WWE SmackDown: 5 superstars who impressed – 5-time World Champion forces big change in WrestleMania title match, Seth Rollins’ old heel persona on the show
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown revealed significant additions to the WrestleMania 37 match card. The Blue brand witnessed several top names confirm the respective in-ring battles that await them at the next pay-per-view. It also established the shocking heel turn of WWE legend after nearly ten years, and it can have major implications in a big title match scheduled for next month.
It was difficult to identify any superstar who ‘flopped’ on WWE SmackDown this week. There was barely a mistake during the show, and it was one of the most engaging editions of WWE SmackDown that we have seen in a while. Thus, this review will only feature names that impressed us with their performance last night.
#1 Daniel Bryan (fought for his title rematch on WWE SmackDown)
The opening segment of WWE SmackDown this week witnessed a passionate promo featuring Daniel Bryan. The five-time World Champion urged the viewers to think about his Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at Fastlane. Bryan reminded everyone that the champion tapped out to him, and that stands as a fact even if Reigns eventually retained his championship.
Bryan then demanded a title rematch against Roman Reigns and refused to leave the ring until someone addressed his demands on WWE SmackDown. Adam Pearce walked out to negotiate some time to come up with a better decision, but he was soon interrupted by Edge. The Rated-R Superstar walked to the ring and confronted Bryan for asking for another shot at the title.
Edge argued that it is his opportunity, and he doesn’t want to share it with anyone else. This led to a brawl between the two superstars, and Edge attacked Bryan with a chair. Backstage on WWE SmackDown, Reigns saw everything unfold and warned Pearce to make a favorable decision. Finally, the main event of WWE SmackDown confirmed that Roman Reigns, Edge, and Daniel Bryan would lock horns in a triple-threat match at WrestleMania 37 with the Universal Championship on the line.
All three superstars immediately started attacking each other. Reigns took down Bryan, but Edge had a plan in place for the Universal Champion. He took down Reigns and even brutalized Jey Uso when the latter tried to save his Tribal Chief. Soon, Edge brought a chair and started hitting both Reigns and Bryan to confirm his heel turn on WWE SmackDown.
Adding Bryan to the Universal title match at WrestleMania 37 was a good decision. He has delivered several great matches and dedicated himself to uplifting underused talents on WWE SmackDown. More than anything, Bryan could be the only babyface heading into the Universal Championship at WrestleMania next month. It has put a lot of pressure on him, but Bryan is different from a traditional mold of challengers in WWE.
Instead, the creative have done well in booking Bryan as a smart babyface on WWE SmackDown. All three superstars now have a huge reason to walk out of WrestleMania with the title. Even without competing in a match, Bryan managed to double the excitement surrounding this title bout. It will be interesting to see who will emerge as a top favorite as we inch close to the next pay-per-view.