Smackdown Discussion Thread

[air_raid]

17 minutes ago, Shy Dad said:

Whereas Rusev has been around the top of the card the entire time Bryan has been away.

Around the top of the card? The entire time??? Objection, your honour. He's been an afterthought since Cena.

[WyattSheepMask]

You just beat me to it there Raid.

Let’s not kid ourselves, we like Rusev, but hes done bugger all & been nowhere near the top of any card since that feud with Cena ended

[I Bent My Wookie]

Since the brand split I'd argue he's been towards the top of the card. He main events quite a bit and even if it is working as a jobber to the stars he's been in and around the secondary feud on each brand with the likes of Reigns, Cena, being US champ for a large portion of the initial brand split. I wish they'd done more with him demanding a world title shot when drafted to SmackDown but compared to some of the other guys who were at his level when Bryan first left he's stayed around where he still is. 

[tiger_rick]

2 hours ago, air_raid said:

Around the top of the card? The entire time??? Objection, your honour.

Sustained. I'm not sure I've been following the same Rusev.

I'm not having any justification for Bryan losing. Sure, it's not the end of the world. Because in their world, almost everyone is on the same level and no one is a star. Everyone loses to someone regularly. Bryan should be different. He's "been protected" for years by not competing. That automatically makes him the biggest star on the show. Now go tell that story. Go prove it and build to him against Styles. Don't have him be the same as every one else after six weeks. It's not even like he lost to a guy they have big plans for. The should, because Rusev is fucking awesome, but they never do.

Rusev could have beaten almost anyone for that spot. Bryan didn't need to be involved. Or he could have beaten Bryan because he went after Cass or because Cass got him DQd. They can literally do anything and their only idea is to beat the most popular guy on the roster. Genius.

[Liam O'Rourke]

Welcome back to the mix Daniel - Where nothing means anything, and Randy Orton looks smarter every day for not giving a fuck.

[WeeAl]

Smackdown was a really quick and easy watch. I skipped Paige's whole promo as soon as I heard her dreadful music play. I don't think I missed anything. Jeff Hardy Vs The Miz was a really good match. I got very into it as I was expecting a five or six minute show opening match with a dodgy finish, but they had their working boots on here.

I was shocked when Rusev went for the cover and then the ref counter three. I honestly didn't expect for a second that the finish was coming there, nor did I think Rusev was going to win, much less beat Bryan cleanly. When the match was starting I was certain Cass was going to cost Bryan the match. I'm pleased Rusev got a win, but I don't quite get that they gave him a W at Bryan's expense at this point in time. How wrong I was.

[WyattSheepMask]

There’s no kayfabe reason that Rusevv shouldn’t be able to beat Daniel Bryan, he’s twice his size and is an agile big man rather than a plodding lump. Instead, we’ve sort of been conditioned to expect him to lose.

I’m in two minds about Bryan losing clean. On the one hand, he’s one of the top babyfaces and will hopefully get into top programs soon enough, he’s working his way back up and I like that they didn’t just give him a title match a week after coming back. On the other hand, he’s coming off of a 3 year lay off, he shouldn’t be beating everyone in sight straight from the off. You could have had Cass cost him it somehow, and then finish their feud on TV next week rather than drag it out until the next PPV, but even as I type that I don’t think I want to see Bryan v Cass again their shocker at the weekend.

Easiest thing to do would have just not booked the match and have Rusev smash someone else. Shelton Benjamin wasn’t up to much

[Jazzy G]

Is it so they can make it look as though Daniel Bryan isn't going to have a match at MITB only for them to sneak him in at the last ,minute?

[WyattSheepMask]

So the guy loses his qualifying match fair & square, only to then be put into the match anyway? Like when Rey lost his #1 Contendership only for Teddy Long to give it back to him 2 nights later?

It’s a stretch doing that for a heel without the heel authority figure, nevermind doing it for someone who lost fair & square

If he’d lost to some no-hoper like Primo then fair enough, but he lost to Rusev, who everyone* bangs about needing momentum. After this, he now has some, but because it was over Daniel Bryan- who must defeat everybody in the universe no questions asked, people* are having a moan. 

