Roman Reigns is back, and to an insane pop heard around the world in every home and sports bar tuned into Summerslam 2024, and he never uttered a word. He simply dismantled Solo Sikoa with a Superman Punch and a spear before quietly exiting the arena on Saturday but, six days later, the WWE will put a microphone in the hand of the Original Tribal Chief.
The entirety of the WWE Universe will be hanging on his every word, glued to his aura, and the fear Sikoa wore on his face last weekend was telling of what’s to come when the Bloodline Civil War truly begins – seeing as the first real nuke just landed.
LOOK: RHODES MAKES INTERESTING COMMENT ABOUT ROMAN REIGNS
That’s not the only thing SmackDown has cooking, though it is the thing that will save the show from its dip in ratings and being boat raced by both RAW and NXT, with four title changes at Summerslam making for an interesting reset on the Blue Brand.
LA Knight is now the new United States Champion and he’s gonna have plenty more to say over what he spoke in the post-PLE press conference, shrugging Logan Paul off and focusing on the start of his first-ever title run in the WWE.
WATCH: LA KNIGHT SPEAKS ON DEFEATING LOGAN PAUL
Bayley dropped her WWE Women’s World Championship to Nia Jax, the 2024 Queen of the Ring, with an assist from Tiffany Stratton, the reigning Ms. Money in the Bank, and while the two have struck an alliance as of late, don’t presume to think Tiffy Time wouldn’t punch the clock and potentially cash in, sooner or later, against Jax.
The two-hour show offered plenty to follow Summerslam, and these three moments topped the list of must-sees:
3. Knighty Knight
The kavorka was in the building and oozing out of Tulsa when Knight took the ring with his shiny new United States Championship wrapped around his waist and with the original Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, in attendance to enjoy Knight’s first-ever promo as champ.
“I said call me what you want but, sooner or later, you will call me champ. I have arrived,” said Knight.
He went on to say he’s now a marked man and that bothers him none, because the “game is still the same” because he’s been a marked man since walking into the WWE.
But his electric promo that was filled with a reminder that he “hit it and quit it” was interrupted by Santos Escobar, the former temporary ally of Logan Paul who nearly cost Knight a shot at the Money in the Bank ladder match and continued to troll Knight thereafter.
Escobar doesn’t believe Knight deserves the title.
“All of your glory is gonna be nothing but an opening act to my reign,” said Santos. “I’m the one who truly deserves to be the United States Champion, with everybody saying, ‘Escobar, si!’”
Knight basically scoffed at the attempted insult and reminded Escobar he’s “gotta be tired of me beating the brakes off of you” before telling him to worry about qualifying in the No. 1 contender’s match against Andrade first; and then he can catch hands yet again.
And, with that, Knight’s championship reign is off to one hell of a passionate start.
I mean, honestly, because of course it is.
YEAH.
2. Owen Him a Shot
Rhodes jumped off the episode by teasing who he’d chosen to be his next opponent for the WWE Championship at “Bash in Berlin” but, of course, that wouldn’t be said because Sikoa was all set to, predictably, appear and tell Rhodes it’s Roman Reigns’ fault for the loss against Rhodes — demanding a rematch at the next PLE.
Rhodes then accused Sikoa of getting Jacob Fatu injured (this is true, because he’s actually injured and in a walking boot), unable to get the win by himself and Rhodes declined the request for a rematch, passionately.
Sikoa and the Tongans wouldn’t take no for an answer and approached him with the threat of physical harm before a familiar friend of Rhodes, Kevin Owens, with two chairs in-hand and ready to boogie.
The Bloodline would back off and Sikoa would threaten to return “after I find Roman Reigns”, and then came the curveball.
Rhodes informed Owens he wants to battle him in Berlin in a title match.
“Title matches need to be earned and I’ve done nothing to earn it,” said Owens. “Look at my win-loss record over the last year. I appreciate it, but I’m not the guy. — I’m really not."
The champ, amidst chants of “you deserve it!” raining down, made it clear to Owens that he wouldn’t take no for an answer and promised to convince general manager Nick Aldis to make the match happen.
After all, Randy Orton, Rhodes' other compadre, is wrestling Gunther for the WWE Heavyweight Championship in Berlin, so why not Owens?
It turns out all it took was for Aldis to mention giving Reigns the match against Rhodes for Owens to begin ranting about how there's a locker room full of guys who deserve it more than Reigns does at the moment.
"I don't need to go to the locker room," said Aldis. "I'm standing in front of one. He sees it. They see it. And, now, I see it."
Ah, the Jedi mind trick, and it worked (plus it's far too soon for the Reigns vs. Rhodes trilogy, anyway).
Owens accepted and we have ourselves a fight on our hands on Aug. 31.
1. Roman Candle
Fireworks.
That’s exactly what it felt like to see Roman Reigns grab a mic again, and for the first time since losing to Cody Rhodes in Wrestlemania 40 — less than one week after making his triumphant return at Summerslam.
Sikoa continued his disrespect by demanding the crowd in Tulsa acknowledge him, knowing full well Reigns was in the building somewhere.
“Roman Reigns, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m the Tribal Chief now,” said Sikoa. “And if you call yourself the Tribal Chief, and you want these back, then come and get it from me.”
Ask and you shall receive.
Reigns appeared and walked down the ramp, dismantling the entire faction singlehandedly and forcing Sikoa to retreat as Roman eventually put Tonga Loa through a ringside barrier with a spear.
From the safety of the distance of 60 yards, Sikoa yelled his insults but it was met with Reigns yelling back to him, “I’m the ONLY Tribal Chief!” and though he didn’t have a microphone, the message was loud and it was clear:
There is hell to pay, and Sikoa’s invoice has arrived.
OOOOOWWWWWAAAAHHHHHH….
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