WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins take a trip down memory lane

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The decade-long story of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins has a new chapter on the road to WrestleMania. WWE SmackDown took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the rise and fall of The Shield in the build-up to Reigns’ Universal title defense against Rollins at the Royal Rumble.

The interwoven careers of Reigns and Rollins were a focal point of SmackDown from start to finish, ending in a face-to-face meeting with the friends-turned-foes. This follows last week’s reveal that Rollins will challenge Reigns for the Universal championship. Reigns attempted to get the upper hand on Rolins with help from The Usos; however, Rollins was far too conscious of his old teammate’s game plan.

The evening’s other major event witnessed Lita’s return to SmackDown, her first trip to the blue brand in 20 years. Lita expressed a desire to add two major milestones to her illustrious career and got the better of SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from CHI Health Center in Omaha.

Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins relive The Shield glory days

WWE SmackDown kicked off with a video recapping Rollins’ assignment as Universal championship contender. Later in the broadcast, a short video package looked back on Reigns and Rollins’ start in WWE as members of The Shield. Halfway through the program, SmackDown aired another video package reminding fans of the 10-year-long journey of Rollins and Reigns. One night after The Shield defeated Evolution back in the summer of 2014, Rollins turned his back on Reigns and Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley in AEW) by attacking them with a steel chair. Another flashback touched on how Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and pinned Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight championship at Wrestlemania 31.

Reigns and Rolling met face-to-face at the conclusion of the show. Rollins pointed out how he has won every single one-on-one match between them. Reigns accused Rollins of living in the past and said that he’s now in “God mode” as he closes in on a record-breaking universal championship reign. The two continued to trade barbs until The Usos unsuccessfully attempted to attack Rollins. who was able to duck away and escape up the ramp unscathed.

The build to Reigns vs. Rollins wasn’t particularly exciting, but we’ll give WWE a pass. They were forced to pivot after Reigns contracted COVID days before Day 1. His positive test forced WWE to adjust plans for that pay-per-view, the Royal Rumble, and possibly WrestleMania.. The production staff did a fantastic job of reminding fans of how long the rivalry between the two dates back. It was a smart call to draw a decade of source material in what is essentially a two-week build to a major PPV championship fight. Reigns and Rollins were honest in their assessments of one another, a nice touch. Grade: B

Lita returns to SmackDown for the first time in 20 years

Huge chants for Lita broke out following a big pop for the WWE hall of famer’s entrance. Michael Cole interviewed her in the ring, complimenting the former WWE Women’s champion on her accomplishments. Lita said she is back to add two major milestones to her legacy: win the Royal Rumble and headline Wrestlemania. Reigning SmackDown Women’s champion Flair interrupted the legend, promising to cut Lita’s return short. Lita threw a “giant head” jab that got over with fans on the shoulders of her star power. Lita then faked a slap, eliciting a big flinch from Flair, before a subsequent Twist of Fate on the champion closed out the segment. That entrance music still rocks.

What else happened on WWE SmackDown

WWE RAW – Seth Rollins Discusses His Character

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Former four times WWE World champion Seth Rollins who is also a former two times WWE Intercontinental Champion and a former WWE United States Champion recently described his on screen character. He compared his gimmick to the Joker being a narcissistic man.

Most people often mistake that Seth Rollins is an utility product of WWE, which is not true at all. He worked in the Ring of Honor for two years before joining WWE in 2010. He also worked on the independent circuit for four years and he was quite popular in both sides.

WWE RAW – Seth Rollins Discusses His Character

He won a lot of Championship on the independent circuit and also at the ROH where he won the ROH World Championship one time and other championships as well. He had been quite a famous name in the independent circuit throughout his Indie days. He was quite famous during his Ring Of Honor days as well.

In 2010 he came to WWE and in 2012 he made his main water debut after short spells in the story The Florida Championship Wrestling and NXT, both of which were the development territory of WWE back in the time. He first made his debut as a member of the iconic WWE stable the Shield which also consisted Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.

In 2014 the team split up and they started working solo. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose remained babyfaces whereas Seth turned heel. He was the first of the three wrestlers to win the World Championship in WWE.

Seth played both babyface and heel gimmicks in WWE but he became mostly famous as a heel. He was a heel that fans love to hate. In a very short amount of time he earned a lot of championships in WWE including a total of four world championships, two of them were the WWE Championships and the other two are the WWE Universal Heavyweight Championships.

Apart from that he also won the WWE United States Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, a total of six Tag Team championships, Money in the Bank and also the men’s Royal Rumble match in 2019. Surely, he will win many other championships in future.

