Fact Check: Are The Air Jordan Bloodline Sneakers Canceled?
Roman Reigns hasn't been seen in WWE since WrestleMania 40 when the Tribal Chief's historic 1,316-day championship reign ended at the hands of Cody Rhodes. Recently, news began circulating that a Bloodline-themed sneaker, "Air Jordan 12 "Bloodline," had been canceled. This led some fans to become concerned that a Reigns sneaker deal had been shelved.
We can safely confirm that is incorrect and will do our best to clear up some of the misleading information circulating on social media.
To be fair to all involved, this situation has many moving parts and is a bit confusing. It was reported that Nike-Bloodline-inspired shoes were coming back in May. However, after some further investigation, here's a bit of cleanup for everyone.
Last month, it was announced that the Air Jordan 12's “Bloodline” Edition would be released in 2025. It was widely reported that the shoe was created directly in connection to WWE's popular faction, The Bloodline. However, that was never the case. WWE's Bloodline and Nike's Bloodline are two separate things entirely.
Nike's "Bloodline" series of sneakers was launched in 2019, and despite a strong Nike-Reigns connection, this upcoming Bloodline shoe is part of a series that dates long before Reigns’ mind was poisoned by Paul Heyman and well before The Bloodline ever graced WWE TV. It should also be noted that there are no official reports from Nike that the sneakers are canceled.
It's easy to see how people can create the correlation. Roman Reigns is easily one of the biggest sneakerheads in WWE and has an extensive personal collection. In addition, Reigns would sport his latest pair of black and red Jordan Brand footwear whenever possible, all while dropping an iconic promo or getting physical between the ropes.
More so, there was a small collab between Jumpman and Roman Reigns ahead of WrestleMania 40. The Jordan Brand did indeed gift Reigns custom gear and special edition shoes for the big event, which the then-champion proudly showcased on social media. However, it should be stressed again there’s no official Reigns shoe at this time.
"Jordan Brand blessed Reigns with the Air Jordan 3 Retro Craft Ivory, Air Jordan 4 Retro Reimagined Bred, and two colorways of the Jordan Stadium 90. Each pair has been customized to feature unique graphics such as Air Reigns and his laser-printed logo, the Day One and Bloodline logos on the tongues, and Air Reigns lace dubraes. A unique pair of Jordan Boxer SP boots inspired by the Air Jordan 11 are expected to be laced up by Roman during his matches."
Unfortunately for Reigns, he could not secure the victory over The American Nightmare, losing his world title in his 4th WrestleMania main event in a row. Since then, Reigns hasn't been seen by anyone, including The Wise Man Paul Heyman. In his absence, his cousin Solo Sikoa has taken the reigns as the leader of The Bloodline, much to the terror of Heyman.
When Roman Reigns may return to WWE is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure, he'll have a lot to say about the current state of The Bloodline.
