SmackDown In A Nutshell: Daniel Bryan Changes The World

Hello again everyone! It’s the final show from Phoenix as WWE closes out Rumble weekend with SmackDown. There’s plenty of news to cover, but most of the really big stuff got covered on RAW last night. Still, we have WWE Champion Daniel Bryan set to address the WWE Universe. Is tonight the night we see how Daniel Bryan changes the world? It could be, now that the champ has a massive insurance policy in Erick Rowan backing him up. Let’s crack open this Nutshell and find out!

Best Match of the night:

The tag team four way match to determine the number one contender was a really good one. I would not go so far as to say this is where the tag division push begins, but it’s not a bad start.

Worst match of the night:

Overall, the United States title matches were just..weird. Maybe not bad…but bizarre, especially when you factor in R-Truth winning.

Crowd Chants of the Night:

Miz

Shane o Mac

Mr. Miz

Daisy

thank you Daisy

Good bye Daisy

Star of the Night

Hmm…R-Truth, for his United States Championship win? Or I could go with the participants in the final segment?

I will stick with R-Truth

Spot of the Night:

How about that punch Becky Lynch delivered to Charlotte

Upset of the Night:

R-Truth wins the United States Championship.

Folks, that was NOT a mis-print. I suppose that was a pay back move for him being jobbed out to a woman on Sunday.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

Daniel Bryan said he was going to change the world. The show started by announcing a segment that said he was going to change the WWE climate. What resulted was him ripping on the non-vegan, non-hippie, non-tree hugging title belt  (which he never had an issue with before). He named the dead cow. He brought out a hemp and wood title belt. He threw the real deal in the trash.

This move brought out AJ Styles, and ultimately also Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy and Mustafa Ali. That group brawled as Daniel Bryan said “I won’t be fighting any one of you for the title, I’ll hold it forever”. That sure telegraphed what happened next.

Hunter popped up on the big screen and said “you are right, you won’t be fighting one of them. You defend against all of them in the Elimination Chamber”.

The portion leading up to the brawl was intense too. Orton blasted Ali for being eliminated “by a girl”. Joe told Hardy to act like they were at an AA meeting and it was Joe’s time to share. The gloves were off.

Botch of the night:

Samoa Joe had some issues with lines. Passion will do that.

Noteworthy Moment:

For the second straight night, WWE is taking a babyface and turning them heel for reasons I do not understand. Last night Elias turned back. Tonight it was Rusev, who sided with Nakamura after R-Truth defeated both men to claim the United States Championship.

I guess at this point we should be grateful they didn’t flip Becky Lynch too.

Looks like we will get The Good Brothers against Rusev and Nakamura. Here’s hoping Gallows and Anderson get on a roll.

We have new number one tag title contenders, though they aren’t all that new-The Usos will fight Miz and Shane at Elimination Chamber.

Daniel Bryan has made the WWE Title green-and ridiculous. But mostly green.

Overall lowlights:

I don’t know if it’s Vince McMahon being senile, or new producers meddling with things that ought not be meddled with, but killing babyface Rusev is bad. A night after crushing babyface Elias, it just comes off wrong. We are what, not even two months removed from WWE (specifically Vince, Hunter, Shane and Stephanie) saying they are going to give fans more of what they want. I am pretty sure fans wanted more Rusev Days and more chances to Walk With Elias.

Overall highlights:

R-Truth winning the US title was an unexpected and shocking event.

The closing segment was generally good. Daniel Bryan comes off as bat-sh!@ crazy with a hemp and wood title belt (you KNOW that is going to end up smashed to bits). The payoff was the mix of talent in the Elimination Chamber. Especially notable, Mustafa Ali-someone who wasn’t even a full time blue brand guy until recently. Talk about a meteoric rise!

After the final bell:

Well, last night I did wonder to myself just what SmackDown could do to compete with what RAW did last night. RAW, of course, seized both WrestleMania main event announcements, as Ronda Rousey was challenged by Becky Lynch, and Seth Rollins challenged Brock Lesnar. So, tonight, SmackDown turned it’s focus squarely on Elimination Chamber. In doing so, we got the WWE Title match, lining up all the players to challenge for Daniel Bryan’s hemp belt. While it’s not ‘Mania related, it’s what they could do, and it focuses on the near term. Not a bad move at all.

I am not thrilled about the belt change, temporary as it may be. Mostly because of throwing the real one in the trash…but at the same time, it does fit Daniel Bryan’s lunacy.