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Adam Pearce was a shocking choice for Roman Reigns’ opponent at the Royal Rumble when Reigns, Paul Heyman and Jey Uso orchestrated Pearce’s victory in a No.1 contender’s glove match. Friday night it was Pearce who took the big step by signing the official match contract before throwing a curve ball to the universal champion.
Pearce was “injured” as he walked up the entry ramp moments after the deal was signed, leaving the need for a replacement opponent. What followed was that Reigns was faced with an old rival whose hair he hadn’t been able to get rid of for months.
CBS Sports was with you all night, bringing you the results and highlights of all the action. Read on for everything you need to know about a solid SmackDown edition.
Adam Pearce and Kevin Owens beat Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns opened the show behind the scenes, apparently upset that he had just been awarded the match contract for his Royal Rumble match with Adam Pearce. Paul Heyman told Reigns that it was a standard fight deal, but then told Reigns that he believed a stipulation should be added to the match, taking the contract to go find Pearce. Later on the show, Heyman approached Pearce and Sonya Deville with a new deal with no disqualification rules. Pearce called it ridiculous, but signed the contract anyway. Heyman took the contract back to Reigns, who was with Apollo Crews. Reigns told Heyman he wouldn’t sign the contract because he wanted a Last Man Standing match instead, and said he would be signed later that night in the ring.
The show ended with Reigns, Uso, Heyman and Pearce all in the ring, seated at a table to sign the contract. Pierce reluctantly signed his name before slipping the contract to Reigns, who also signed. Pearce then said, “I’ve been waiting all night for you to do this.” He smiled then, grabbed the contract and left the ring, suddenly starting to limp as Reings looked confused. Pearce said his knee hurt all day from an old injury that had come to him. Pearce said not to worry as as with all contracts the cards are subject to change and he would find a suitable replacement for the game before introducing Kevin Owens. Owens closed the show by signing the contract to host the match at the Rumble.
It was always unlikely that Pearce would actually face Reigns, especially at WWE’s second biggest show of the year. That said, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed that an old veteran who has never made it into the ring under the brightest lights doesn’t actually get an opportunity. That said, Owens and Reigns have proven to be a good couple and the new stipulation could make for an even better game than their last two encounters. The execution of the entire angle was also very good and Reigns being outplayed overnight helps strengthen his character more than it hurts him as it is guaranteed that there will be great fallout from the situation. Quality: A-
What Else Happened on WWE SmackDown?
- Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Jey Uso via pin after a Kinshasa. Ahead of the match, Uso came out for the Royal Rumble, saying his plan was to continue the takeover of the family and go to Raw and win the WWE Title after winning the Rumble. Cesaro commented on the game and also announced that he will enter the Rumble. Uso almost won with a pin with his foot on the ropes, but his cheating was caught up, preparing Nakamura to strike a Kinshasa for the win.
- The Street Profits were interviewed behind the scenes. The team have vowed revenge on Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler after losing their titles last week.
- Natalya beats. Liv Morgan via pinfall with a school pin. Billie Kay was with the Riott Squad as an “unofficial official” member, dressed in punk attire. Tamina walked to the ring to support Natalya and also chased after Kay, who ran into the ring, causing a distraction that saw Natalya score a roll-up and win the match.
- King Corbin has won. Rey Mysterio via pinfall after reaching the end of days. Corbin attacked Dominick Mysterio during the match, which led Dominick to try to get involved. Corbin pushed Rey into Dominick, preparing for the finish. Rey taught Dominick backstage that you need to have a plan when dealing with a guy like Corbin and said he only knows the guy to talk to.
- Bayley hosted Bianca Belair on the new “Ding Dong, Hello” talk show. After some back and forth, Bayley challenged Belair to an obstacle course next week to determine which woman is more athletic.
- Cesaro beats. Daniel Byran via pinfall after a neutralizer. It was, as expected, an exceptional match with both men coming off long before Cesaro clinched a clear win, confirming the trashy words at the start of the series.
- Sasha Banks interrupted a behind-the-scenes interview with Carmella. Banks pushed Carmella and said she would give her a title match, but only if she could fight Reginald first.
- Apollo Crews def. Sami Zayn via pinfall with a rolling pin while holding the tights. Zayn was caught trying to use a handful of tights, which led to the referee breaking the pin. Moments later, Crews scored the pin by grabbing the tights himself, this time where the ref couldn’t see. The crews briefly began an argument with Big E, who was on the commentary, before leaving.
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