Seth Rollins who is also a former two times WWE Intercontinental Champion and a former WWE United States Champion recently spoke to where he described his on screen character. He said;

“God, it’s as if — it’s as if this crazy — if The Joker were a narcissist going through a midlife crisis. I guess that’s the best way to really put it [description of his character]. I don’t really know any other way to do it. But yeah, it’s a lot. It’s a lot happening but the cool thing about the character is it can kind of go any which way.

There’s a lot of unpredictability with it and I think that’s fun, you know? You can have matches like a Hell In A Cell match with Edge, but you can also have television segments where I just laugh with my best friend Bayley for five minutes.

So, you know, I just think that there’s not a lot of characters on our television program that can do all these different things and so, that’s kind of just my approach to where I’m at right now.”

H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcript

Seth Rollins’ Slow Ascent Back to the Main Event Scene Is Almost Complete

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Photo credit: WWE.com

When Seth Rollins returned to the brand where he made a name for himself and eventually earned a shot at the WWE Championship, it just felt right.

It felt like the Superstar who once carried WWE Raw on his back with the intercontinental title could be the one to inject some new life into its struggling main event scene.

However, the Davenport, Iowa native eventually got lost in the shuffle in what would become a crowded Fatal Five-way match at Day 1. Then, Brock Lesnar unseated Big E to earn his ninth world title win, leaving many viewers wondering what’s next for The Visionary.

An Auspicious Chance to Reignite a Storied Rivalry

It may seem a bit random now but it’s probably an opportune time to revisit one of his most famous feuds.

Some rivalries in wrestling will always connect with the fans because of the history behind them. To that end, Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins is one of those matchups that WWE can always go back to after some time away.

At the Royal Rumble, the longtime friends will clash in a one-on-one title match for the first time since Money in the Bank in 2016. Admittedly, this could have easily been a WrestleMania main event but the first big pay-pay-per view of the year is also a great destination for such a marquee matchup.

The two men have been indelibly linked since they debuted on the main roster as two-thirds of The Shield. The trio went on to become one of the hottest modern stables in professional wrestling and propel themselves into superstardom. The results weren’t exactly consistent but Reigns and Rollins will go down as stalwarts of this era.

This will be an interesting test for The Tribal Chief because he has never definitively beaten his former stablemate. However, it will also serve as a true assessment of The Visionary’s growth since his highly criticized reign as universal champion. After all, he will more than likely act as the babyface in this encounter because Reigns is the company’s top heel.

Persistent Struggles as a Top Champion

Outlets like Cageside Seats have already started speculating about this as the 35-year-old has been working as a protagonist in matches with The Bloodline at live events. His new theme song is also catching on with the crowd. This raises an intriguing question: How does Rollins’ current iteration work as a good guy?

More importantly, can his character progression since his failed run as WWE’s preeminent face elevate him into a consistent main eventer again? To properly answer that, we have to honestly assess his time with the company.

Rollins is a phenomenal in-ring competitor who has had incredible moments. Plan B, The “Heist of the Century” at WrestleMania 31 and his improbable win over Lesnar at SummerSlam 2019 are enough to make him a WWE Hall of Fame inductee. However, he has yet to enjoy a truly great reign as a world champion.

Even when he was the most-hated villain on the roster, his first run with the WWE title left much to be desired. After he returned from a serious knee injury, it was the right time to make Rollins a crowd favorite. Instead, he defeated Reigns at Money in the Bank in 2016 to secure the company’s top prize only to lose it the same night to Dean Ambrose.

His work rate and high-quality matches made him a fantastic intercontinental champion. However, the excitement around Monday Night Rollins didn’t translate to his tenure with the universal title. There are several reasons why fans started to reject him, including that disastrous Hell in a Cell match with The Fiend in 2019.

Nevertheless, the biggest flaw in his time as a babyface was that he never developed a compelling character. For better or worse, The Beast Slayer remained in the shadow of his superior heel character. This is a recurring pattern that many WWE Superstars struggle to overcome. Once the fanbase commits to booing someone, it’s hard to do anything to win them back other than break bad again.

Could a Face Turn Spark an Unlikely Return to Form?

Rollins is quietly doing some of the best character work of his career. Still, it’s hard to tell if the 2019 men’s Royal Rumble winner has grown enough as a performer to attempt to be the face of Raw again. His upcoming feud with Reigns may not transition into a permanent change, but it’s a chance to test the water.

The red brand desperately needs a legitimate leading man. The Visionary could fit the bill if he receives a favorable reaction at the Rumble PPV.

Even more, there is potential for a significant story here. After the fans rejected Rollins, he reluctantly returned to the dark side. However, he has also subtly attempted to play off of their perceptions and in turn, give them what they believe they want.

