Backstage News on Solo Sikoa's Raw Segment Ahead of His Match With Royce Keys
There is a backstage update on Solo Sikoa's segment from last week's WWE Raw on October 26. According to Fightful Select, sources confirmed the segment was not green-screened, despite some fans believing it was.
In the segment, Sikoa accepted a singles match challenge from Royce Keys. That match takes place on Raw tonight, November 2, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
What the report says
Sikoa delivered a promo saying The Bloodline dominates WWE. Roman Reigns and The Usos were seen nodding along in the background. Because no other Bloodline members appeared on the show that week, some viewers suspected the scene was put together with a green screen.
According to Fightful's sources, that was not the case. The report says the segment was taped the week before and then aired on the Monday show. In other words, Reigns and The Usos were really there when it was filmed, just not on the night it aired.
After Raw, WWE confirmed the match on social media, posting that "Solo Sikoa has ACCEPTED the challenge from Royce Keys!" Fightful noted the challenge came "after weeks of back-and-forth" between the two.
Why it looked like a green screen
After the segment aired, a number of fans on X said it looked like Sikoa had been edited in front of Reigns and The Usos. Looking at the shot, it is easy to see why, and the reason is most likely the camera, not editing.
The segment was filmed with a very shallow depth of field. In simple terms, the camera was focused tightly on Sikoa, who stood close to the lens, while everything further back was left slightly soft. That is a common look in cinematic, film-style shots, and it is what makes a person in front seem to "pop" out of the picture.
- Sharp front, soft back: Sikoa is crisp and close, while Reigns and The Usos are several steps behind him and a little out of focus. When the difference is that big, the edge around the person in front can look cut out, like a green-screen key.
- Focus shifting: Reigns and The Usos were moving in the background, but the focus stayed locked on Sikoa. Whenever Sikoa leaned back a little, the focus shifted back slightly with him, so the edges around him and the people behind him went softer and then sharper again. That small "breathing" of the focus can make the outline around a person look like it is flickering, which is something viewers often link to a green-screen cut-out.
- Different lighting: Sikoa is lit brightly from the front for the camera, while the background is darker and moodier. A lighting gap between the subject and the background is another thing people associate with green-screen work.
Put those three things together and the shot can look "fake" on a phone screen, even when everyone was standing in the same room. That is our reading of the footage, not something WWE has explained, but it fits the Fightful report that it was a real, pre-taped segment.
How we got here
Keys and Sikoa have a long history this year. Back in June on SmackDown, Sikoa tried to recruit Keys into MFT. Keys turned him down. By the summer they were on the same side, and Keys, Sikoa and LA Knight beat Jacob Fatu and The Usos in a six-man tag at SummerSlam.
That alliance did not last. On the August 24 Raw, Keys turned on Knight and Sikoa, and OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price) made their main roster debut alongside him. The group, now known as 946, has since added Jaida Parker and Carmelo Hayes.
In September, 946 attacked Sikoa and abducted him on Raw before his Money in the Bank qualifier. Keys later posted a video telling Sikoa, "Your own brothers left you out here to die tonight."
That push sent Sikoa back toward his family. On the October 19 Raw, Reigns came out to help Sikoa and The Usos fight off 946. After the show went off the air, Reigns and Sikoa shook hands and embraced, marking Sikoa accepting Reigns again after their long rivalry.
What to watch tonight
Raw starts early tonight, at 6 PM ET / 3 PM PT on Netflix. The early start lets WWE tape Raw and SmackDown on the same night before the trip to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel 2026 on Saturday, November 7. The show also features John Cena's Raw return. Our full Raw tonight preview has the rest of the card.
- Solo Sikoa vs. Royce Keys: the first big singles match between the leader of 946 and the newly returned Bloodline member.
- Bloodline involvement: whether Reigns or The Usos appear in person this time, after last week's taped segment.
- 946 at ringside: OTM, Jaida Parker and Carmelo Hayes could all play a part in the finish.
Our view
The green-screen talk is a small story, but it shows how closely fans watch The Bloodline. The bigger point is that this match is a real test for Keys. A singles win over Sikoa would be his strongest result in this feud. With WWE heading into a busy stretch toward Survivor Series, a clean finish seems unlikely. We expect outside interference to keep the 946 and Bloodline war going.
