On the latest episode of SmackDown, the commentators told us that The Miz, Daniel Bryan and King Corbin will square off in a triple threat match next week - with the winner earning an opportunity to challenge The Fiend for the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble 2020.
The feud between Daniel Bryan, The Miz, and 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt has been going on brilliantly. So one would ask why WWE would bring in the 2019 King of the Ring winner to this feud, especially when Corbin's rivalry against Roman Reigns is not yet finished. TLC 2019 ended with an all-out brawl between the "good guys" and "bad guys" of SmackDown signalling the TLC encounter between the King and the Big Dog has not yet ended.
In this article, we will take a look at a few reasons why WWE added Corbin to The Fiend's rivalry against Daniel Bryan and The Miz.
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#3. To eat the pin during the triple threat
WWE adding the third man to protect two guys from getting pinned is not something new. WWE has been doing this for ages and it is honestly a smart booking. WWE does not want to book a potential money-making matchup between Daniel Bryan and The Miz on free TV. Instead, WWE will be keen on using a third guy who has no problems with eating a pin.
In this case, the third guy is Baron Corbin. As mentioned earlier, King Corbin is still in a rivalry against Roman Reigns. Since triple threat matches are devoid of normal rules, we could see the Big Dog return during the main event of next weeks SmackDown to cost the opportunity for Corbin. The Miz or Bryan could then pin Corbin to earn an opportunity to challenge The Fiend for the Universal title at Royal Rumble 2020.
#2. To postpone The Fiend vs Daniel Bryan program to WrestleMania 36
The Fiend's best match till date was arguably against Daniel Bryan. WWE might have just realized how interesting the feud between The Fiend and Bryan could be and may want to book their next encounter on the biggest stage of them all - WrestleMania. Yes, we heard the rumours about Roman Reigns winning the next Royal Rumble and challenging Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36 but for now, it is nothing but a rumour.
As mentioned in the first part, the best outcome would be The Miz winning the triple-threat match on next week's SmackDown to challenge The Fiend at Royal Rumble 2020. After all, The Miz also has some business left with Bray Wyatt.
Bryan could win the Men's Royal Rumble match to earn the opportunity to challenge The Fiend at WrestleMania 36. It would make a lot of sense since Bryan told us that The Fiend changed him and he is now "the man that has never headlined WrestleMania or was handed anything".
Moreover, winning the Royal Rumble is the only thing left for Daniel Bryan to do and with the crowd support he possess at the moment, pulling that trigger would be the most logical choice for WWE at the moment.
#1 To bring back the Lone Wolf
One of the major consequences of facing The Fiend is that you will change - usually for the best. Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, and even Jerry Lawler can vouch to that. Balor in NXT is having his best days since 2017. Rollins is back in his charming heel persona. Daniel Bryan is at his pre-2014 version and Jerry Lawler is back as a commentator for RAW.
Baron Corbin has been many things before becoming the King. Corbin was mostly known as "Constable Corbin" during his run on RAW when Stephanie McMahon suspended Kurt Angle. But before then, Corbin was the "Lone Wolf", a character that often ventured alone in his path. Rather than talking trash about his opponents or potential rivals, Corbin used to settle things inside the ring.
Corbin lacked mic skills back then but now, he has developed himself exponentially. However, the quality of his bouts after becoming the Constable has deteriorated - mainly due to his gimmick and consistent interferences from his lackeys. While Corbin was a credible threat for anyone as the Lone Wolf, his legitimacy currently as a singles contender (without any backup) is next to nothing.
If Bray Wyatt could change Corbin and bring the Lone Wolf back, we could get the best version of Baron Corbin - one who can talk as well as settle scores inside the ring.