4 Explanations for WWE changing Roman Reigns’ OTC nickname to OTC1

WWE Superstar Roman Reigns returned to weekly programming on this week’s episode of RAW. The Head of The Table saved CM Punk and Jey Uso from Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed after The Second City Saint defeated The Unpredictable Badass to win a five-man Gauntlet Match.

Interestingly, the OG Bloodline leader’s t-shirt carried a new nickname, “OTC1.” Here are four reasons why the company opted to change Roman Reigns' nickname:

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#4. To spice up his potential future feud with Cody Rhodes

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes headlined WrestleMania XL, where the latter ended The Head of the Table’s reign as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. This was the culmination of over two years of storytelling, with The American Nightmare challenging the Original Tribal Chief for the world title on successive editions of The Show of Shows after winning the 2023 and 2024 Men's Royal Rumble.

While Roman Reigns is currently involved in a feud with Seth Rollins and his crew, he will likely revisit his rivalry with Cody Rhodes down the line. Interestingly, The American Nightmare calls himself ‘QB1.' Thus, the nickname OTC1 is a direct parallel to this moniker. WWE could effectively use this dynamic to set up QB1 vs. OTC1 in the future if their feud is revived.

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#3. It could be a subtle tease for OTC2

If Roman Reigns has been assigned the name OTC1, it is likely that there will be an OTC2 as well. This figure could be none other than The Rock. Reigns’ real-life cousin turned into The Final Boss on the Road to WrestleMania XL to stop Cody Rhodes from winning the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Earlier this year, he played a key role in John Cena turning heel after more than two decades. This eventually led to The Franchise Player dethroning The American Nightmare as Undisputed WWE Champion at WrestleMania 41. However, The Rock was nowhere to be seen at The Show of Shows.

Fans have long been anticipating Roman Reigns vs. The Rock to decide who is the ultimate Tribal Chief. Right now, The Brahma Bull holds the title of The High Chief. He had even put the Ula Fala around the neck of Reigns on RAW’s Netflix debut in January 2025 after The Head of The Table defeated Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat Match. Thus, if WWE chooses to go down this path, a battle between OTC1 and OTC2 could be on the table.

The Great One could return to weekly programming and reveal himself as OTC2 before challenging his cousin to a match.

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#2. Roman Reigns could be solidifying himself as the ultimate Tribal Chief

Roman Reigns’ title of The Tribal Chief was stomped upon and overtaken by Solo Sikoa after WrestleMania XL. He recruited Tama Tonga, Jacob Fatu, and Tonga Loa to create his version of The Bloodline, constantly slandering the former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for losing the belt to Cody Rhodes.

Reigns returned with the moniker ‘Original Tribal Chief’ at SummerSlam 2024, costing Solo the title match against Cody. He later earned the name of the ‘Only Tribal Chief’ after winning the Ula Fala back from Sikoa in January 2025.

Since WrestleMania 41, The Street Champion has given his faction another revamp, adding new faces, JC Mateo and Talla Tonga, to the group at the expense of Jacob Fatu. After winning the US Championship from The Samoan Werewolf at Night of Champions 2025, Solo introduced his stablemates as his MFTs.

In response, Roman Reigns could also be trying to assert his authority and solidify himself as the ultimate Tribal Chief. Hence, he is doubling down on his title as the one who started The Bloodline: OTC1.

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#1. It could be a commercial move for new merchandise

WWE Superstars often bring in new gimmicks and layers to their characters. The change is almost immediately reflected in their merchandise. A notable example of this is John Cena’s t-shirts and the variations of Jey Uso’s ‘YEET’ merchandise. Similarly, the new nickname could have been given to Roman Reigns to make and sell his new merch.

Merch sales invite big profits for the wrestling promotions while also earning royalties for the respective superstars. Thus, OTC1 could be another new wave of merchandise release for the loyal and hardcore fans of The Head of The Table. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for the OG Bloodline leader as SummerSlam 2025 approaches.