For years, The Rock and Roman Reigns have been intrinsically linked together in the WWE. They've been directly paired together dating back to the 2015 Royal Rumble match when The Rock came to The Big Dog's aid to ensure the latter's victory. Since then, WWE has made sure to mention at every turn that the two Samoans are family .

That connection was further amplified following the WWE's Netflix premiere of Monday Night Raw, where The Rock anointed Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief. That being said, kayfabe and reality are often blurred so it's hard to distinguish them. After all, The Undertaker and Kane were never really brothers, nor were Edge and Christian, so why should fans believe Roman and Rocky are also related?

Readers can rest assured that while the exact nature of their union is complicated and deserves a deeper dive, The Rock and Roman Reigns are, in fact, related and of the Anoa'i family tree.

Are The Rock and Roman Reigns Related?

Yes, But It's Complicated

Long before either Roman Reigns or even The Rock stepped foot inside a WWE ring, the Anoa'i clan was leaving its footprint on the wrestling industry. The Anoa'i Family is arguably wrestling's most prestigious family tree, housing a plethora of notable names and World Champions of the wrestling landscape. The top of that family tree begins with Fanene Pita Anderson (a.k.a. High Chief Peter Maivia) and Reverend Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi. Maivia is The Rock's grandfather by way of adoption, while Anoa'i is Roman's grandfather and the father of WWE Hall of Famers Afa and Sika, The Wild Samoans.

To symbolize their bond, the two Samoans would take part in a blood oath pact that would signify them as blood brothers. In doing so, the Anoa'i family and the Maivia family would come together as one, considering both parties to be a part of one big family.

In their heyday, Maivia and Anoa'i were extremely close. Not related by blood, but as close as brothers. To symbolize their bond, the two Samoans would take part in a blood oath pact that would signify them as blood brothers. In doing so, the Anoa'i family and the Maivia family would come together as one, considering both parties to be a part of one big family. The Rock's mother is Mataniufeagaimaleata Fitisemanu Maivia, or Ata Johnson later in life, who was adopted by Peter when she was younger.

Today, that leaves Roman Reigns and The Rock in a place where the two are not related by blood, but both are active of the Anoa'i family. If anything, the most accurate term to apply to the former WWE Champions might be to say that they are distant cousins. Again, not related by blood, but nonetheless they are rightful of the Bloodline in and out of the ring. Both men are as close and as respected as any other member of the Anoa'i family.

The Anoa'i Wrestling Family

Notable Explained

The star power of Roman Reigns and The Rock alone is enough to carry the prestige of the Anoa'i family, but wrestling royalty runs deep across this family. The Rock's father, who married into the family, Rocky Johnson, himself was one-half of the first-ever black tag team champions in WWE history. Another wrestler who'd marry into the family is Trinity Fatu, a.k.a. Naomi, after marrying Jimmy Uso. Jimmy and Jey of the Usos, along with Solo Sikoa, are the sons of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.

Jimmy Snuka also married into the family, with his daughter being Tamina Snuka. Plus, despite playing a Japanese invader character, Yokozuna was a Samoan member of the family, real name Agatupu Rodney Anoaʻi.

As alluded to earlier, Roman Reigns' father and uncle, respectively, were Afa and Sika of The Wild Samoans, while his brother was the late Rosey. Peter Maivia's first cousin, Joseph Fanene, would give birth to Savelina Fanene, who is better known today as Nia Jax. Former Intercontinental Champion Umaga is another pivotal name in the family, giving birth to Zilla Fatu, a young indy prospect trained by Booker T and expected to be WWE-bound. The Rock's uncle, Haku, is the father of Solo's onscreen cronies Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, as well as recent NXT signee Hikuleo.

Is WWE Setting Up an Anoa'i Civil War for WrestleMania?

Technically, They Already Have

The list of Anoa'i stretches long and wide, and there isn't enough time or space here to truly scratch the surface by touching base with every member. WWE most certainly is aware of how many are in the Anoa'i family, and they are taking advantage of that history in current storylines. Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns have been battling over the Ula Fala since the past summer, with many of the aforementioned Anoa'i family clan (including Jacob Fatu, son of The Tonga Kid, who formed the Islanders with Haku) picking sides on who to .

The Ula Fala is back in Roman Reigns' hands now, and although The Rock did appoint him as such, it can't be overlooked that The Rock did mention his real-life position as the High Chief Seiuli, which ranks higher than The Tribal Chief in Samoan circles, traditionally speaking. One has to wonder if WWE is setting the stage for the long-awaited Rock vs. Roman Reigns for the WrestleMania, potentially escalating the Anoa'i Civil War to new proportions. Time will tell, but WWE has a gold mine in the form of the Anoa'i family tree under its nose right now, so anything is possible.