Roman Reigns' return on WWE SmackDown broke multiple records

Roman Reigns made his long awaited return last night
Roman Reigns made his much awaited return last night.

After being away for over two months, Roman Reigns finally made his return to SmackDown and helped break multiple records. Prior to his appearance on the blue brand, Roman was last seen at SummerSlam 2023, where he competed against Jey Uso in a Tribal Combat match. After multiple twists and turns, Reigns came out on top once again.

In Reigns' absence, The Usos split up, with Jey shifting to RAW. Jimmy, on the other hand, returned to The Bloodline and has been dealing with various superstars on the brand. At Fastlane, Jey Uso teamed up with Cody Rhodes to defeat The Judgment Day for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship. On the same night, Jimmy and Solo Sikoa suffered a loss at the hands of LA Knight and John Cena, setting up the stage for Roman to return.

The Tribal Chief's return had a massive impact on the ratings and attendance of the show. In a record-breaking episode, last night's season premiere of SmackDown was the highest-grossing TV event in the history of the Tulsa market, and it was also the highest-paid attendance in the history of the Tulsa market. Paul Heyman tweeted the stats out earlier, celebrating the occasion.


Roman Reigns has seemingly met the next challenger for his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Following his arrival at SmackDown, Roman Reigns was introduced to LA Knight by the 16-time World Champion, John Cena. Over the past several months, LA Knight has been picking up a lot of steam, often eliciting the loudest reactions from the crowd. Moreover, his recent wins over top stars like The Miz and Finn Balor have helped establish him as a credible threat.

In recent weeks, Knight has been feuding with The Bloodline while Roman was away. He has even competed against members of the faction and emerged victorious in the ring. It seems that Knight is the next challenger for Reigns, as he clearly stated his intentions on last night's episode of SmackDown.

With two major WWE Premium Live Events coming up in November, it is possible that LA Knight challenges The Tribal Chief for the Universal Championship either at Crown Jewel or Survivor Series. However, later in the show, another major match was teased for Roman Reigns as he came face-to-face directly with Cody Rhodes for the first time in several months. There is a large pool of wrestlers who could take the title from Roman, but at the moment, nothing can be said for sure.


Who do you think will dethrone Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship? Will it be LA Knight? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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