WWE at MSG: Smackdown fans react to shocking twist in latest Bloodline storyline

One of WWE’s most popular storylines took a dramatic turn at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, leaving New York wrestling fans equally shocked and excited.

Wrestling has seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the past year thanks to the new creative vision of Paul “Triple H” Levesque and the ensuing movie-worthy storyline evolving a Samoan wrestling family at a stable known as The Bloodline. As rabid fans flocked to Friday Night Smackdown to see LA Knight, Logan Paul, Jade Cargill and more in action, all eyes were on Bloodline’s ongoing narrative.

Ever since Roman Reigns lost his historic title at WrestleMania to Cody Rhodes and disappeared from television, fans have been wondering what turn the story will take next, and June 28 did not disappoint. Current Bloodline leader Solo Sikoa, who has been making a hostile takeover bid for the group, attacked manager Paul Heyman after he refused to acknowledge Sikoa as the tribal leader.

The crowd erupted with deafening cheers as Heyman challenged Sikoa only to be silenced as he was lifted up and slammed against a table, leading to him being rushed onto a stretcher.

“It’s like Paul Bearer for the Undertaker, he’s one of the icons, you don’t touch one of those managers,” said Thomas Reilly, who attended the show with his 12-year-old son. “Roman Reigns is going to come back and get revenge because we don’t touch this man. »

As a longtime fan who says he’s been watching the product since he was a kid, Reilly says sharing this moment with his son means the world to him.

“I’ve never been to a wrestling event in my life. I’ve been watching since I was in diapers. And for him and I to be here together for the first time watching something like this together, it’s just something that’s priceless,” Reilly added.

Other fans agreed, going so far as to say that they haven’t been this invested in WWE since the early 2000s.

Matthew Cascone, wearing a bright red Becky Lynch wig and blue Smackdown Live T-shirt, said he started watching wrestling around the time of “Ruthless Aggression.”

“For me, wrestling is something really unique, especially live. When wrestling is bad, there is nothing worse than wrestling, but when wrestling is good, there is nothing more unique than wrestling. It’s live performance, athleticism, storytelling, and you get to meet them in person,” Cascone said.