"They're still playing that story" - WWE Veteran comments on Paul Heyman; discusses Roman Reigns' absence on SmackDown

After last night's episode of WWE SmackDown, Dutch Mantell shared his thoughts on Paul Heyman, alluding that the story between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns is still boiling in the background. He also brought Reigns' absence into question and explained its importance.

Roman Reigns has been the most important part of SmackDown and arguably the entire company for over a year. But surprisingly, he was nowhere to be found last night, nor was there a proper explanation of his absence.

But Paul Heyman showed up and reacted to Adam Pearce's announcement of the million-dollar fine. Heyman then put over Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar in a rant, praising the latter before stopping himself mid-sentence.

In the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, former booker Dutch Mantell sat down with Sid Pullar III to review the latest episodes of WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage. Here's what Dutch Mantell had to say regarding Paul Heyman's short segment on the show and Roman Reigns' absence:

"It was very good. It was mostly Paul and Kayla, she does her part too but she always that little bit of a smirk on her face . . . but Paul's interview was actually believable again because he was getting worked up on Brock Lesnar but then he caught himself and without saying anything he switched gears because he almost tipped his hat a little bit. So, they're still playing that story. Did they ever even mention where Mr. Reigns was tonight? You don't have to hear where he is but almost be like keeping your fans informed like he's attending a meeting or doing something to contribute to his success in WWE but not a word. And that's very unlike them too. I don't know if that's ineptness or if it's deliberate," Mantell said.

Check out the full show review in the video below:

Roman Reigns was last seen on WWE SmackDown last week

Following his win over Brock Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel, Roman Reigns opened SmackDown last Friday, boasting about his victory. However, his celebration was cut short as Lesnar made his way to the ring for a heated brawl with the Universal Champion.

The brawl resulted in an indefinite suspension for the Beast Incarnate, alongside a million-dollar fine. When do you think Brock Lesnar will return? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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