The Man Beast tests his mettle against The Samoan Submission Machine, live on Raw.

Rhyno’s quest to toughen up Heath Slater continues apace, though neither of the inaugural SmackDown Tag Team Champions have found much luck in their efforts of yet.

One week after picking a fight with Braun Strowman in an attempt to show Slater the way, The Man Beast squared off with Samoa Joe to demonstrate his grit to The One-Man Band. Unfortunately for Rhyno, it was Joe who put on the definitive demonstration of the contest. The Man Beast proved just difficult enough to defeat for Joe to get annoyed, but the two-time NXT Champion locked in the Coquina Clutch to submit his opponent all the same.

Joe wasn’t even sweating his loss the previous week, labeling Roman Reigns’ win over him as a Pyrrhic triumph that Joe would follow up on when the time was right. Until then, however, The Samoan Submission Machine was setting his sights on the Men’s Royal Rumble Match, targeting one particular Superstar as his first elimination: John Cena.