Image: WWE

For the second straight week, Roman Reigns got the better of Kevin Owens leading into their Universal Championship match at TLC.

Reigns and Jey Uso beat down Owens with steel chairs at the end of last week’s SmackDown. Reigns then beat down Uso as well, making Uso pay for the consequences of having earlier accepted a challenge on Reigns’ behalf without his permission.

Uso approached Reigns backstage on last night’s SmackDown and asked if they’re still good. Reigns said they are. As Owens came out to the ring for a promo, Uso asked Reigns to let him go attack Owens. Reigns told Uso to go get him.

Owens cut a promo saying that — even though Reigns is better than he’s ever been — he doesn’t fear Reigns. Owens said as good as Reigns is, he’s using his family to fight his battles. Owens said he fights for his family too, but his family isn’t part of the industry and can only support him by watching at home. Owens then introduced his friends who will help him defeat Reigns — tables, ladders, and chairs.

Owens said he’ll give everything he has to get back to the top of the ladder and become Universal Champion again. He was about to bring up how Reigns talked about his family last week, but Uso then attacked Owens with a steel chair as Reigns watched on from backstage.

Uso targeted Owens’ knee with chair shots and went to give Owens a splash through a table, but Owens fought back with the chair, threw Uso into a ladder, and gave Uso a pop-up powerbomb through a table.

Owens was hobbling after having his knee attacked. Reigns came out to the stage and Owens wanted him to come down to the ring. But Paul Heyman told Reigns that he needs to call the shots and do things on his own time instead of Owens’.

Owens then went looking for Reigns backstage. He was interviewed by Kayla Braxton and was infuriated at Reigns for bringing up his family last week. But during the interview, Reigns ambushed Owens with a steel chair shot and beat him down. Reigns looked into the camera and sent a message to Owens’ family, introducing himself as the Tribal Chief and saying he’s the guy who put their roof over their head and the food on their table. Reigns said that if Owens’ wife doesn’t talk some sense into her husband and if their kids don’t talk some sense into daddy, Reigns will be the guy who takes the food off their table.

Reigns is defending his Universal Championship against Owens in a tables, ladders, and chairs match at TLC on Sunday, December 20.

More coverage from last night —
Bray Wyatt segment announced for WWE Raw
WWE 205 Live results: Six-man tag match
Tag title match, Belair-Bayley set for next week’s WWE SmackDown
Update on Christmas & New Year’s Day WWE SmackDown episodes
WWE SmackDown airing on FS1 next week due to college football
WWE SmackDown live results: Contract signing, Zayn vs. Big E
WWE SmackDown video highlights —

Sasha Banks-Carmella contract signing, title match set for later in the night

Montez Ford vs. Dolph Ziggler

Non-title match: Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Big E

A video package recaps Roman Reigns’ beatdown of Kevin Owens and Jey Uso

Jey Uso attacks Kevin Owens, gets put through a table

Roman Reigns ambushes Kevin Owens, sends a message to Owens’ family

Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan vs. Billie Kay & Natalya

Chad Gable teaches Otis Alpha Academy techniques

Otis & Chad Gable vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro

Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler are The Knights of The Lone Wolf

Sasha Banks vs. Carmella for the SmackDown Women’s Championship

SmackDown fallout: Cesaro & Nakamura got the job done against Otis & Gable

SmackDown fallout: Billie Kay isn’t Riott Squad material

SmackDown fallout: Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode are ready to take what they deserve