WWE on Raw debuted with a bang. To kick the action off the company pulled out the big guns by having Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa face each other in a Tribal Chief rules match. The former Undisputed WWE Champion was often referred to as OTC, but what does that mean?
If you're not up to date with wrestling lingo, things can certainly change drastically from one week to another. Wrestlers can be just a bad day away from becoming the newest heel in the company or a handshake away from turning into the hottest babyface in the promotion.
So, if the last you saw of Roman Reigns was during the now iconic WrestleMania rematch against Cody Rhodes last year, there's a lot you need to know.
What Does OTC Mean in WWE?
Plain and simple, OTC means Original Tribal Chief. Some fans also use the term the Only Tribal Chief. You might be wondering, is there another one? And well, up until today, there was: Solo Sikoa.
How did that happen? Let's quickly recap everything that happened since the last Mania until today.
Soon after Reigns dropped the WWE title to Cody Rhodes he faded from existence. That's kayfabe for he took a well earned time off for a few months. In his absence, Solo Sikoa became the defacto Tribal Chief.
Sikoa kicked Jimmy Uso and welcomed former New Japan Pro Wrestling duo Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, as well as Jacob Fatu to institute the new Bloodline.
The aforementioned didn't sit well with Reigns, who returned to WWE TV on August 3 during SummerSlam, reintroduced as the OTC. In his return, he would help Cody Rhodes defeat Solo Sikoa to retain the WWE championship, starting a feud between the two Samoans.
Reigns would reunite with the Usos and even team with Cody Rhodes throughout the second half of 2024 to face against the new Bloodline, trading wins in different PLE's.
The Bloodline feud culminated at Survivor Series WarGames, where the Original Bloodline (Roman, the Usos, and Sami Zayn) with the help of CM Punk, defeated the new Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Jacob Fatu) and Bronson Reed.
Still, the personal feud between Roman and Sikoa was still pending, with both men ending it on January 6, as Roman reclaimed his title as Tribal Chief, winning back the ula fala in the process.
It was a long story, but definitely had a lot of payoff. For more wrestling content, check out Kenny Omega's new theme song created by a legendary Final Fantasy composer.