Roman Reigns supreme in Abu Dhabi blockbuster fight night

Now a part-time in-ring figure and full-time boardroom member, Triple H succumbed to Roman Reigns in the showpiece before aligning with the victor to fend off The Bar and Samoa Joe’s late assault on The Shield leader.

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins weighed in to level the playing field and ensure the babyface stable sent the UAE capital’s WWE fans home happy. It was a fitting end to a stellar event where no fewer than three titles were on the line to give the final night greater gravitas although, as expected, no belts switched hands.

Reigns and Triple H’s match for the Intercontinental championship was a story typically told to perfection before the former nailed a spear to claim a clean victory before The Bar’s interference ensured further late drama. The Shield were clearly the double header’s main draw and before Reigns’ showdown with Triple H, their popularity was palpable in an audience dominated by feverish wrestling fans largely made up of children that bought into every supplex, hip toss and pantomime villain.

On Saturday, Ambrose and Rollins were ultimately unsuccessful in their pursuit of the WWE RAW tag-team titles but, again, their match with Sheamus and Cesaro was an unmistakable hit.

The two rival teams met in a steel cage match, the first of its kind here, that was notable not only for the novelty but also the action.

Both teams traded barbs, made use of the cage and a kendo stick as weapons and served up a treat before The Bar retained their titles as Cesaro’s feet narrowly made it to safe ground before Rollins’.

Earlier in the night, Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe was a tantalizing start to the evening, the two enjoying a rousing reception as they entered the arena. As the clear face, Balor ensured a routine win and for a man who has wrestled all over the world, his post-match promo talking up Abu Dhabi as another career highlight was a nice touch. Someone not talking up the emirate was Elias who, like on opening night, once again “serenaded” Abu Dhabi with a ditty centered on his dislike for the place.

Bar The Shield’s mere presence, let alone their matches, it was Elias’ over-the-top playing of the heel role that stood out over both nights, drawing some of the biggest reactions from the WWE Universe in Abu Dhabi.

It mirrored The Shield entirely in terms of sentiment but was only an iota less successful than theirs in terms of the end result, a significant compliment considering the relative status of the opposite parties on the roster.

Elsewhere, Enzo Amore once again saw off Kalisto to retain his cruiserweight title, while Titus O’Neill and Apollo Crews saw off Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Jason Jordan also made it two-out-of-two in the Middle East with a win over Bo Dallas, while Braun Strowman won the battle of the beasts, overcoming Bray Wyatt and Kane.

It was also a celebration locally as Nasser Alruwayeh became the first Kuwaiti signed to the WWE after jotting on the dotted line in the presence of HHH, this time in the shape of the suited and booted Paul Levesque, rather than his snarling alter ego.