Immediately after losing to Finn Bálor in their first-ever matchup last summer, Roman Reigns said he wanted another opportunity against the Irish dynamo. Well, he got it on Raw in the first of three Kurt Angle-mandated matches among Extreme Rules’ Fatal 5-Way competitors, and Reigns delivered on said opportunity, avenging his nearly year-old loss and defeating Bálor in Round Two.

Reigns fought like he had something extra to prove, stomping Finn into the corner and displaying the powerhouse strategy that might well win him a potential Universal Title clash, as it already helped put Braun Strowman out of action for up to six months. Bálor, of course, has a history with brawlers, and replied by bashing Reigns in the face and ribs with kicks that could find themselves connecting with The Beast down the line.

In this battle of speed vs. force, however, force ultimately won out. Despite tweaking his bad shoulder in a collision with the ring post, Reigns thwarted the Coup de Grâce by shoving Finn off the top turnbuckle and sealed the match with a last-gasp Spear.

The Big Dog takes on Raw’s first Universal Champion as both Superstars prepare for their high-stakes Fatal 5-Way Match at WWE Extreme Rules.