Andrew Rizzo Roman Reigns is golden once again. The WWE megastar closed out Wrestlemania 42 with a win over CM Punk in the night two main event, capturing a World Championship for the first time since his historic 1,316-day reign ended two years ago. His fans are celebrating, and so are his friends at Jordan Brand, which has operated as a de facto partner for years now, even if nothing’s ever been officially announced.
Ahead of the match, Jordan Brand gifted Roman the Air Jordan 12 “Bloodline,” a sneaker that was once rumored, then scrapped, and is now finally set to release next month. It’s been a pretty unusual journey getting here. Here’s how it all played out:
May 2024: Rumors surface of a black and Varsity Red Air Jordan 12. Sneaker blogs (including yours truly) coin the unofficial “Bloodline” nickname, borrowing from a similarly colored Air Jordan 1 from 2019.
Shortly after: Wrestling fans point out the obvious connection to Roman Reigns’ “Bloodline” faction. With Roman consistently wearing Jordans and the faction built around a black and red identity, the dots connect quickly.
June 2024: The “Bloodline” 12s are scrapped in favor of a return of an Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game” retro, which ultimately released in March 2025.
September 2025: Reports confirm the “Bloodline” 12 is back on the calendar for a 2026 release.
April 2026: During Wrestlemania 42 weekend, Jordan Brand fully leans in by gifting Roman Reigns a pair, effectively stamping the connection as official in everything but name.
All things considered, the Air Jordan 12 “Bloodline” can technically now be viewed as a Roman Reigns shoe, even if it took a winding road to get here. Roman competed in custom Air Jordan wrestling boots during his actual Wrestlemania match, but with the OTC set to appear regularly on WWE programming through the summer, expect the “Bloodline” 12s to get plenty of airtime… maybe even as soon as tonight.
The Air Jordan 12 “Bloodline” is scheduled to release May 23rd via Nike SNKRS and select retailers for $205. Take a look at Roman unboxing the shoes below and hit our 2026 Jordan releases page to browse more upcoming pairs.
