Ben Madilynn
As the self-appointed Noble Scribe to our Tribal Chief, I couldn’t be happier about Roman Reigns’ return. Since his mighty comeback at SummerSlam, he has made a great show even better, and his cinematic summit with Cody Rhodes last week on SmackDown was no exception.
Speaking of the Undisputed WWE Champion, I can’t say enough good things about Rhodes’ role in that segment. He matched Reigns word for word and might’ve even gotten the upper hand in their verbal battle. His sharp delivery made me dislike his character even more, which is a weird compliment, but a testament to how solid his performance was.
Since last Friday, I’ve watched that segment at least half a dozen times. First, because it was that damn good. Second, I keep trying to find clues as to what may happen next and where their story might go. However, during my reviews, something amusing stood out. Far be it for me to poke fun at my Tribal Chief, but I have to call it like I see it.
For the first time in a long time, Reigns appeared vulnerable as he described the gravity of his situation to Rhodes. Saying he was a man with no country and nothing to lose, Reigns recapped everything he lost after Rhodes took the Undisputed Title from him at WrestleMania XL, saying:
“They took Jimmy from me. They took my Wiseman. They took my Bloodline. They took my Ula Fala.”
Upon hearing that, I thought, “Yo, is the OTC about to remix ‘Regulate’ by Warren G?”
As I rewatched the segment over and over, I kept getting a fit of the giggles as I pictured Reigns slipping into a melodic, chill vibe à la Warren G as he spit bars with The American Nightmare.
I’m gettin’ jacked, I’m breakin’ myself
I can’t believe they takin’ Roman’s wealth
They took my belts, they took my Rolex
I looked at the Uce and said, “Damn, what’s next?”
Now, as the actual song goes on, rapper Nate Dogg glides in, talking about, “Sixteen in the clip and one in the hole, Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold.” While that line would better suit Arn Anderson, Rhodes’ mentor in AEW, I could see Cody gettin’ in the mix:
If you know like I know
You don’t wanna step to this
It’s the C-R era, funked out with a Nightmare twist
If you roll like I roll
You on top like everyday
And if yo’ ass is a buster
1-2-3 will regulate
Recently, I’ve suggested that Rhodes might be walking into a trap, one set by Reigns. However, if Reigns is sincere about his issues with Solo Sikoa and his Bloodline, it will be intriguing to see how Reigns and Rhodes interact before, during, and after their match against Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, and whether they can “regulate” at Bad Blood.
