In recent years, fans have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of factions in AEW and WWE. From The Bloodline to The Judgment Day, several high-profile stables have established their dominance in the Stamford-based promotion since 2020. Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling has seen the emergence of The Inner Circle and the Blackpool Combat Club, which got over with the audience in no time.
A new heel group has taken control in AEW in the past few months. Following his return in August 2024, Jon Moxley began recruiting members for his latest faction, The Death Riders, intending to reshape the future of the Jacksonville-based promotion as per his vision.
The Purveyor of Violence retained his former allies, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta while bringing in new members like PAC and Marina Shafir.
Interestingly, The Death Riders have quite similarities with The Bloodline. Aside from The Shield connection between Reigns and Moxley, the two heel groups surprisingly have a few other things in common as well. In this article, let's look at four parallels between The Bloodline and Jon Moxley's The Death Riders:
#4. Both factions have a member playing the role of a silent Enforcer
The Bloodline storyline has been an integral part of the WWE programming for over four years. The multi-layered story went through several different phases, resulting in the inclusion of new members from time to time. At Clash at the Castle 2022, Solo Sikoa finally embraced his Samoan roots by helping Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre.
It was the night that The Street Champion officially assumed the role of the OG Bloodline's Enforcer. Although he did not speak much on the microphone, Sikoa proved to be a loyal asset for Roman Reigns, helping the Original Tribal Chief emerge victorious in numerous title defenses.
The Death Riders have also got their enforcer in the form of PAC, who truly believes in Jon Moxley's vision. While he does get some promo time from time to time, his primary role is to annihilate anyone who tries to oppose The Purveyor of Violence.
The former AEW International Champion seems quite comfortable in his role and could come in handy for his leader when the latter defends his AEW World Championship against Orange Cassidy at Full Gear 2024.
Solo Sikoa fought as a trustworthy soldier for the OG Bloodline till the end of Roman Reigns' title reign at WrestleMania 40. If PAC could remain as loyal to his leader as Sikoa, Jon Moxley may hold on to his title for a long time.
#3. The leaders of both groups won the World Championships immediately after turning heel
At SummerSlam 2020, Roman Reigns officially turned heel by attacking "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. A week later, the OTC defeated the two former Wyatt Family allies to become the new WWE Universal Champion at Payback 2020. Interestingly, it was Reigns' first match in a long time, as he had been on a four-month hiatus from WWE at that time.
Jon Moxley seemed to have followed in the footsteps of his former Shield brother. After losing his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Forbidden Door, The Purveyor of Violence took a two-month-long break from in-ring competition before eventually making his return in August 2024. At that moment, Moxley was nowhere in the list of stars who were being considered to be the next AEW World Champion.
At AEW WrestleDream 2024, The Deathrider dethroned Bryan Danielson to capture the prestigious world title in only his second match after his return. While names like Darby Allin and Swerve Strickland were deemed potential contenders to defeat Danielson, Moxley edged past all other choices to get his hands on the AEW World Championship.
It is safe to say that both Reigns and Moxley kicked off their respective reigns in a dominant fashion. The two former allies instantly reclaimed the top spot in their promotions days after turning heel.
#2. Wheeler Yuta's character growth in AEW has been quite similar to Jey Uso
Jey Uso's rise as a solo performer has been one of the biggest WWE stories of the last decade. However, the former Intercontinental Champion had to do the dirty work of The Bloodline for several years before he eventually embarked on a successful singles run.
Interestingly, Uso was the first individual who stood up against Roman Reigns' tyranny in the fall of 2020. However, the 39-year-old star was tormented by his older cousin, who wanted Jey to acknowledge him as his Tribal Chief.
At Hell in a Cell 2020, Reigns assaulted an injured Jimmy Uso to force The YEET Master to say, "I Quit!" Having seen the ruthless side of Reigns, Jey Uso had no choice but to fall in line and become the Right Hand Man for the Original Tribal Chief.
Wheeler Yuta has been on a similar path to Jey Uso since the implosion of the Blackpool Combat Club. At AEW All Out 2024, Jon Moxley solidified his heel turn by attacking a war-torn Bryan Danielson. While Claudio Castagnoli was also in on Moxley's plan, Wheeler Yuta was left devastated to see his stablemates unleash their wrath on his idol.
The incident took a toll on Yuta's mental health, as he was now forced to pick a side between Moxley and Danielson. The whole situation left the former ROH Pure Champion in a conflicted state, which is what Jey Uso went through when he had to fight his cousin.
At All Out 2024, Wheeler Yuta turned his back on Danielson, officially joining The Death Riders in the process. Interestingly, The American Dragon was also the first victim when Jey Uso decided to embrace his dark side in October 2020.
The former Right Hand Man of The Bloodline continued to fight for the faction for years before eventually cutting his ties with Roman Reigns in June 2023. It proved to be a career-defining decision, as Jey went on to have a blockbuster singles run following his departure from the faction.
If Wheeler Yuta ends up going in the same direction as Uso, we might see him turning face down the line. If the 28-year-old star parts ways with The Death Riders, he could emerge as a potential contender to dethrone Jon Moxley.
#1. Both factions were responsible for ending Bryan Danielson's full-time run in WWE and AEW
Bryan Danielson is one of the very few individuals who have a direct connection with The Death Riders and The Bloodline. The Leader of The Yes Movement is the only star who fought against the two heel factions, led by Roman Reigns and Jon Moxley, respectively.
Unfortunately, things have never gone down well for Danielson whenever he has crossed paths with a group whose leader is a former Shield member. In June 2013, it was The American Dragon who joined forces with Kane and Randy Orton to put an end to The Shield's undefeated streak as a trio.
It turned out to be a massive blunder on Danielson's part, as both Reigns and Moxley made him pay for breaking The Shield's streak years later. In April 2021, the 43-year-old veteran battled the Original Tribal Chief in a Career vs. Title Match on WWE SmackDown.
After a hard-fought battle, Reigns took down The American Dragon successfully, putting an end to Danielson's run in WWE. It was a moment of relief for the stable, who had been dealing with The Leader of The Yes Movement for months.
Following his exit from WWE, Bryan Danielson joined AEW in September 2021. The American Dragon went on to have a memorable three-year run in the Tony Khan-led company before his full-time career was ultimately ended by Jon Moxley at WrestleDream 2024.
Interestingly, the 43-year-old veteran had already announced that his full-time career would last as long as he holds the AEW World Championship. With Danielson only having limited days as a full-time performer, a feud with a ruthless Moxley is something he could have avoided.
At AEW WrestleDream 2024, The Deathrider relieved The American Dragon from his responsibilities as a full-time wrestler. The Purveyor of Violence successfully dethroned his former ally, putting an end to his current run in AEW. It was a groundbreaking victory for the entire Death Riders group, as it was able to eliminate the biggest thorn in its path.