After being cost a chance to become the number one contender to Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship, Shinsuke Nakamura is set to face off with Reigns’ cousin Jey Uso.
It was announced on this week’s episode of Talking Smack that Nakamura vs. Uso will take place on SmackDown next Friday. Nakamura made it to the final two of the number one contender’s gauntlet match on this week’s SmackDown before being attacked by Reigns and Uso.
Authority figure Adam Pearce won the gauntlet after being forced into the match by Reigns. In storyline, Reigns was upset at Pearce for making last week’s Kevin Owens vs. Uso main event and this week’s gauntlet. It was said that Paul Heyman pulled some strings to get Pearce added to the gauntlet match.
Pearce reluctantly came out to the ring with Reigns, Uso, and Paul Heyman as the final entrant in the gauntlet match. After Reigns and Uso laid out Nakamura, Reigns threw Pearce into the ring and Uso hit a superkick on Pearce. Uso then put Pearce on top of Nakamura and the referee counted the pin.
Nakamura defeated Daniel Bryan, Baron Corbin, and Rey Mysterio during the gauntlet match. Sami Zayn was also a participant in the match.
As the winner of the gauntlet match, Pearce is currently in line to challenge for Reigns’ Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 31.