Big E the Champ, Jey Uso Saves Roman Reigns Again, More WWE SmackDown Fallout

Big E the Champ, Jey Uso Saves Roman Reigns Again, More WWE SmackDown Fallout

Dec 26, 2020

The Christmas Day edition of SmackDown was also the blue brand's final episode in 2020, so WWE made sure to pack the card with three title bouts and a grudge match.

The show opened with Roman Reigns defending the Universal Championship against Kevin Owens inside a steel cage, putting them back in the ring together just five days after their encounter at Tables, Ladders & Chairs.

The Women's Tag Team Championships were also on the line when Asuka and Charlotte put the belt up against two other teams. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks joined forces while Bayley and Carmella formed the other duo.

Daniel Bryan battled Jey Uso and Big E defeated Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship in the main event. Let's look at each match and any potential fallout. 

Just five days after competing in a brutal TLC match, Owens and Reigns met for a rematch on the Christmas Day edition of SmackDown.

Sean Ross Sapp made a great point on Twitter. A rematch usually wouldn't come so soon after a pay-per-view, but with WWE hoping the NFL game kept some fans tuned to Fox, putting two of its top stars on display right away was a smart move. 

The cage is designed to keep people inside, but there was an added benefit for Owens since it meant Jey Uso was unable to easily interfere, but he still had an impact on the outcome.

As KO was about to go through the door to claim victory, Uso tried to slam the door in his face. Owens fought him off, but the delay allowed The Tribal Chief to recover and pull him back in.

Uso found a way to handcuff Owens to the cage so he was unable to escape. When Reigns saw what his cousin did, he had a huge smile on his face. The Big Dog calmly left the cage as Owens looked on helplessly.

Reigns will officially end 2020 as the universal champion and begin the new year at the top of the SmackDown mountain. Owens made it clear he wasn't done with The Big Dog yet, so Reigns will have to keep his guard up.

Uso finally did something right and made his cousin happy, so he was able to avoid upsetting The Head of the Table for once. It was a Christmas miracle. 

WWE wasted no time putting another title on the line, as the second match of the night featured Charlotte and Asuka defending the Women's Tag Team Championships against the team of Banks and Belair and the team of Bayley and Carmella.

Fans who have been following Bayley and Carmella since their days in NXT know the two have a deep friendship that spawned the collective name Baymella. They never really worked as a tag team despite their friendship, so this bout finally made it a reality. 

The bout had elimination rules, which meant The Queen and The Empress had to do more than beat just one woman from one team. Banks and Belair took out Bayley and Mella, so the champs only had one more duo to worry about. After it was all said and done, the champions retained with a little help from Bayley and Mella.

If WWE is trying to create some duos to fill up the women's tag team division, it found two good pairs with Baymella and the team of Banks and Belair. Banks and Belair play off of each other well, and the friendship between Mella and Bayley has been documented on WWE Network specials before. 

With Charlotte and Asuka as the champions, the titles should get a little more attention on television. WWE hasn't put much effort into the division, but if it utilizes the Superstars on the roster properly, we could get some great combinations and matches in 2021. 

After helping Reigns retain the universal title, Uso had his own match later in the show against Daniel Bryan. Uce was looking to make an impact, so he attacked Bryan during his entrance to give himself an advantage.

The resilient Bryan was never going to concede because of the attack, and Uso knew this, so he was hoping to soften The Yes Man up a bit to make his job easier.

The Tribal Chief has been in a feud with Owens lately, but Bryan has been on the periphery the whole time. He has battled Reigns and Uso, so it feels like WWE is setting him up to be the next challenger for the Universal Championship. 

After surviving an early onslaught, Bryan began building some momentum and was able to hit his signature running knee for the win. The Royal Rumble is on January 31. During a post-match interview, Bryan announced he was entering the Rumble match. If he wins, Bryan vs. Reigns would be an outstanding WrestleMania main event. 

Winning a Rumble is one of the few accolades Bryan has never accomplished. Should he win next month, he will further cement his legacy as one of the best to ever step foot in a WWE ring. 

The main event of the show saw Zayn defend the Intercontinental Championship against Big E in a Lumberjack match that has been building for weeks.

The Great Liberator has been one of the most entertaining Superstars on any WWE show in recent months but if you looked at social media during the show, it was clear most fans wanted to see Big E win the belt.

After a competitive contest that saw the lumberjacks make it hard for both men, Big E won the IC title to end the Christmas episode of SmackDown on a high note.

Since WWE is obviously going to keep Reigns at the top for a little while, having Big E win the Intercontinental Championship is a great way to keep his push going until there is more room in the main event scene.

Zayn will likely get a rematch at some point by pretending he was the victim somehow, but it won't matter. Big E is going to hold this belt for a long time. This was a satisfying way to end the final SmackDown of 2020.