal of Reigns never happened, but his weasel-like character who survives by attaching himself to the most dominant remains, so there's a ripe story there just waiting to be grabbed, too.

But what is most impressive here is that even without the storyline implications, Sikoa is immediately perhaps the most interesting Superstar on the WWE roster.

And for dedicated NXT viewers, this isn't all that surprising. When he was free to grab a mic and talk, free to be a menacing, turned-loose final boss of sorts, Sikoa was one of the hottest things going in pro wrestling.

It seems pretty clear WWE is ready to embrace that now, which really opens things up for the roster, wherever Sikoa might land after the draft. He's a believable threat as it is for a multitude of reasons, but how other Superstars and performers like Heyman react to him, and the fact he's got at least one henchman backing him up at every turn is pretty compelling stuff. Feel free to add in the idea his every action is signed off on by The Rock himself, who happens to be an executive of the entire company.

And this means, for those who really pay attention to the blurred-lines aspect of pro wrestling, that WWE is finally turning loose a 31-year-old Superstar with main-event upside.

Granted, the company could just feed him to Rhodes in a feud, make him look like a lesser version of Reigns call it a day. But the early hints suggest quite a bit otherwise—it feels like Sikoa will be protected while being built up into the main-event his NXT run always suggested he could be.

And hey, with Reigns out of the picture, the roster needs more final-boss-styled monster heels who can be the foil to the good guys. This is especially the case if he's one of the main reasons Reigns goes back to being one of those good guys, too.

Quietly, Sikoa was one of the biggest players stuck in purgatory after Reigns won at WrestleMania 39. Rhodes got all of the attention, but he was stuck as a lackey for another year, too, unable to develop into something more.

But not any longer. With Sikoa now given the freedom to grow, he's instantly one of the most compelling things going in pro wrestling and worth watching with great interest.