Tama Tonga, a highly sought-after free agent in today’s wrestling scene, is patiently waiting for the ideal opportunity to make his next move. The former NJPW World Champion and NEVER Openweight Champion parted ways with the promotion following his title loss at Wrestle Kingdom, its flagship event, on January 27th.
Tonga’s anticipated debut in the WWE has become a topic of widespread speculation among fans worldwide, with rumors suggesting that he may join the SmackDown roster and potentially team up with the Bloodline faction.
Will Tama Tonga join the Bloodline?
Tama Tonga, after his departure from NJPW, is widely rumored to head to WWE and join The Bloodline stable led by The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. The Bloodline has become one of the most dominant factions in WWE today, led by the Universal Champion Roman Reigns along with Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.
The Bloodline got stronger on February 16th SmackDown episode, when the People’s champion, The Rock joined the faction. Although not connected by blood, Tama Tonga is regarded as a member of the Rock’s extended family due to his father, Haku, who formed a close bond with The Rock’s grandfather, Peter Maivia during their time together in WCW during the 1970s.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Tonga is likely to join the Bloodline storyline at some point. Meltzer said, “He’s on his way. Don’t know the role. Very likely, at some point, could be part of the Bloodline situation because he’s considered family by all those guys. So if they need somebody new, it could be him.”
Meltzer also added, “A year ago, he had been talking with WWE. I don’t know a start date or anything but he’s done in New Japan, so in theory, he should be starting pretty soon.”
Meltzer confirmed that Tonga was in talks with WWE officials last year regarding his debut in the company. He also stated that Tonga is not returning to NJPW and will likely join WWE soon. Whether Tonga joins the Bloodline or not, his arrival in WWE is bound to create a lot of buzz and excitement among fans and wrestlers.
Anoa’i family member acknowledges Tama Tonga as family
Lance Anoa’i, a former MLW Superstar and a cousin of Roman Reigns and The Usos, has now acknowledged Tama Tonga as the official member of The Anoa’i family. During a recent interview with Steve Fall of WrestlingNewsCo, Lance considers Haku’s family a part of his own since they are all from the South Pacific.
Lance said, “Not by blood. We consider him, every time I see Haku, he’s my uncle, lot of respect. I believe it’s just more like the island culture. We’re all from the South Pacific, so the islanders just stick together, man. It’s just one breed. But yeah, always, I’ve seen Tama Tonga growing up, I hung out with him while I was out in Japan. Whenever our schedules blessed us to meet up and have dinner. There’s always love there. I don’t know if it’s true or not. I know I’ve been reading on the Internet that Tama Tonga has signed. If he did, good for him because I think it’s well-deserved and about time.”
Lance advocates for Tama Tonga to align with his cousin Jey Uso on RAW rather than joining the SmackDown roster with The Bloodline. Jey Uso, who distanced himself from The Bloodline following an assault by Reigns, has been operating solo on the RAW roster for the past year.
While the general consensus leans towards Tama Tonga joining The Bloodline, Lance believes that pairing him with Jey Uso would be advantageous, considering their extensive experience as a tag team. Tonga’s WWE debut date is not yet confirmed, but it is expected to happen soon and fans are eagerly waiting to see his impact in the WWE.
