Make that two runner-up heartbreakers in a row for Roman Reigns, who was the last man eliminated by Shinsuke Nakamura in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match and fell short in his bid to regain the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz just 24 hours later.
That he did is an astounding reversal of fortune, as Reigns not only dominated Miz from the jump, but he also chased off The Miztourage with a steel chair he’d retrieved from ringside. The Big Dog was so incensed that he nearly got himself disqualified, and despite a rally from Miz, Reigns found a second wind and teed off on the champion with wild-eyed fury.
The A-Lister answered with some quick thinking, focusing his efforts on his challenger’s knee with chop blocks and a torturous Figure-Four Leglock. Reigns reversed the hold to hobble Miz and moved in to close the match, at which point The Miztourage returned to turn the tide. Reigns picked off Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel with pinpoint efficiency but took his eye off The Miz for just a second too long. After Reigns dropped Bo Dallas with a Spear, Miz pounced with a rollup and a handful of Reigns’ pants to retain the title.
Reigns was left to stew alone in the ring, and it’s easy to see why: His mantra has long been that he can, and he will. Which makes it all the more gutting that, for the second night, he almost did.