The Monday Night Messiah persona was a clever way to poke fun at reports that he led an awkward stage meeting in November 2019. This attempt to make an overbearing locker room leader into an onscreen character later evolved into his current persona after he suffered a few losses and went on paternity leave.

The Drip God was the logical next step for the man who was essentially going through a midlife crisis. He achieved so much early in his career. Now, he has been trying to cover for his recent struggles by dressing in ostentatious suits and using hip slang like “drip.”

More to the point, he has also adopted aspects of past characters that viewers like, such as his trademark evil laugh and the glove he wore as The Architect. His current theme even begins with “Burn It Down,” his catchphrase and a chant from his time as Monday Night Rollins. He is also officially billed as Seth “Freakin” Rollins now, which is a nod to his old nickname that led a popular T-shirt.

It’s all some bizarre amalgamation of his greatest hits propped up by his delusions of grandeur. Although this cartoon-ish approach may not work for some fans, the former universal champion’s commitment to it is often entertaining.

The best villains believe every word they say, and Rollins believes he’s doing what’s right.

A Chance for Vindication

It must have burned him up inside that his former stablemate turned his back on the fans and became the biggest star in the company. He must feel like Frank Grimes from episode 23 of season eight of The Simpsons.

The Tribal Chief is cold, vicious and narcissistic, but he thinks his motives are benevolent. Nevertheless, many fans love him in this role. Meanwhile, The Visionary has taken on a similar burden for the greater good and no one appreciates him for it.

Instead, they heap praise on a man he has bested twice to become WWE champion. Even worse, The Head of the Table routinely cheats, narrowly escapes believable threats to his reign such as Finn Balor, and he avoided this matchup with Rollins while he was on SmackDown.

Along with their storied history, there’s an intricate motivation for him to be the one who beats Reigns and brings the Universal Championship back to Raw. It would be a fitting way to bring his redemption arc full circle because his loss to The Fiend is what sent the title to SmackDown in the first place.

WWE SmackDown Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time

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Seth Rollins is going to be back on ‘SmackDown’ tonight after finding out he’ll be challenging Roman Reigns.

Seth Rollins found out last week that he will be challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble.

How to Watch WWE SmackDown:

Event Date: Jan. 14, 2021

Event Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

You can stream WWE SmackDown on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

Dean Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins were once stablemates in The Shield, but that disbanded in 2019. Reigns has spent the last 500 days as a champion, which he is expected to acknowledge tonight.

Tonight’s match will be without some big names like Sasha Banks and King Woods, who are managing injuries.

Rollins is currently with Raw, but WWE wanted to make it a solid matchup with Reigns, considering it would be hard for any of the roster to truly challenge Reigns for the title.

This raises the level of competition for SmackDown watchers, who will be tuning in to see what happens between the former Shield members.

Tonight’s SmackDown will be a major event as wrestling fans will be paying close attention while they continue to gear up for Royal Rumble.

Regional restrictions may apply

AEW Star Return To Action Revealed, Defends Title Against ‘The Notorious 187’

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Jon Moxley has been out for long that most are wondering when the 36-year-old will be returning to the wrestling ring. It appears the answer to that has been revealed with the reigning GCW champion set to defend his title against “The Notorious 187.”

This was announced no less by Game Changer Wrestling on Twitter, revealing that Moxley will be back in harness at “The Wrld on GCW” on Jan. 23 in New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom.

It will be the first match for Moxley since Oct. 30 where he won over Jimmy Jacobs at The Wrestling Revolver’s Tales From The Ring 4 event.

The upcoming event will also be Moxley’s first TV or PPV since the October 27 episode of AEW Dynamite, where Moxley defeated Ten in the first round of the AEW World Championship Eliminator tournament.

It can be recalled that Moxley took time off to address his alcohol problem. He entered rehabilitation and there was no official timetable on when he could return.

The closest to that was an update from All Elite Wrestling prexy Tony Khan, revealing that Moxley was doing fine in December.

He appeared opposite Matthew Carlins of WrestlingInc.com and gave a positive update on the wrestling icon.

“From talking to [Moxley’s wife] Renee [Paquette], he’s doing better and better, which is awesome,” Khan said. “And [I’m] so excited about that.”

Before stepping away temporarily, the buzz was that Moxley would be facing Bryan Danielson in the finals of the AEW World Championship eliminator tournament at Full Gear. Instead, Danielson was pitted against Miro.

Moxley is also formerly known as Dean Ambrose in the WWE. He rose to fame being part of “The Shield” before the group was dismantled with each member, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, groomed for individual paths.

Reigns is the current WWE Universal champion while “Freakin” Rollins has had his share of WWE gold. Ironically, both are set to collide at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble set for Jan. 29 with the Universal title on the line.

Getty Images | Etsuo Hara