*not aimed at any particular person on here, using it in broad terms

[GeronimoJacksBeard]

It made me think they're avoiding putting Bryan in the Money in the Bank match, because if they put him in, but don't have him winning it, you're getting the usual problem. I generally share Ricks sentiments, but not on this one. I might be giving the booking too much credit, but i didn't mind this at all. The focus on Bryans reaction to his loss gave me the impression this is just the start on a long road back to the top and to the title. Which i think is the way to go. He shouldn't be in Money in the Bank if he's not winning it and he shouldn't be winning it regardless. He's the ultimate underdog, his whole thing is he's a fucking workhorse and he just damn well loves wrestling. After a few years away, finally coming back and able to wrestle again you don't just immediately give him the easy ticket to the title, despite how much a big part of the audience thinks that's what they want. Take us on a journey following him scratch, claw,  earn and most importantly wrestle his way back to the top and into title contention.

As much as he doesn't actually look like he's missed a step, kayfabe-wise he should be a little rusty after not being able to wrestle in any way for so long, especially compared to those that have been wrestling consistently. It makes for a good story, especially for the likes of Daniel Bryan. When Shawn Michaels returned and in his 2nd match back after being out injured for years bagged the World title, over a load of other guys at the top of their game and inside a brutal structure that would mess up bodies not already falling apart, it annoyed me no end.

Also, putting anyone over Bryan in this scenario and into Money in the Bank - doing it with Rusev, the main other guy that's crazy popular and folk are desperate to be used and pushed. Smart. Hopefully the lack of Cass involvement just means that's done with. That's nothing to grumble over, frankly.

[Supremo]

I’ve not seen this week’s show yet, but have they given any reason as to why Bryan and The Miz haven’t interracted yet? It just seems so weird that Bryan supposedly played a hand in Miz being drafted, yet they haven’t bumped into each other yet. At the very least, they could lazily mention that Miz has a restraining order against him or something. 

Other than his performance in the Greatest Royal Rumble, I completely agree that they’ve done a stunning job of making Bryan feel like just another guy. It felt like there was so much potential in his comeback, yet it already feels like he never left.

Meltzer reckons he should leave WWE in September now they’ve made it clear how they plan on using him. I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not but I’d fucking love to see him in New Japan now that I’m watching it regularly. I highly doubt he’d be treated as just another guy there. I mean, if they’re willing to treat Jay White and Juice Robinson as if they’re big deals, then I bet they’ll treat Bryan like a god. Kenny Omega vs. Daniel Bryan would be mega.

Also, LOL at whoever said Rusev had been near the top of the card. What the fuck have you been watching?!

[Lorne Malvo]

I don't mind the result at all. The commentary was obviously playing up to the fact that Bryan had been through a war at GRR then suffered a nasty beatdown from Cass at Backlash, and his body was struggling to keep up with the abuse he was putting it through. Hopefully it'll be the start of a redemption story with Bryan proving he's still as good now as he was before his retirement, leading to a title run down the line.

More than happy to eat my words if he's jobbing to Mike Kanellis next week, but fuck me some of the reactions to this one loss have been overly dramatic. 

[Bus Surfer]

Is the general consensus here that Bryan is destined to mid card floundry then? 

I mean, it's been what 6 weeks since his return. With the Smackdown title scene revolving around AJ and Nakamura, maybe they didn't wanna just shoe horn him back into the title picture with that stuff going on already. 

As said above, I've no issue with him losing a MITB qualifier, he's kind of above that in my eyes and a more conventional underdog push to the belt seems a better fit to me. Atleast I hope this is where its all going. 

They'd be fucking mad to have him slumming around in the mid card indefinitely. Surely he's been told what the eventual plans are, otherwise he'd likely have told them to stick it. 

[air_raid]

40 minutes ago, Silky Kisser said:

They'd be fucking mad to have him slumming around in the mid card indefinitely. Surely he's been told what the eventual plans are, otherwise he'd likely have told them to stick it. 

Man's got a family and as far as I know, no creative control clause in his contract. He does what he's told. Nobody's sticking anything.

[drkopen]

It would be nice to think that there is some long term booking taking place. Bryan winning the title at mania would be perfect. In between time he can fued with Cass for a couple of weeks. A long term program with Miz - who should ideally keep costing Bryan opportunities to get a title match.

Then redemption on the 'biggest stage'