January 1st, 2021 – Birmingham, Alabama
SmackDown
Tonight, was the first Friday Night SmackDown of the new year. Some superstars were looking to make the new year there's while some superstars were looking to build on their success in the previous year and keep that same level of momentum.
"Truth Reigns" Hits
The WWE Universe booed loudly as the music of the WWE Champion hit the PA System. The WWE Champion walked out onto the stage being flanked by his special counsel, Paul Heyman and his cousin, Jey Uso. The confidence in the Champion had to be at an all-time high after surviving Kevin Owens in the ladder match last week.
Roman looked around the arena with a frown before he raised the title into the air as pyro shot off from the stage.
"Please welcome Paul Heyman, Jey Uso and the WWE Champion, Roman Reigns!"
The WWE Universe continued to boo as Roman lowered his title and placed it on his shoulder proudly before walking down the ramp with a smug, arrogant look. Once he made it to ringside, he looked around the arena once again with a smirk before sauntering over to the steel steps. He made his way up the steps and entered the ring walking towards the center of the ring being followed by his armada and raised the title up into the air as pyro went off once again the arena as the fans booed.
Paul peeled off to the side grabbing a microphone for his tribal chief before handing it to the Champion while Roman slowly lowered his title as his music faded off into the background.
"As the face of WWE, let me start by saying. Happy New Year. As I thought about it, 2020 has been tough. It's been a rough year for most people. But when you're the Head of the Table, when you're the Tribal Chief. You make it work." Roman said with a smirk as the fans booed him loudly.
"Uce." Roman said looking over shoulder making Jey Uso step forward with a frown.
"Why do you think I wear the golden glove?" Roman asked Jey rhetorically before answering smugly, "Because everything I touch turns to gold. Everything I touch turns into greatness."
"Look at who I surround myself with," Roman peeked over his shoulder looking at both his counsel and his cousin. He turned to Paul and looked at him with the mic in hand, "Take Paul, special counsel to the tribal chief, discarded. Thrown out into the deep end. I saved him. I don't understand it. You are the most genuine, honest man that I've ever done business with." The WWE Universe booed at Roman's statements towards Heyman.
"Now take my cousin, Jey Uso. He is a prime example of what I can do. What did I say?" Roman turned towards his cousin almost seeming as if he were speaking to him directly now.
"All you gotta do is listen to me. All you gotta do is understand how my brain works, why I do what I do. And what's happened? It's been the best year of your career, has it not? Main event after main event. Barn-burner of a match, after barn-burner of a match. This man can't miss now because he acknowledged me as his Tribal Chief and as the Head of the Table."
"You see, I did this. Because I know who you are. I understood since day one. To everybody else, it's like 'which one are you' but to me you've always been main event uso. And I wouldn't have put all this pressure on you if I didn't know you couldn't handle it and what'd you do. You knocked it out of the park every single time and that's why I love you."
"That is why-"
"Icon" Hits
The WWE Universe started to pop as they heard the music of the #1 Contender for Roman's WWE Championship. "Young Simba" himself Ced walked out onto the stage with a smirk clad in his black boots, knee pads, tape and red trunks with his name and his designs in white. He wore his black King: Ced shirt as he made his way down the ramp soaking up all the cheers from the crowd.
Once he got to the ringside area, he looked around the arena pointing out a sign that said: "Next WWE Champ = Ced". He walked around to the stpes and ran up the steps up onto the ring apron before entering the ring grabbing a microphone from the ring crew as he entered the ring while the music faded off into the background.
"Happy New Year everybody!" Ced shouted into the mic with a smile while the WWE Universe popped loudly at the statement.
"In 2020, I accomplished a lot in my short career. In 2020, I became your Intercontinental Champion not once but twice. I became the King of the Ring. I became a SmackDown Tag Team Champion. I put on a classic at WrestleMania. I've done a lot in the WWE. I've done just about everything except win that." Ced said as he pointed to the WWE title resting firmly on Roman's shoulder.
"Roman, you and I we've known each other for a while now. You were one of the few men to welcome me when I first got here to Friday Night SmackDown."
"You, Roman, were one of the guys I respected. Now somewhere along the line, it seems that the respect you had for me faded away. Somewhere along the line, you changed. You changed into this guy that I hardly know anymore. You walk around here with your head held high up your ass believing you're the guy around, believing you're the Head of the Table."
"Let's get one thing very clear, you ain't the Head of MY Table." Ced said as the fans cheered at that while Roman looked at him with a smirk.
"You may be the Head of his table and the head of his table but when it comes to the Ced table, there's only one Head and you're looking at it boy. Now you want everyone here on SmackDown to acknowledge you, I'm here to acknowledge that you'll the answer to a trivial question, who did Ced defeat to become the WWE Champion at Royal Rumble? The answer will be you."
"Ced, I hate to be the barrier of bad news. Well, honestly, I don't care. You're not gonna be the one to walk out of Royal Rumble as the WWE Champion, I will." Roman said as he took a step forward getting into Ced's face.
"This company needs me to be the Head of the Table, this company needs me to survive. This company needs me to thrive. You couldn't carry this company on your back if your life depended on it." The fans booed Roman while Ced looked on with a frown.
"You think these idiots in Birmingham are here for you," Roman said on the mic as the fans in Birmingham started to boo, "They're here to see me. They're here to see their Tribal Chief. They're here to acknowledge me." Once again, the WWE Universe booed at Roman.
"Nobody's here to see you Ced. Absolutely no one cares about you. You're like an annoying ass tick that just won't go away. But tonight, I'm going to give you a shot at relevancy. I'm going to bless your career. Tonight, you're going to go one on one with my cousin, Jey Uso tonight." Roman said on the mic as he peeked over his shoulder looking at his cousin who looked on with a frown. Ced raised the mic up to his lips and turned his attention to Jey Uso.
"Jey Uso? Tonight? Jey, I hope you trust your cousin because he just signed you up for a night of hell, you're not stepping foot in the ring with just anybody, you're stepping into the ring with 'Black Leone'. You're stepping into my world. And Roman," Ced said as he turned his attentions to Roman, "I hope you're watching because what I do to your cousin tonight will only be a fraction of what I do to you at the Rumble." Ced threw the mic down to the ground and backed out of the ring leaving Roman standing there with a smirk while Jey looked on with a frown.
"Icon" Plays
Ced's music hit on the PA System as he backed up the ramp looking at Roman talking trash while the Champion simply raised the title up in the air.
(!)-(!)-(!)-(!)
Most of the night had gone by and it was an exciting episode of SmackDown but now it was time for the main event to be contested between "Black Leone" Ced and "The Right-Hand Man" Jey Uso.
"Icon" Hits
The WWE Universe cheered loudly as the music of Ced hit the PA System while the lights around the arena started to go into a frenzy of colors. Ced walked out onto the stage with a frown as he looked around the arena with a frown on his face. He spit out a spat of water in a mist-like form before making his descend down the ramp with a purpose.
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, making his way to the ring, from Charlotte, North Carolina. Weighing in at 252 Pounds. Ced" Greg Hamilton announced.
When he got around to the ringside area, he looked around the arena with a frown before he walked around to the steel steps. He ran up the steps and entered the ring and made a beeline to the corner. When he got to the corner, he looked around at the fans once more before he hit his pose for the fans causing them to cheer for him in a frenzy.
"Done with that" Hits
"And his opponent from San Francisco, California. Weighing in at 228 Pounds. Jey Uso!"
Jey walked out onto the stage with a frown on his face. The former Tag Team Champion looked down the ramp as his opponent, Ced, was pacing in the ring. Jey walked down the ramp soaking in the boos of the crowd as he was about to step into the ring with a man who had a lot to prove to the WWE Champion. Jey walked up the steps and entered the ring still locking eyes with the #1 Contender.
Jey's music faded off into the PA System as he looked on, focused as ever. The referee then called for the bell to start the match.
Ding-Ding-Ding!
