Stephen A. Smith had WWE superstar and current undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns and his special counsel Paul Heyman as guests on First Take. Check out the segment below.
On Tuesday, the six-time heavyweight champion and his "Wise Man" joined Smith and his co-host Molly Qerim for a segment promoting his upcoming SummerSlam championship match with his cousin Jey Uso. Right from the start, Stephen A. Smith couldn't help but revel in the greatness that Reigns and Heyman exuded during their appearance, from pulling out Heyman's chair for him and giving the champion a big hug.
The match itself will take place this Saturday (Aug. 5) at SummerSlam, where Reigns will defend his title against Uso in a "Tribal Combat" match -- essentially a no-holds-barred match created by Reigns and Uso's Samoan elders. The showdown will be the next chapter in the extensive Bloodline storyline that's been critically acclaimed. According to Reigns, the match itself will be epic, given what's on the line.
"What makes this so special in tribal combat is the title of the Tribal Chief will be on the line as well the leadership of our family," Reigns said. "This isn't the right kind of table, but the Head of the Table will be up for grabs, so this will define the future of our family, our legacy, and our bloodline."
Paul Heyman got in on the trash talk as well when Stephen A asked him what it's like to be the great Wise Man, and all the legendary promoter could say was he's "the GOAT." Smith mentioned fellow legend Bobby "The Brain" Heenan as one of the greatest managers of all time, but Heyman shot from the hip and said, "Screw him, he's dead."
"You want me to prove to you that I'm the GOAT," Heyman asked. "I'm with him, okay. Why would he settle for anything less than the goat? He's the Tribal Chief. He's the biggest box office attraction in the history, not only of sports or entertainment, but of sports entertainment."
At one point during the interview, Stephen A. Smith couldn't help but ask to hold one of Reigns' belts, which he obliged. He also hinted at wanting Heyman's job managing Roman Reigns by asking what he can do to become a "Wise Man," which the ECW founder laughed off with a smirk.
"You can't. I mean I can make you an honorary rabbi," Heyman said. "I never called myself the 'Wise Man.' I'm special counsel to the Tribal Chief. This honor, this lifelong honor, was bestowed upon me by the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. I wouldn't dare call myself a 'Wise Man.'"
The Tribal Chief recently celebrated 1000 days as Universal Champion. His reign is recognized as the fifth-longest world championship reign in WWE's history and the longest reign of any WWE championship since 1988. He's already defeated A-List stars such as Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and more, yet his cousin Jey Uso may be his biggest challenge yet.
Jey and his brother Jimmy broke away from the Bloodline in June and have since been standing up to Reigns, Heyman, and their younger brother Solo Sikoa after three long years of mistreatment. SummerSlam is taking place at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan with Reigns and Uso performing in one of the main events.
