WWE presents Tribal Combat this Sunday at Clash in Italy as Roman Reigns defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu.
To get fans hyped, WWE’s YouTube channel released a Director’s Cut edition of the last Tribal Combat match, where Reigns battled Solo Sikoa at Raw’s January 2025 Netflix debut for the title of Tribal Chief.
Admittedly, I had never bothered checking out these “Director’s Cut” versions of matches. I figured there wasn’t anything new camera angles could show me.
Turns
out, I was wrong.
Cliché as it sounds when talking about all things Roman, this version adds a more cinematic feel at times, something reserved for documentaries. Notably, the cameras bring viewers closer to the action, with the spots resembling a fight scene from the 2011 Tom Hardy flick Warrior.
One sequence follows Sikoa all the way through from a low blow into a ura nage to Reigns for a dramatic false finish. Sikoa’s emotions are also heightened as the audio crisply catches him shouting, “I loved you! I always loved you,” before resuming his assault.
At times, we get a direct view of the announcers, which reveals the difference in broadcast styles of Michael Cole and Pat McAfee. Typically, a play-by-play man will keep his eyes on the monitor to track the action as it appears on TV. McAfee, though, keeps his focus squarely on the ring.
Speaking of McAfee, the editing created an unintentionally hilarious moment as Reigns’ response to the overwhelming crowd support looks like an uncomfortable reaction to Pat McAfee’s effusive praise.
“Looking at Roman, this man is chiseled like a statue,” McAfee gushed. “Maybe in the greatest shape I’ve ever seen a human being. Back like a barn door.”
Besides the two wrestlers, the “Ref Cam” gives fans a jarring look at the action from referee Chad Patton’s perspective. Viewers follow Patton all the way down to the floor when he gets unexpectedly yanked from the ring, before getting a first-person view of what it’s like to take the Samoan Spike.
The new camera shots also catch Paul Heyman on the verge of a nervous breakdown as Reigns teeters on the brink of defeat. Near the end, an epic shot of a stare-down between the triumphant Reigns and The Rock after he presents Reigns with the Ula Fala reminds fans of what might have been.
In total, the Director’s Cut is 26:30 and does an excellent job of catching big moments, including Reigns bouncing off the announcer’s desk from the desk cam and the OTC’s final spear that put Sikoa away for good.
If Fatu and Reigns’ battle at Clash In Italy is anywhere near as good as their meeting at Backlash, this Sunday’s Tribal Combat will definitely be worth a similar cinematic release.
