Explosive SmackDown Sees A Heel Turn at the Cost of Another?
Is it “Yes! Yes! Yes!” or “No! No! No!” now? After multiple concussion injuries, retirement, and now return, the American Dragon is back on top of the WWE pedestal for the first time since June 2014. Yes, that is right, Daniel Bryan has won the WWE Championship but it’s how he won it that has everybody a buzzed. Ladies and gents, HEEL Bryan is back.
Daniel Brayn wins WWE Championship. Credit: WWE.com
What was SmackDown’s last build to the upcoming PPV Survivor Series this Sunday, we saw Daniel Bryan capture or “steal” the gold from former champion AJ Styles. In the closing moments of the match, Bryan snuck in a low blow on Styles while the referee was distracted, then followed up with a flying knee for the pin to the surprise of the WWE audience. After the match, Bryan stomped out Styles, fully going heel and ended the segment with a sadistic smile. Styles had a lengthy run that lasted 371 days but was honestly getting stale due to poor booking, in my opinion. Since Bryan’s return to ring action, this was a dream matchup for fans. The two were supposed to meet at Saudi Arabia’s event Crown Jewel but Bryan told WWE Creative he did not want to work the event, among others, due to the controversy around the missing American journalist there.
The two faced each other the SmackDown before Crown Jewel for the belt in where Styles was victorious, and Bryan was replaced for the event by SmackDown’s Samoa Joe - who should’ve been the one to win the belt from Styles - but that’s neither here nor there. Styles was to go on and face Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series for the second time in a row, but that plan came to a screeching halt on yesterday’s episode. But it’s what happened earlier in the episode that has me and others confused and are pin pointing this to why Vince McMahon ok’d the turn. SmackDown’s Women Champion Becky Lynch turned back face? We don’t even know yet but what was a surprising turn of events, Lynch had to pick an opponent to replace her in what would’ve been a high-profile match at Survivor Series against Raw’s Women Champion Ronda Rousey. And her pick was none other than her rival Charlotte Flair. WHAT!? This was SmackDown’s top feud as of late and it just went down the drain in a matter of seconds because of Lynch’s inability to wrestle this Sunday due to the injuries she sustained on last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw. Smackdown’s women roster, led by Lynch, stormed into Raw and attacked their women’s division. Lynch went after Rousey backstage leaving her lying in pain from the Dis-Arm-Her and walked to the ring where Raw’s Women’s Team was and that’s when the brawl between the two women’s division began. During the brawl, Nia Jax seemingly just flat out punched Lynch in the face, leaving her with a broken orbital bone and a concussion. The warrior in Lynch helped her finish the segment but she was seriously in pain as you could tell from her bloody face and groggy look. Jax is taking some serious heat backstage from this incident too with people in the locker room calling her careless.
Becky has been ruled unable to compete at Survivor Series. Credit: WWE.com
Why didn’t WWE Creative go with Asuka? Build her back as the dominant force she once was and have her face Rousey and then go on to feud with Lynch. To just throwaway months of a great feud - even have them hugging - is just beyond me and shows how WWE Creative does not care about its fans. Yes, we’ll be seeing a great matchup still, but Lynch run as heel looks likely to be over and now Bryan has emerged as the top heel of the show. Let me just remind you one last time, this all happened in one episode.
Shinsuke Nakumura is probably in the back looking at the low blow to Styles like, “Didn’t I do that and still not win?” Survivor Series is this Sunday on the WWE Network.
