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Vengeance, thy name is Roman Reigns.
It is a reality that faced Adam Pearce again Friday as the WWE official signed the contract for his Universal Championship match against The Tribal Chief at Royal Rumble on January 31.
The tense in-ring promo segment headlined a SmackDown that continued the march to the annual extravaganza, with both men and women announcing their entries into the namesake matches.
What fate awaited Pearce and who cashed their ticket to the Rumble pay-per-view?
Find out with this recap of the January 15 episode.
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- Contract signing for the Universal Championship Match at Royal Rumble
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. "Main Event" Jey Uso
- Rey Mysterio vs. King Corbin
Announced for Friday's show are:
Coverage begins at 8:00 p.m.
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Moments after Paul Heyman vowed to fix the contract for a dissatisfied Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship defense against Adam Pearce at Royal Rumble, Jey Uso hit the ring to kick off the evening’s broadcast.
“We run this show!” Uso said of him and Reigns. He warned Pearce about what awaits him at Royal Rumble and suggested WWE officials thank The Tribal Chief for their success. He declared his entry into the Men’s Royal Rumble Match and vowed to go to Raw, where he would win the WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre.
Uso said Shinsuke Nakamura should be thanking him and his family for letting him survive last week. This brought The Artist out, to his old theme music, for the first match of the night. Nakamura fanned the flames, calling Uso the puppy to Reigns’ Big Dog. He caught him with a kick ahead of the commercial break.
Grade
B
Analysis
Uso was strong here, coming across as natural rather than scripted. He was passionate and put over the current nature of his relationship with Reigns, talking up The Tribal Chief and putting his family over as the most badass entity in the sport.
Yet, the moment Nakamura appeared and confronted him, he ate a big boot to the face that silenced him.
As it should any yapping heel. It worked well and set the stage for the opening match on the night.
The return of Nakamura’s old theme would suggest a babyface turn is either in the making or is already completed.
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Nakamura and Uso went back-and-forth early until Cesaro’s music played and The Swiss Cyborg made his way to the ringside area, apparently in support of his longtime tag team partner. Fueled by his partner’s presence at ringside, Nakamura launched Uso into the ring post heading into the commercial break.
The Artist controlled the match coming out of the timeout as Cesaro joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary, excusing his absence from last week’s show by claiming Tropicana Field was too big for him to get to the ring and help his partner as he was beaten down by Uso and Reigns.
Uso turned the tide in his favor, working over his opponent in the corner with a barrage of boots. Nakamura recovered and delivered a sliding German suplex but Uso answered with a belly-to-back suplex for two.
Nakamura set up for the Kinshasa but Uso caught him with a superkick. The top-rope splash by the former tag team champion was met with knees to the midsection. Still, Uso recovered and scored a rollup using the ropes. Charles Robinson counted to three but waived it off. The ensuing argument allowed Nakamura to deliver the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory.
Result
Nakamura defeated Uso
Grade
C+
Analysis
The match was hurt by the poorly-placed commercial break. It hurt the flow and the viewers’ ability to really invest in it.
The effort was there and there was definitely chemistry about it that makes one wonder what the performers would have accomplished had the contest not been plagued by the break so early on.
Nakamura winning was the right move, though it would have been more effective clean. We have seen Jey lose in that manner in the past and recover quickly due to his spot on the card. It would have benefited The Artist more than the screwy nature of the finish.
Keep an eye on Cesaro, whose convoluted excuse for not saving Nakamura suggests there is a riff or even jealousy on his part that will spell the end of their team.
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Despite Heyman getting Pearce to sign a contract for a No Disqualification Match against Reigns at Royal Rumble, an unsatisfied Tribal Chief expressed his desire for a Last Man Standing Match and said he would sign that contract in the ring.
Interestingly enough, Apollo Crews sat in on the exchange moments after having knowledge imparted on him by the universal champion.
Back from the break, Natalya hit the ring for singles competition, Tamina in her corner. Her opponent? The Riott Squad’s Liv Morgan, accompanied by Ruby Riott and Billie Kay.
Early chain wrestling gave way to the self-proclaimed B.O.A.T. (Best of All Time) dominating the action with her strength and experience advantages. Morgan fought back but a distraction from an overzealous Kay allowed Natalya to score the win off a schoolgirl rollup.
Result
Natalya defeated Morgan
Grade
C-
Analysis
This was not good, nor was the execution.
Kay was the focal point, and given the emphasis on her character in recent weeks, that is fine. What was not was how convoluted the booking of the finish was.
Kay didn’t have to get in the ring, tripping and stumbling around. She could have accomplished the distraction from the floor and Natalya still could have won.
It is disappointing in some respects to The Riott Squad’s Morgan and Riott, who were building momentum for themselves as a team but are now in danger of being overshadowed in their own faction by Kay. That is through no fault of the Aussie, though, who is absolutely nailing everything she is being asked to do.
Except for the finish of this week’s match.
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A week after King Corbin sent him into the steel steps during the gauntlet match, Dominik Mysterio watched as his father Rey battled the heel in singles competition.
The bigger, stronger, more ferocious Corbin dominated the action, pummeling Mysterio for the majority of the match. Commentators Michael Cole and Corey Graves even asked Dominik how he could sit by and watch. The third-generation star cited his father’s wishes to stay out of the match.
Mysterio created separation and set up for the 619 but Corbin caught him with the Deep Six.
The action spilled to the floor, where Corbin blasted Dominik. Back in the ring, the young star attempted to defend himself but Corbin sent Rey into his son and finished him off with End of Days for the win.
Result
Corbin defeated Mysterio
Grade
C
Analysis
Do the Mysterios ever win anymore?
The perpetual losers suffered a familiar fate this week as Corbin continued to build heat for himself. The eventual moment in which Dominik stands up for himself, his own man, and fights back will ultimately make him an even more viable young star.
Until then, he needs some wins to build up his resume because right now, he looks like a perpetual loser.
The match was perfectly fine for what it was, which was an extended squash that saw Corbin steamroll Rey until he needed a distraction to score the win.
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