The original Bloodline is back. Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Sami Zayn reunited on WWE SmackDown despite hurt feelings. Their uneasy reunion sets the stage for an explosive family vs. family WarGames match at Survivor Series.
Reigns and Sikoa's versions of The Bloodline are going to war. Sikoa challenged Reigns to a WarGames match at Survivor Series on Nov. 30 thinking he had the numbers advantage. Zayn's commitment to his close friend Jey leveled the playing field. At full strength, Reigns and company are ready to reclaim the throne from Sikoa.
Kevin Owens hospitalized Randy Orton with a piledriver in another notable moment on Friday. Other highlights include the introduction of the first-ever women's United States championship.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
The original Bloodline reunite
Jey interrupted Reigns and Jimmy at the top of the program. Jey compelled his relatives to give him a chance. Enter Zayn. The former "honorary Uce" insisted that he did not intentionally strike Reigns at Crown Jewel. Zayn said he only intervened last weekend for Jey, but he couldn't say the same tonight. Zayn took his former Bloodline teammates down memory lane, fondly reflecting on their old magic. Zayn surmised that Jey, Jimmy and Reigns felt the same way, eliciting a small grin from Reigns.
Zayn offered to stand alongside his former compatriots on one condition: Reigns must apologize to Jey for past wrongdoings. That wiped the smile off Reigns' face. Reigns turned to Jey and apologized for letting Zayn waste their time. Reigns called out Sikoa but instead summoned Jacob Fatu on the big screen. Fatu called Reigns stupid and said the "Original Tribal Chief" was at the back of the line after losing the six-man tag team match at Crown Jewel.
Backstage, Reigns and Jey argued over Zayn with Jimmy taking his brother's side. An irate Reigns brushed off the twins. Jey reminded Reigns that he promised this alliance would not be a dictatorship, adding that Reigns was getting one free pass for his attitude.
Reigns interrupted Sikoa's "undisputed Tribal Chief acknowledgment ceremony" before it could begin. Before they could have a conversation, Sikoa demanded that Reigns acknowledge him.
Reigns said he wasn't here to acknowledge Sikoa but to challenge him. Reigns proposed a one-on-one match between them to determine the only Tribal Chief. Sikoa countered by challenging Reigns and company to a WarGames match at Survivor Series. Of course, that was conditional on Reigns finding people willing to side with him. Sikoa revealed Zayn as the final member of his WarGames team.
Zayn slowly walked to the ring as The Usos attempted to rescue Reigns from a 4-on-1 beatdown. Sikoa barked at Zayn to attack Reigns. Zayn pondered his options before striking Sikoa with a Helluva Kick. Reigns and Zayn took out Fatu with a Superman punch and Helluva Kick, followed by a spear from Reigns to Sikoa. The Usos pointed their index fingers up in unison. Zayn followed suit and lastly, Reigns, signaling the return of the original Bloodline -- minus Sikoa.
The short turnaround between Crown Jewel and Survivor Series forced WWE to expedite plot developments that could have benefited from more suspense. Reigns' stubbornness and slow burn reformation are the most compelling parts of the original Bloodline's return. While that was depicted on Friday, it was resolved by the end of the two-hour show. Questioning Zayn's allegiance seemed unnecessary. It could've been believable with more time to flesh out the plot, but the rushed pace of the storyline prevented viewers from doubting his intentions. Still, it's great to see the squad back together and WarGames should be a blast. Grade: B+
What else happened on WWE SmackDown?
- Bayley def. Candice LeRae via pinfall with a rana pin.
- Orton, accompanied by Cody Rhodes, was hospitalized after Owens hit him with a piledriver.
- #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) def. Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson) via pinfall after Ciampa hit Prince with a Fairytale Ending. Pre-match, Ciampa shunned Gargano for cozying up to the Motor City Machine Guns.
- Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill def. Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton via pinfall after Belair caught Stratton with KOD. Pre-match, Jax chewed out Stratton for having this match booked.
- Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) def. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) via pinfall with their Skull and Bones finisher.
- UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira was spotted in the crowd.
- Jax vs. Naomi for the WWE women's title was booked for next week.
- Motor City Machine Guns vs. Street Profits for the WWE tag team titles was booked for next week.
- A women's United States championship was introduced by SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis.