7 WWE TLC 2020: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Impulse Reactions

2. Roman Reigns (c) Vs. Kevin Owens

Bray Wyatt Randy Orton
WWE

The Roman Reigns character was in dire need of a feud like the one he's had with Kevin Owens. Though the lines between heel and babyface were no longer blurred for the 'Tribal Chief', the same couldn't be said for his relationship with Jey Uso. Or at very least, his continuing Stockholm Syndrome relationship with the Universal Champion.

Uso made his presence felt early after Owens initiated an electrifying start to the blue brand's top bout. Decking Reigns before formally entering then Pillmanising Jey, Owens meshed focused and malicious well until Reigns literally flew back into the fight with his Drive-By dropkick.

Selling enraged humiliation, 'The Big Dog' doubled down on Owens' initial brutality, assaulting him with steel stairs and ladders to reassert his authority on proceedings. The pair traded the advantage as the contest struggled slightly from pacing issues and the increasingly irritating presence of a returning Uso. He went through the one table, but Owens went through three as Roman looked to secure the proper killer blow.

Two quality teases of a 'KO' victory were well-earned by the escalating bumps, with both Reigns and Jey Uso expert at timing their cut-offs for maximum heartbreak. The 'Tribal Chief' remains "head of the table" and all that sh*te, but don't let the over-scripting put you off - the action is truly tremendous too.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett