Roman Reigns' path to redemption hasn't been easy, but The Original Tribal Chief is determined to reclaim his throne and mend fences.

It has been seven months since The Head of the Table lost everything at WrestleMania 40 and went on a brief hiatus. In the meantime, fans wondered what would be next for the Superstar who successfully reinvented himself in 2020 and went on the most dominant run of his career.

His record-setting reign as undisputed WWE universal champion etched his name in the history books. The Bloodline allowed him to produce his best character work, and the once-divisive wrestler became the hottest star of his era.

Could a fall from grace and change of direction be nearly as compelling as his tyrannical rise to prominence?

At SummerSlam, the second-generation wrestler returned to confront Solo Sikoa and lay the groundwork for an uneasy alliance with Cody Rhodes. The two defeated his cousin and Jacob Fatu at Bad Blood, but it wasn't enough to retrieve the ula fala and topple the demons he created.

As many fans hoped, the new threat forced the founding members of The Bloodline to reunite, but the newer iteration of the stable still pulled off an upset at Crown Jewel. Sikoa shocked the world as he became the second man to pin Reigns this year, but this feud is far from over.

Let's try to predict how the 39-year-old can recover from this loss and potentially start the road to his 10th appearance in the main event of The Showcase of the Immortals.

OG Bloodline vs. The New Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames

A WarGames match featuring the original Bloodline and the group's latest incarnation was always the logical conclusion to this chapter of their story.

WWE has done a tremendous job of building up Sikoa as a pretender for viewers to reject and a consistent threat to the rest of the roster since April. His lust for power and bold moves to attain it have made Reigns' heir a villain fans love to hate, and it created culpable anticipation for The OTC's return.

Triple H's initiative to make Survivor Series a story-driven event has been a massive success for the last two years. It was a welcome change of pace because the annual exercise in brand warfare between Raw and SmackDown had grown stale.

The company has already done much of the heavy lifting to bring the band back together in the lead-in to Crown Jewel. Now that Reigns and The Usos are finally on the same page again, they just have to sort out their issue with Sami Zayn, who will likely be the fourth member of their WarGames team.

This is poetic because the 2022 match tested Zayn's commitment to his newfound family and shook its leader's trust in him. However, that was also the night when Jey Uso finally accepted The Honorary Uce.

It was a seminal moment for the storyline, which eventually led to in-fighting and betrayal. So, this year's men's WarGames match is the perfect destination for their reunion and inevitable callbacks to their heyday as a potent faction.

Sikoa needed to win at Crown Jewel to advance the story and continue to establish himself as a threat to his predecessor. Still, Reigns will claim victory this time, secure the ula fala and take his rightful place at the head of the table again in time for someone else to challenge his right to lead.

Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns 3 at Royal Rumble

Nevertheless, Reigns still has unfinished business with Rhodes, and they're bound to face each other in a WrestleMania rematch.

On Sept. 20, the two met at Georgia Tech to agree to the terms of their reluctant alliance and promote Bad Blood. Reigns held up his end of the bargain as they defeated Sikoa and Fatu, but we all know he's just getting his house in order before he comes for the WWE title again.

Considering the production value that went into their meeting at Bobby Dodd Stadium, it would be foolish to think that isn't the end goal. Still, it was smart to separate them for now and let Rhodes participate in a feud that doesn't involve The Bloodline.

The American Nightmare has been a great champion, but he needs to focus on his personal journey again before wrestling The OTC for the third time. They have so much history together that it will always be easy to revisit this rivalry, but this is a match WWE can push to 2025.

It would be fun to see Reigns enter the men's Royal Rumble match too, but he still has some claim to a rematch anyway. So, it makes more sense for him to challenge Rhodes at the event and try to regain his spot before The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment.

Expect the champ to retain, though, and set up the return of The Rock. The Final Boss vowed to come for him on the Raw after WrestleMania 40, but it seems like he may have an ax to grind with his cousin.

If he attacks him too, that would be a nice full-circle moment for longtime fans. After all, The Rock awkwardly endorsed him at the same event 10 years ago as the crowd booed.

Roman Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 41

Next year has to be the one WWE delivers the dream match fans have been clamoring over for the past four years.

This is the best chance to bring two of the biggest stars of their respective eras together and produce a box-office matchup in Las Vegas. Let's try to forget the clumsy way the company tried to push the 2024 men's Royal Rumble winner aside in favor of their long-awaited encounter earlier this year.

We don't need to revisit that, and WWE has a better story now. There were already subtle hints that Reigns and The Rock couldn't coexist, but the events of Bad Blood will probably be the last straw that drives a wedge between them.

The Great One initially turned on Rhodes when he disrespected his family. So, imagine how he must have felt when he came back to find The OTC sided with him against their family.

Even more, Rock has more of a claim to a title match than Reigns because he pinned The American Nightmare on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40. In his eyes, The Tribal Chief failed at the event, and the ensuing turmoil proves he's unfit to lead.

His current feud with Sikoa and the tag team with The Rock adds more depth to this story. When we get the staredown between them this time, the reaction will feel earned, and these two generational superstars will have more material to work with.

The OTC vs. The High Chief is a marquee match that doesn't need a title now. We can't wait to see if it finally comes to fruition at The Show of Shows.