HERSHEY, Pa. — On a SmackDown filled with mayhem, The Wyatt Family ravaged their Extreme rivals, Charlotte and Becky’s friendship encountered further turmoil and The Big Dog rose above incredible odds.
Roman Reigns kicked off Thursday’s hottest show flanked by his cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso, and his brother-in-arms Dean Ambrose. The Big Dog was clearly thankful for his family this holiday season, but it didn’t take long for him to turn his attention to his WWE TLC opponent Sheamus while calling out “The League of Nations.”
WWE TLC: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion, King Barrett, United States Champion Alberto Del Rio and Rusev happily obliged, eventually relaying that WWE officials made a match pitting The Celtic Warrior and his foreign faction against Reigns, Ambrose and The Usos for later in the evening. This prompted The New Day to appear alongside their recent allies on SmackDown’s stage. The WWE Tag Team Champions made fun of Reigns “the ruiner” before announcing that officials also made the stipulation that his tag team partners must first defeat them in a Six-Man Tag Team Match to compete alongside Reigns later in an Eight-Man Tag Team Match. If those Superstars lost, however, then it would truly be “one versus all” for the No. 1 contender in the main event.
Dolph Ziggler sat in with the SmackDown announce team and got an up-close look at just how dangerous his rival Tyler Breeze can be. The turning point of the contest came when Summer Rae grabbed onto the leg of Neville, distracting The Man That Gravity Forgot just long enough for Prince Pretty to kick his opponent in the face and hit the Unprettier for the win.
Photos: Prince Pretty grounds Neville
Despite some noticeable tension between Charlotte and Becky Lynch following the Divas Champion’s questionable tactics to pick up the win in their match on Raw, the best friends seemed to be back on the same page during a backstage interview before Becky’s match against Brie Bella.
Photos: Trouble between friends?
The reconciliation may be in serious danger, however, after the self-proclaimed “genetically superior Diva” attacked the Bella twin as she struggled to escape the Lass Kicker’s Dis-arm-her submission. The costly mid-match interruption came moments after Brie appeared to have inadvertently elbowed Charlotte at ringside. As a result, the fiery redhead lost the match by disqualification and the former Team PCB allies engaged in a heated post-match argument.
Following a loss to Tyler Breeze earlier in the evening, Neville was not exactly in a cheerful mood, but that didn’t prevent The Miz from offering up some guidance for how The Man That Gravity Forgot could be more relatable. The star of “Santa’s Little Helper” referenced his previous coaching of Daniel Bryan as an example of his tutelage skills, before handing the British Superstar his business card and a signed “Santa’s Little Helper” DVD.
Amid a chaotic Six-Man Tag Team Match pitting The Usos & Dean Ambrose against The New Day, Jimmy Uso opted to strike a fast approaching Kofi Kingston on the ring apron rather than go for the top rope splash on a fallen Xavier Woods. The move proved costly, as the Samoan Superstar appeared to hurt his knee. This allowed The Dreadlocked Dynamo to kick the injured knee, opening up an opportunity for the outspoken Woods to hit a running kick for the victory.
Photos: New Day prevail | WWE TLC: New Day defend titles in Triple Threat Ladder Match
Because of the loss, The Lunatic Fringe and the Samoan twins would not be allowed to team with Roman Reigns in the main event against The League of Nations, leaving The Big Dog to fend for himself in a 4-on-1 Handicap Match.
Amid a hard-hitting fight, Bray Wyatt picked up the victory over D-Von Dudley after introducing the veteran brawler to Sister Abigail. Following the contest, The New Face of Fear kept Bubba Ray and Tommy Dreamer at bay with the threat of hitting the fallen Dudley brother with another finishing move as his Wyatt Family followers brought a table into the ring.
Photos: D-Von Dudley vs. Bray Wyatt
The resourceful ECW alum countered with Kendo sticks, prompting an extremely chaotic post-match brawl. Alas, the hardcore Superstars were overpowered as Braun Strowman locked Bubba Ray in his sinister submission move before Erick Rowan drove Dreamer through the table. The Wyatts then piled the bodies of their rivals in the middle of the ring before The Eater of Worlds proclaimed, “Follow the buzzards!”
It’s hard not to believe in Roman Reigns after he managed to outlast The League of Nations via a count-out victory in a 4-on-1 Handicap Match in SmackDown’s main event. The Big Dog was met with a “one versus all” scenario and he prevailed after sliding back into the ring before the referee’s 10-count. His opponents were left scattered around the ring, unable to make it back inside the squared circle in time thanks to Reigns’ explosive attack.
Photos: Roman rises above The League of Nations
Sheamus was none too pleased with this outcome, delivering a brutal Brogue Kick to the unsuspecting Reigns after the match was over. Help was on the way, however, as The Usos and Dean Ambrose rushed to the aid of the embattled Reigns, chasing the foreign faction from the ring before they could do more damage. The Roman Empire stood tall for another day as his WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match against Sheamus at WWE TLC fast approaches.