Following a ten bell tribute to first ever Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson, reigning Universal Champion Roman Reigns and “special counsel” Paul Heyman took the ring for an interview with Kayla Braxton on SmackDown. The self-proclaimed Head of the Table was not pleased with Braxton’s introduction, and was even less happy with her line of questioning. As clips rolled of the way Reigns had taunted Jey Uso into acts of savage violence against Daniel Bryan and Otis, Braxton asked Reigns if he felt that he was manipulating Uso, and if he feared the defiant Kevin Owens. Reigns responded with belittling vitriol towards Braxton, and Heyman chimed in with his spin of his client’s actions.
Kevin Owens interrupted, mic in hand, and challenged Roman Reigns to a title match for the Universal Championship at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. Uso accepted, earning the mockery of K.O. and the ire of Reigns, who did, however, accept Owens’ challenge. Not only was the title bout for the December 21 event game, set, match, but the two also committed to a tag match later in the program, with Uso and Reigns teaming up against Owens and another aggrieved victim of Uso’s, Otis.
Meeting up with Braxton backstage, Owens continued to air grievances towards Reigns, whom he said he had lost respect for.
Well, There's Jey @WWEUsos… But where is @WWERomanReigns? #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/eVrweR2BHN
— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020
Otis was the first to walk out to the tag match, followed by Uso. As he walked out to the exuberant entrance music he once shared with his twin, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso looked on edge. Looking over his shoulder repeatedly, he realized that Roman Reigns was nowhere in sight. His behavior only became more disgruntled and agitated as he walked to the ring alone. It seemed that Reigns was deliberately throwing Uso to the wolves in order to teach him a lesson in respect, for his earlier insolence in accepting Owens’s TLC challenge.
Uso entered the ring, and soon felt the impact of some hard punches at the hands of Otis. He soon got Uso against the ropes, and when he managed to break free was soon slammed to the ring by a brutal clothesline from Otis. Uso answered Otis by knocking him shoulder-first into the post, and Otis tagged out in favor of Owens. Owens wasted no time, delivering a barrage of punches to Uso, who was still flying solo, Reigns nowhere to be found. After trading blows, K.O. and Uso both had each other down flat and winded when Reigns deigned to enter.
Both K.O. and Uso were reinvigorated by his entrance: for Uso, it presumably meant help was on the way; for Owens, it meant he was face to face with the man he wanted to bring down. Both athletes got back on their feet, but Uso was soon down again from a step-up enzuigiri from Owens. Reigns, seemingly on his cousin’s side, issued a Superman Punch to Owens, then turned his fury on Otis.
The FURY of @WWERomanReigns has been UNLEASHED on @otiswwe!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/xb4AQ7fuQm
— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020
Otis was reduced to Reigns’s punching bag as he bounced him across the announce table, against the post, and the steel steps, then the Universal Champion lost all restraint and lifted the steps, hitting Otis with them again, and again. Owens, who has not always been the most faithful tag partner, quickly came to Owens’s defense, attacking Reigns from behind. Uso flew in with an assist to Reigns, dropping Owens.
However, Kevin Owens did manage to get Reigns where he wanted him: in the ring. Reigns delivered another Superman punch, and with K.O. in the corner Reigns tagged in Uso, but didn’t leave the ring immediately. He manipulated Owens into place for Uso’s punch. Owens was severely winded, but not down and out; he delivered a cannonball to Uso, who failed to deliver his own flattening splash. Uso and Owens slugged it out, K.O. delivering a clothesline, stunning, and getting a cover on Uso, who kicked out.
Owens was clearly done going through Uso to get to Reigns. Owens began taunting Reigns to get in the ring with him. Over the protests of the referee, Reigns answered the challenge and got involved, and he, Owens, and Uso traded punches and kicks. Uso issued a superkick to Owens and climbed the ropes for a high flying finisher.
Reigns, however, had other ideas, and a command for Uso: abandon the move, and tag him in to finish Owens.
Before Uso could follow through, Owens knocked Reigns off the apron, and once again hit Uso with a stunner and covered him. Reigns interfered, knocking Owens off Uso and locking Owens in one of his most lethal maneuvers: the guillotine. Though the bell tolled frantically to end the match, Reigns continued to squeeze the life out of Kevin Owens. Once again Reigns’s encouragement brought unrestrained mayhem out in Uso, and both cousins savagely beat Owens with chairs. While Uso unloaded, Reigns went off on a defenseless Owens, promising to take everything from him at TLC. Reigns was not done as he unleashed chair shots on Uso to re-establish his dominance.
😮#SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/4ZHBPGBIHn
— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020
Once again, Roman Reigns has secured his dominance over the SmackDown roster with unmitigated violence, and Jey Uso’s assistance, leaving Kevin Owens with not just fresh wounds, but an even bigger score to settle at TLC.
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