7 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Sept 4)

Downs...

2. "Reigns-ing"

Don't worry, these guys star in the 'Ups' as well.

First though, what in the name of wordsmithery was Paul Heyman shooting for when he plucked "Reigns-ing" out of thin air and grinned at the camera like he was Shakespeare? Paul E spat his usual stuff about representing the "reigning, defending, undisputed Universal Heavyweight Champion", but changed it up a bit.

It fell flat. This is the kind of thing that would've played before groans had fans been in the Amway Center. It was that bad, and it's not something Heyman should ever use again. His attempt to amalgamate the word "reigning" with Roman's name was lame. Sorry, but it was.

In fairness, one duff word from a promo filled with typically excellent delivery isn't a disaster. "Reigns-ing" did make this writer chuckle though, and not in an entertained way. No, he almost rolled his eyes and forgot to listen to the rest of the promo.