The result wasn't necessarily in doubt, especially given that Braun Strowman is now a RAW superstar. But nobody expected Roman Reigns to retain the Universal Championship the way he did.

In a match that seemingly went close to 20 minutes, Roman Reigns gave Braun Strowman his farewell to SmackDown by defeating him and for the first time, submitting him.

It marked the first time that Braun Strowman suffered a submission defeat and also the first time in a long time that Roman Reigns used a submission to gain a victory.

Is @BraunStrowman going to tap?!?!?#SmackDown #UniversalTitle @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/tcQQ9PlTLt

— WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2020

Roman Reigns normally isn't a submission-based wrestler, which is why it was hard to imagine him being the kind to implement it into his moveset. However, it simply appears as though he's adding new moves to his arsenal with his personality change as well.

Michael Cole made an interesting comment, stating that every time Roman Reigns comes out, it's as though we're witnessing something entirely different. It holds and Roman Reigns has been surprising fans a lot ever since his return in August 2020 and his heel turn.

CHAOS to close out the season premiere of #SmackDown on @FOXTV!#UniversalTitle @WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/7ZwX0k3tL4

— WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2020

What lies ahead for Roman Reigns?

For Braun Strowman, it's straight to RAW, where he will be expected to feud with Keith Lee. Despite his loss, Braun Strowman can be a major player on Monday Night RAW. He was essentially brought in to be a part of RAW Underground, but that has reportedly been canceled.

For Roman Reigns, he will be expected to retain the Universal Championship against Jey Uso. After his match against Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns made a point to Jey Uso by viciously assaulting a passed-out Monster Among Men with a steel chair repeatedly.

There was a tense moment at the end where Roman Reigns allowed Jey Uso to freely hit his back with a steel chair, but his cousin refused to stoop down and regularly attacked him before Roman Reigns fired right back.

Big things are lying ahead for Roman Reigns and we're going to get a clearer picture about where he stands after Hell in a Cell 2020.