WWE SmackDown: Jey Uso earned a shot at the WWE Universal title

Jey Uso walked out of WWE SmackDown as the No. 1 contender to the Universal title.

WWE SmackDown returned on Friday with the first show since WWE Payback. Roman Reigns walked out of that event as the new WWE Universal champion, and the inclusion of Paul Heyman created a lot of intrigue into this new partnership. That, along with other angles continued through the evening on SmackDown.

The first match of the evening was a tag team match between Heavy Machinery as they took on the Miz and John Morrison. Heavy Machinery got in their offense early, but the more experienced team in Morrison and Miz eventually took over. Their expertise as former champions stood out as they controlled much of this match. However, Otis would get his team back into it when he started to toss both men around the ring with a series of suplexes. That would be the lead-in to the finish as Otis pinned Miz when he landed a splash from the top rope.

Sasha Banks and Bayley were on a mission, and the goal was to get their status as WWE Women’s tag team champions back. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax made the cameo from Monday Night Raw to defend those belts.

Banks and Bayley attempted to get the match started early, but it didn’t help them at all when Baszler and Jax quickly turned the tables. Bayley found herself isolated in the ring and tossed back and forth between the champions. Once the Golden Role Models got things under control, they kept the champions reeling with a flurry of offense. This was an amazing back-and-forth match that ended when Jax landed a splash from the top rope to pin the former champions. The real shock of a moment came when Bayley turned on Sasha Banks, savagely attacking her for minutes, leaving Banks motionless inside the ring.

Jey Uso steals the show

The Fatal-Four way match for a shot at Reigns’ title faced a change when Big E was forced out of the match. Jey Uso stepped up to take that slot and competed against Sheamus, Baron Corbin and Matt Riddle.

The action started off fast, with Uso and Riddle attempting to pick up quick pins. That didn’t work and opened the space for Sheamus and Corbin to slow things down. Sheamus and Corbin controlled much of this match, exchanging holds and attacks on the other two men in the match. Riddle cleared out the competition, looking like he was about to take the victory after hitting the Floating Bro. But Jey came out of nowhere with a huge splash to get the pin fall, making him the No. 1 contender for the Universal title.

September 4 WWE SmackDown Results

• Heavy Machinery defeated the Miz and John Morrison
• Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeated the Golden Role Models via pin fall
• Jey Uso defeated Matt Riddle, Baron Corbin and Sheamus in a Fatal-Four Way match