Top Contender Adam Pearce, New Tag Team Champions, More WWE SmackDown Fallout

There is a new No. 1 contender to the Universal Championship after Friday's WWE SmackDown, and his name is...Adam Pearce?

The WWE official cashed his ticket to the Royal Rumble and a date with Roman Reigns by way of his victory in a gauntlet match, thanks in large part to the interference of The Tribal Chief, and he now faces a very real and painful lesson courtesy of the top dog on the blue brand.

That outcome highlighted another superb broadcast from a show thriving because of strong writing and the best heel in the business.

Dive deeper into the night's events, as well as its other buzz-worthy topics, with this recap of Friday's SmackDown.

Adam Pearce Earns Universal Championship Opportunity

Adam Pearce sealed his fate a week ago when he went against the orders of universal champion Roman Reigns and booked Jey Uso against Kevin Owens. On Friday night, he paid for his sins.

Reigns and Uso attacked Pearce in the closing minutes of a gauntlet match to determine The Tribal Chief's top contender before laying his beaten body across an unconscious Shinsuke Nakamura and ensuring the WWE official will have to face Reigns at the Royal Rumble on January 31.

For Pearce, it is an opportunity to relive his days as an active competitor. Once one of the most prominent independent wrestlers in the country, there is no denying he can throw down if pressed.

WWE fans have never had the opportunity to see what Scrap Iron is capable of between the ropes. A former NWA world champion and the head booker for Ring of Honor prior to his arrival in McMahonland, he is more than capable of defending himself.

The Reigns he will be confronted by at the pay-per-view, though, is an entirely different beast than anything Pearce has encountered on his travels.

More on The Head of the Table in a moment.

Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode Dethrone Street Profits

For 312 days, The Street Profits reigned over WWE as tag team champions of Raw or SmackDown. Their run with the straps came to an end Friday night, when Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode capitalized on a hobbled Montez Ford and utilized a spinebuster/Zig-Zag combo to earn the titles.

While some may argue that veterans like Ziggler and Roode were not the right team to end the Profits' lengthy reign, said outcome sets up Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford to chase the titles. It also creates the possibility for fresh matchups, particularly as Otis and Chad Gable continue to build their tandem into one that can contend.

Ziggler and Roode are an experienced team, have partnered before and are more than credible enough to carry the gold while officials figure out what direction they want to head in moving forward.

Shinsuke Nakamura's Big Night

Shinsuke Nakamura carries so much credibility from his days in New Japan Pro-Wrestling that he can win a No. 1 contender's match at any time and be thrown into a pay-per-view main event and people would buy in.

Case in point, Friday's Gauntlet Match to determine the top contender to Roman Reigns' Universal Championship.

Nakamura entered the match third and defeated Rey Mysterio, Daniel Bryan and, finally, King Corbin en route to being screwed out of his first world title opportunity in quite some time by Reigns himself.

Had there been fans in the crowd, Nakamura almost certainly would have been the most over competitor on Friday's show. Not only does he have credibility, but he also has the respect of fans who know of his past and have never understood, nor agreed with, his usage in WWE.

They would have been solidly behind his unexpected run and despised Reigns for robbing him of a title shot.

Hopefully his showing is an indicator of better things coming for The Artist, who has not lived up to expectations in WWE for a variety of reasons but who suddenly has a clear path to a showdown with Reigns over the next two months as a result of the seeds planted by WWE Creative.

Roman Reigns' Excellence Continues as Tyrannical Top Heel

Roman Reigns is the best thing about pro wrestling right now.

It's a sentiment you have heard across social media before, but Friday night was further evidence of just what has made The Tribal Chief such an extraordinary character and effective lead heel.

He talked down to a man who is, technically, his superior in Adam Pearce. He bullied him and then used his star power to manipulate the gauntlet match main event to set up Pearce to have to face him in a match at the Royal Rumble.

He was intimidating and sarcastic, the sort of villain everyone has encountered at least once in their lives. He utilizes the power he has amassed as the top star in the company, hides behind "family" as the reasoning for his abhorrent actions and expects to be held to different standards because of his stardom.

He is entitled, smart, manipulative, inspiring.

Dangerous.

He is the best heel WWE has produced since CM Punk's Straight Edge Savior persona exploded off the television back in 2010.

It is no surprise the blue brand has been such a strong product with a heel of his quality as the centerpiece of the show.