WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Roman Reigns to meet Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble

Lesnar sports new hardware heading into his face-off with Reigns on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are still vying for Paul Heyman's services on WWE SmackDown. The main event triangle continued on Friday on a night that also cemented Seth Rollins as Reigns' Royal Rumble opponent.

It appears that Heyman's wish-washy allegiance will continue to be a focal point on the Road to WrestleMania and an expected champion vs. champion match between Reigns and Lesnar. Elsewhere on the card, The Usos defended their WWE SmackDown Tag Team championship in a street fight against New Day, and a swath of legends were announced for the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble match.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Mohegan Sun Area in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Reigns and Lesnar still pining for Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins enters the mix

Roman Reigns returned for the first time since testing positive for COVID and missing the Day 1 event. The universal champion insisted he did not want to see Brock Lesnar or Paul Heyman ever again. That desire was quickly ignored as Lesnar's music hit. "The Beast Incarnate" made his way to the ring with Heyaman did his best impression of Heyman's introduction, earning praise from his advocate. The WWE champion poked fun at the universal titleholder by riffing on Reigns' "acknowledge me" phrase before  challenging Reigns to a title vs. title match. 

Reigns refused to do business with Heyman, eliciting an emotional response from his former special counsel. Heyman, on the verge of tears, expressed how he worshipped Reigns and was assaulted for his allegiance. An irate Lesnar told Heyman to shut up. Reigns then took advantage of the spat between the two and floored Heyman with a superman punch.

Later in the evening, Adam Pearce informed Sonya Deville that he was instructed to to determine a WWE universal title challenger for Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Pearce entered Reigns' locker room prior to the main event, informing the champion that a challenger had been chosen. Reigns could not care less and asked Pearce to leave so "The Tribal Chief" could watch his cousins in peace.

Following the conclusion of The Usos vs. New Day, Raw superstar Seth Rollins entered Reigns' locker room cackling, which pointed to Reigns vs. Rollins at the Royal Rumble. The Reigns-Rollins booking at the Rumble was later confirmed on social media.

Reigns' and Lesnar's bids for Heyman's services have been a focal point of their feud, but this was a little too on the nose. Heyman's groveling decree of love for Reigns, and Lesnar's subsequent jealousy seem better suited for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series than WWE's marquee rivalry. Additionally, Reigns' assault on Heyman and the manager's reunion with Lesnar should have been the end of that story thread. Expect Reigns and Lesnar to headline WrestleMania in what amounts to a Paul Heyman on a pole match. Grade: D+

What else happened on WWE SmackDown

• Rick Boogs def. Sami Zayn via pinfall thanks to a tight small package. Prior to the match, Jackass Forever star Johnny Knoxville interrupted a Zayn promo saying he wanted to solidify his place in the Royal Rumble. After Zayn lost, Knoxville made his way to the ring tossed him over the top rope, confirming his status as a participant in the 2022 Royal Rumble.
• SmackDown Women's champion Charlotte Flair entered the Royal Rumble in a field that also includes several WWE veterans including current Impact Women's champion Mickie James, Lita, the Bella Twins, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly and Summer Rae.
• Charlotte Flair def. Naomi via pinfall courtesy of a Natural Selection. Naomi was on the verge of winning by count-out, and later via disqualification. Sonya Deville declared at each instance that the match could not end via count-out or disqualification. 
• Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss def. The Viking Raiders via pinfall after Moss lands a neckbreaker drive, now dubbed Punchline, on Erik. The match came after a Happy Talk segment where Moss dressed up as Drew McIntyre and he an Corbin took shots at the injured Scottish Warrior.
• The Usos (c) def. New Day via pinfall in a street fight to retain the SmackDown Tag Team championships. The Usos drove Kingston through a table with a 3-D, now dubbed the 1-D, to win the match. The contest's most amusing moment came when Woods donned a Spartan Helmet to absorb an Uso superkick.