Ced and Jey Uso were going one on one tonight in the main event of SmackDown for the first time ever. For Ced, this was a chance to prove a message to the WWE Champion, Roman Reigns and for Jey, this was a chance to redeem himself in Roman's eyes after a loss against Kevin Owens a few weeks ago on SmackDown.
Ced and Jey circled around the ring before locking it up in a collar elbow tie up. Both men battled for dominance in the test of strength but it was Ced proving to be stronger pushing Jey into the corner. Ced kept his grip on Jey Uso using his strength to push him into the corner and kept him into the corner until the referee got in between both men forcing some distance between the men. Jey took this opportunity to slap Ced across the face causing the crowd to boo him. Ced didn't response but simply looked out into the crowd.
Ced turned his head looking at Jey with a frown on his face. Jey ran towards Ced, coming out of the corner hot only to be laid out with a hard right hand from "Young Simba". Jey popped right back up and was dropped again with a right hand. He popped right back up and the time, he was dropped with a picture-perfect dropkick. Jey sat up with a hand on his jaw, Ced pushed him down and hooked the leg.
1, Jey quickly powered out at 1. The former Intercontinental Champion grabbed Jey by the hair and pulled him up to his feet as he rose up. The #`1 Contender drug Jey over to the corner smashing his face into the turnbuckle pad making Jey groan as he leaned into the corner. Ced with a series of right hands on Jey before switching his assault with a series of stomps to the midsection making Jey fall down into the corner. Ced placed his foot on the throat of Jey Uso, choking him as the referee started the count.
1...
2...
3...
4, Ced released his foot from the neck of Jey Uso backing away as Jey coughed as he panted for his breath. The #1 Contender was determined to send a message to the WWE Champion, Roman Reigns by beating his cousin down and showing just how long his mean streak is. "Young Simba" walked over to Jey Uso only for Jey to hit him with a well-placed kick to the midsection making him stumble back a bit as Jey used the ropes to pull himself up to his feet. Ced ran towards Jey once again and this time was rocked with a hard uppercut making him stumble back, Jey walked towards him and rocked him once again with a hard uppercut making Ced lean up against the ropes.
Jey tried to send Ced to the ropes but Ced reversed it instead sending Jey into the ropes this time. Jey came running towards Ced as "Young Simba" swung for a clothesline but Jey ducked it and ran to the ropes. Jey bounced off the ropes and this time was taken out with a high knee, shades of the great Harley Race. Ced walked towards Jey grabbed him by the hair lifting him up to his feet before he Jey pushed him off and clocked him with a dropkick the caused him to stumble to the ropes.
Jey ran towards Ced clotheslining him over the top rope sending him to the outside stumbling back a bit until he reached the barricade making him grunt as it stopped his fall. Ced stood up on his feet and turned his head seeing ROMAN REIGNS COMING FROM THE CROWD AT FULL SPEED SPEARING HIM THROUGH THE BARRICADE!
Ding-Ding-Ding!
Jey Uso leaned up against the ropes as the fans booed while Ced was on the outside laying in the carnage left by Roman Reigns.
"Here is your winner by disqualification: Ced!"
"Get him up!" Roman shouted as he turned his head looking at his cousin Jey. Jey quickly exited the ring and walked towards Ced grabbing him by the head and neck as the WWE Universe continued to boo. Roman looked around at the crowd with a frown.
"This is my yard! This is my island!" Roman said as Ced was held in place by Jey. Jey positioned the former Intercontinental Champion's head by the LED Ring Post. Roman ran a hand through his hair as he backed up, getting some distance from the #1 Contender. Roman ran towards Ced at full speed before clocking Ced WITH A DRIVE-BY DROPKICK CAUSING CED'S HEAD TO COLLIDE WITH THE RING POST.
Ced's near-lifeless body dropped down on the outside looking up at the lights while Roman Reigns stood tall with Jey Uso. Roman raised his arms in the air as his music played on the PA System.
"Truth Reigns" Plays
The final image of SmackDown for the night was Roman Reigns standing tall over his Royal Rumble challenger.
