Cruz Montana became the talk of the wrestling town after joining forces with 946 on WWE RAW before Crown Jewel 2026.
On the November 2 episode of Raw before Crown Jewel, Solo Sikoa faced Royce Keys in a singles match.
Thanks for the submission!
The two men had a back-and-forth contest. Solo Sikoa had nearly won the match when Carmelo Hayes, Lucien Price, and Bronco Nima hit ringside and stopped him from hitting the Samoan Spike, causing a disqualification win for the Bloodline member.
After the match, Roman Reigns and The Usos ran down to even the odds, and just as The OTC landed two Superman Punches and lined up the Spear, a masked man entered the ring, threw a steel chair into his face, and dropped him with Spin the Block before unveiling himself as Cruz Montana.
His addition to 946 came as a surprise since he was already involved in a heated rivalry with Dion Lennox of the Darkstate in NXT.
Here are five reasons why Cruz Montana turned heel and aligned himself with 946 on the flagship show.
1. Finishing up with NXT
Montana officially arrived on the brand in July. He spent some time chasing the NXT title and most recently feuding with Dion Lennox.
The two men faced each other in a singles match last week, which ended in a double countout. The two are scheduled for an unsanctioned match for NXT tomorrow night, with UFC star Michael Chandler as special enforcer.
Now that he has joined the flagship show, it has become clear that Cruz Montana is wrapping up with NXT sooner than expected.
2. Royce Keys asked for it
False Finish just tweeted that Keys himself pitched the idea of bringing Montana to the group, and the Triple H-led creative seemingly gave the go-ahead.
Keys has reportedly been the faction’s recruiter all along. He asked WWE to add OTM, Jaida Parker, and Carmelo Hayes to his group.
WWE giving him a hand-picked ally makes 946 his group rather than a randomly put-together faction.
3. Setting up a 5 vs. 5 WarGames match for WWE Survivor Series 2026
After Cruz Montana joined 946, the WarGames lineup for 946 and The Bloodline is effectively set: Keys, Nima, Price, Hayes and Montana against Reigns, The Usos, Sikoa and Jacob Fatu (yet to return) at Survivor Series.
There’s no word yet on whether this will turn into a mixed tag team match, with Jaida Parker and Naomi inserting themselves into the mix.
4. Planting the seeds for Zilla Fatu’s main roster debut
Zilla Fatu is the name WWE is clearly building toward. Umaga’s son debuted on NXT in August and walked straight into the NXT Championship four-way at Heatwave alongside Montana.
Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that Fatu is expected on the main roster “soon enough”, and WrestleVotes told Fightful Select that WWE sees pairing him with his cousins as the long game.
A Montana working both shows gives the company a bridge. Last Word on Sports noted he could handle 946’s business in NXT, which matters if Fatu’s eventual call-up is being sold as a family decision.
If Jacob Fatu doesn’t return in time for Survivor Series: WarGames, Zilla Fatu could fill that spot since he just culminated his rivalry with the Birthright.
5. Adding fresh names to 946
The group launched with Keys, Price and Nima, then added Jaida Parker and Hayes. Montana makes six, and he arrives with an impressive résumé: a TNA World Championship reign, an AEW stint as Mike Santana, and a WWE run that started only this summer.
With the RAW roster highly stacked, adding Cruz Montana to a rising faction could help give him the rub he needs and make 946 different from other groups.
A 946 vignette has already reframed the number as who they are rather than where they are from, which leaves the door open for more additions.
Montana’s Unsanctioned Match against Lennox will be seen as a farewell before he officially moves to the red brand.
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Edited by Sidharth Sachdeva
