Roman Reigns declares himself "King of WWE" ahead of SmackDown

Universal Champion Roman Reigns has declared himself the "King" of WWE. The Tribal Chief is seemingly prepared to ascend the throne tonight on SmackDown.

In a brutal match last week, Roman Reigns locked horns with WWE "King of the Ring" Xavier Woods. The New Day member pushed the reigning Universal Champion to his limits and came close to winning their bout cleanly.

Unfortunately for King Woods, the match ended abruptly after The Usos launched a vicious attack on him. Woods won it via DQ, thereby ending Roman Reigns' 16-match winning streak. However, things were far from over for the two superstars.

Earlier in the night, it was confirmed that the loser of the match mentioned above would "bend the knee" and acknowledge the winner's position on WWE SmackDown. Despite losing, Roman Reigns failed to oblige with the stipulation as he had plans of his own.

The Tribal Chief commanded The Usos to bring him King Xavier's crown. The latter had been subjected to a lot of punishment and could not stop the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Jey and Jimmy Uso entered the ring where they were greeted by Roman Reigns, who was down on one knee but only to have them place the King's crown on his head.

The Tribal Chief has now declared that he is the "King." As advertised by WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns is looking to officially claim his newly acquired piece of gold and replace Woods as the King.

What's next for Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown?

Although Roman Reigns seems determined to rule over the blue brand as the new "King," it won't be a cakewalk for the Universal Champion. He is bound to face objections from Xavier Woods, who technically never lost his crown.

The segment could also prompt WWE Champion Big E to make a surprise return on SmackDown and confront Roman Reigns. Both champions are set to lock horns at the Survivor Series on Sunday and could engage in an altercation on the blue brand's final show before the pay-per-view.

It's worth noting that Roman Reigns sent The Usos to attack Big E on RAW earlier this week. There are enough reasons for Big E to crash Roman Reigns' segment. Between The Bloodline's brutal attacks on his New Day brethren and the desperate need to add to the hype surrounding the battle for brand supremacy, SmackDown tonight could very well get a Big E appearance.

Would you like to see Roman Reigns as the new King of WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.