Roman Reigns Defeats Jey Uso in Tribal Combat at SummerSlam to Retain WWE Universal Championship

In the main event of tonight's WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, Roman Reigns defeated Jey Uso in Tribal Combat to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Match coverage courtesy of Matt Boone of Rajah.com:

Tribal Combat For WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (C) vs. Jey Uso

It's main event time!

Up next we've got our final match of this year's WWE SummerSlam 2023 premium live event, as Roman Reigns defends the WWE Universal Championship and his title of "The Tribal Chief" in a Tribal Combat title tilt against Jey Uso.

The video package wraps up and then we hear some "day one 'ish" as "Main Event" Jey Uso emerges and makes his way to the ring to a huge pop from the Detroit crowd of over 50,000 fans. He comes out with his own lay around his neck.

We see the crowd is totally with Jey as he has them do the arm-wave thing he does on the ropes. The entire crowd is doing it with him and singing along with his entrance tune. He paces the ring clearly amped up and ready for war.

Now his music dies down and the iconic beat for Roman Reigns' theme hits. Out comes "The Tribal Chief" with a red lay around his neck to the white one around Jey's. He has "The Wise Man" by his side and he heads to the ring ready for Tribal Combat in the main event of WWE SummerSlam 2023.

After he settles in the ring, his music dies down. The ring announcer does the formal ring introduction for this, our main event. Roman Reigns grabs the mic and says, "SummerSlam ... ACKNOWLEDGE ME!"

The bell sounds again and it's time to get this one started. The ref takes the WWE Universal Championship and holds it up high to show these two what they are fighting for. Reigns takes his lay off and goes to hand it to Paul Heyman like always, but the ref stops him. The ref says since it's on-the-line hand it over.

Roman walks over to Jey and we hear him off mic tell Jey that if he wins, he, not the referee or anyone else, will give it to him. Now the bell sounds yet again and this time the match is officially off-and-running.

We see Reigns back Jey into the corner early on. He pushes Jey and tries big-brothering him, but Jey shoves him right back. The crowd jumps on Roman's case with negative chants, but he waves them off and he and Jey start mixing it up again.

From there, we see Roman jump into the early offensive lead. This starts to turn into every Roman match you've ever seen, with slow movement and more talking off-mic than actual wrestling from "The Tribal Chief," but then Jey starts to fight back. The crowd comes alive as he knocks Roman out to the floor and then launches himself over the ropes for a big splash.

Out on the floor, we see Jey ram Roman into the steel ring steps with a vengeance. Jey goes over and momentarily taunts Paul Heyman. He reaches under the ring and pulls out a table. The commentators remind us that in Tribal Combat, everything is legal. Heyman pleads with Roman screaming that he's his blood and he loves him, don't do this.

Reigns ends up springing to life and bashes Jey off the steel steps. Back in the ring, we see Reigns hit a drive-by on Jey. The fans start to get on Roman's case with loud negative chants. Corey Graves says on commentary they're just gonna feed "The Tribal Chief" and make things worse for "Main Event" Jey.

Jey fights back and knocks Reigns out to the floor. He builds up a full head of steam looking for a suicide dive, but dives right into a shot from an oversized kendo stick from Reigns. Back in the ring, Reigns wears Jey out with multiple kendo stick shots before letting out a war cry. Corey quotes some rap classics by talking about how Jey's arms aren't long enough to box with God.

Reigns gets locked and loaded as he stalks Jey, waiting for him to get up for a spear or superman punch. He ends up running with into a big shot from the kendo stick from Jey. Now Jey wears out Roman with the kendo stick, beating him with it until it turns into 1,000 tooth picks. Jey knocks Roman out to the floor and then hits the ropes for a big flipping splash onto the reigning Universal champ and "Tribal Chief" on the floor.

Back in the ring, Jey heads to the top-rope but leaps off and flies right into a Superman punch from Roman Reigns. Reigns goes for the follow-up cover, but Jey kicks out before the count of three. Roman goes for a Spear but Jey sees it coming. Jey hits a super kick and goes to the top-rope, where he connects with an Uso splash for a close near fall.

Jey Uso heads out to the floor and reaches under the ring. He pulls out a steel chair and heads back into the ring. Again we hear Heyman yelling for Uso not to do it. He screams that Roman loves him. He begs him no more. Jey continues to pummel Roman with the chair. Jey heads out and grabs a few dozen more chairs and throws them in the ring. He walks over and stares a hole through "The Wise Man," who continues to beg for mercy.

We see Uso take Reigns up to the top-rope looking for a super-plex on the mess of chairs he just stacked in the ring. Roman head-butts Jey off the ropes. Jey hits a step-up enzugiri and then climbs back up. Roman escapes and hits a power-bomb on Jey off the top-rope onto the pile of chairs. He covers Jey but Jey kicks out after the count of two. Roman sets up a table on the floor and then leans one in the corner in the ring.

Now Jey charges at Roman looking to spear him through the table in the corner of the ring. Roman catches him coming in and hoists him up, but Jey escapes out the back door. The two fight back and forth and Roman decks Jey in mid-air looking for a springboard spot. Roman hits the ropes but runs into a big kick from Jey. Jey hoists Roman up on his shoulders and he hits a Samoan Drop through a table off the ring apron. The fans loudly chant "Holy sh*t!"

From there, Jey grabs a giant strap and begins whipping Roman with it. Roman climbs over the barricade and goes through the crowd. Jey follows after him. Solo Sikoa comes over and interferes, beating Jey down. He savagely chokeslams Jey through a table in the crowd area. Roman tells Solo to bring Jey to the ring. Back in the ring, Solo hits another chokeslam on Jey. Roman tells Solo to pick Jey up. He does but Jey springs to life and spears both of them. He covers Roman but only gets two.

Jey Uso grabs a chair and he begins beating the p*ss out of Solo and Roman with it in the ring. He wears Roman out with it and then plays to the crowd. On the floor, Jey heads out with a chair but walks into a super kick from Solo. Solo recovers and looks down angry at Roman. Solo gets his Samoan Spike hand ready. Roman notices this and points to it. As he's distracted by this, Jey charges over and spears Reigns through the barricade.

Solo Sikoa clears off the commentary table, but Jey lays him out on it and then hits a splash off the barricade to put him through it. Back in the ring, Jey hits a spear on Roman. He heads to the top rope and connects with an Uso splash. He goes for the cover but a masked man pulls him out of the ring. He pulls the mask off and reveals it is Jimmy Uso. He's got a scowl on his face as he looks down at Jey angrily.

Jimmy pauses for what seems like forever and then super kicks Jey. The fans chant "F*ck you Jimmy!" as he rolls Jey into the ring. Roman spears Jey through the table and then drags him out and covers him for the win. With the win, Roman Reigns retains the Universal title and the title of "The Tribal Chief." Reigns leaves with "The Wise Man" after the match. Jey is in the ring looking upset as he recovers. That's how the show goes off the air. Thanks for joining us!

Winner and STILL WWE Universal Champion & The Tribal Chief: Roman Reigns

"If you beat me, I will give this to you."@WWERomanReigns has a shocking message for Jey @WWEUsos right before #TribalCombat begins at #SummerSlam! pic.twitter.com/K8wlliYMsy

— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2023

 

SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEAR!#TribalCombat #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/xL2rRZXgEo

— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2023

 

NO WAY!!!! 😲😲😲😲😲#TribalCombat #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/7QtfyEchG9

— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2023

 

ROMAN REIGNS SUPREME AS TRIBAL CHIEF!@WWERomanReigns remains Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at #SummerSlam.@HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/evOBoQ5qfw

— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2023

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