Roman Reigns Retains WWE Universal Title vs. Strowman with Goldberg Watching

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press

Roman Reigns retained his WWE Universal championship against Braun Strowman on SmackDown after catching him with a guillotine, leading to a submission victory: 

Reigns won the title with Goldberg watching as a member of the virtual crowd in the ThunderDome.

The champion got off to a hot start with a Superman punch as his cousin and Hell in a Cell opponent Jey Uso watched from the back:

Strowman eventually went on the offensive, however, tossing Reigns over the announcer table and knocking him over the fan barricade:

The match looked all but over when Strowman chokeslammed Reigns:

However, Reigns later countered a Strowman maneuver into a guillotine choke. Despite the big man’s best efforts, he slowly faded before losing by submission.

After the match, Uso came to the ring, and Reigns pleaded with his cousin to side with him, end their feud and call off the Hell in a Cell fight. He then implored Uso to attack Strowman as Reigns had just brutally done with a spear and a chair post-match.

Instead, Uso attacked Reigns, who got him back quickly before the show faded to black:

The two cousins’ Hell in a Cell match on Sunday, Oct. 25 will feature an “I Quit” stipulation, marking the first time a HIAC match has featured it.