Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan need to get on with it or get out
That WWE Smackdown Live was a disappointment in 2017 is a given. The show has always been the blue-headed stepchild to Monday Night Raw, but the past year just took this to a whole other level.
With the hiring of perennial yes man BG James as head writer of the show, Vince McMahon has got his way with everything including some hairbrained decisions like cancelling the star building Talking Smack and handing Jinder Mahal the WWE Championship.
This has tainted Smackdown that was looking to rival the heydays of the Paul Heyman-led Smackdown Six, post the 2006 Brand Extension.
Sadly that came to nought as the Jinder Mahal obsessed production team, turned gold into a turd. The shows increasing focus on everything Shane O'Mac, has robbed genuine talent and genuine rivalries off all its thunder.
It all comes full circle on this Road to Wrestlemania, as the story of the Land of Opportunity takes a twisted dark turn towards becoming all about two men that aren't even wrestlers.
If we complain profusely about Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's spotlight-hogging ego, what can we say about tough guy Shane, or a desperate to leave Daniel Bryan?
The two are taking a hold over the main event scene with their ongoing saga. Not only have they brought Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn into it all, but sucked AJ Styles into their orbit as well.
The current WWE Champion was dealt with the short straw last year in a rivalry with James Ellsworth, this year's a slight improvement (slight being the operative word).
As last week's Smackdown Live proved, it's hard to see where this whole power struggle angle is going, but more importantly, it's hard to watch it as it unfurls at such a slow pace, having built ever since last year's Summerslam, if not before.
AJ Styles proved to be a frustrated but fighting champion by insinuating he'd take on both Zayn and Owens. The fact that Daniel Bryan made it official with a handicap match in favour of the heel duo adds a new twist to the whole affair, will Bryan turn heel?
Is WWE that tone deaf not to realise that the Universe will never boo Daniel Bryan?
More importantly, if the angle doesn't pay off with an actual Daniel Bryan return to the ring, then they could cause an even worse backlash on the final result of this arc whatsoever it may be.
Shane McMahon, however, is another focal point of the angle that deserves flak. It was genuinely great to see him return to the 'E two years ago, and more importantly compete in his crazy, crash-stunt style. It was fun that we'd finally get an authority and McMahon who isn't a jerk.
Yet here we are in 2017, and Shane's probably the worst McMahon, stealing the spotlight and limelight with big time matches ever since he has been back.
In fact, AJ Styles was rewarded with his phenomenal first year in the 'E by having to sell for Shane in an admittedly exhilarating contest. He then stuck his nose into what could have been a scintillating rivalry between Styles and Owens.
Later on, he became the last man standing for his team in the annual Survivor Series bout, instead of his legendary teammates, John Cena and Randy Orton, or young upstarts like Nakamura and Bobby Roode.
It's high time Shane O'Mac went the way of his sister and got beat into a year's worth of oblivion, probably at this year's 'Mania. I'm sure Daniel Bryan's begrudgingly smirking his way to a promised return to the ring only if he makes the prodigal prince look tough at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Till then let this shoddy power struggle facade continue.