Roman Reigns fires, attacks Paul Heyman on WWE SmackDown

The Wise Man has once again become The Advocate following a show-closing angle on WWE SmackDown.

Roman Reigns fired Paul Heyman as his special counsel on tonight’s WWE SmackDown, then attacked Heyman with a Superman punch after Heyman stated that he was protecting Reigns from Brock Lesnar. 

As Reigns, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso prepared to attack Heyman with a steel chair, Brock Lesnar entered to make the save. He hit F-5’s to both Usos on the floor, then left Reigns laying after an F-5 in the ring. Lesnar will challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view on January 1. 

Reigns’s arrival was teased throughout the evening on SmackDown. Heyman greeted who he thought was Reigns stepping out of a vehicle early in the show, but it turned out to be Lesnar. Reigns finally arrived and ordered Heyman and the Usos to the ring. 

Reigns asked Heyman if he could trust him, then instructed Heyman to answer with honesty as he asked him why he was protecting Lesnar from Reigns. Heyman stated that he was not protecting Lesnar from Reigns, but protecting Reigns from Lesnar. 

Reigns hugged Heyman, told him that he loved him, thanked him for 40 years of service to his family, then told Heyman “You’re fired.”

The SmackDown angle continues a months-long storyline involving Reigns, Lesnar and Heyman. Since returning to WWE programming at SummerSlam in August, Lesnar has been claiming that Heyman was still working as his advocate. Lesnar challenged Reigns for the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel in October. Heyman slid the title belt into the ring during that match, but it was not clear whether he intended to slide the belt to Reigns or Lesnar.