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The last two months of SmackDown Live’s main-event programming has revolved around the dysfunctional management duo of Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan.
After agreeing on almost every decision possible for the first 16 months of their time together on the blue brand, Commissioner Shane and General Manager Bryan have been on a collision course ever since Survivor Series.
Both authority figures have shown signs of a potential heel turn during this time, with Shane O’Mac acting power-crazy at times and D-Bry appearing to side with villainous duo Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
In this article, we take a look at five reasons why McMahon – not Bryan – is likely to be the one who turns heel in the not-too-distant future.
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#5 Would fans really accept a Daniel Bryan heel turn?
Remember when Daniel Bryan was a heel? As the obnoxious WWE Heavyweight Champion in 2011, he would side-step his way to the ring shouting “Yes!”, much like he does now, only it was initially done to annoy fans.
When the audience started copying, he began to shout “No!” instead, which proved just as popular as when he shouted “Yes!”. No matter what Bryan did as a heel, he was so entertaining and so good at his job that fans couldn’t help but like him.
A couple of years later, his ascent from mid-card performer to WrestleMania main-eventer between 2013-14 saw him become the most universally liked WWE Superstar since “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock during the Attitude Era.
And when you throw in that Bryan was forced to retire from in-ring competition due to injuries, would any WWE fan in the right mind really want to boo someone as likeable as D-Bry? To quote the 2012 version of the man himself: NO! NO! NO!
#4 Shane McMahon hasn’t been a heel for a decade
Unless your name is The Big Show, the average WWE Superstar turns heel/babyface 3-4 times in their career, usually staying as a good guy or a bad guy for around 2-3 years at a time.
Shane McMahon has played both heel and babyface roles since he first began featuring regularly on WWE television in the late 90s. However, largely due to a six-year spell away from the company, fans haven’t seen Shane compete as a heel since way back in 2007 when he and Vince were feuding with Bobby Lashley.
The SmackDown Live Commissioner has been a good guy during his feuds with The Undertaker, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens since returning two years ago but, based on past WWE logic, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if his next turn was on the horizon.
#3 If Daniel Bryan is leaving, why build a story around him?
Ever since Daniel Bryan was forced to announce his retirement from in-ring competition in February 2016, there have been conflicting comments made and reports published about whether he’ll return to action one day. And if he does, whether it’ll be in WWE or with another company.
Bryan’s current contract expires in September 2018 and recent reports have suggested that the SmackDown Live GM will refuse to sign a new deal with the company in order to revive his in-ring career outside of WWE.
If that is the case, why would WWE waste television time by turning Bryan heel and building a storyline around him for the next 6-8 months when they know he is already going to be heading out the door?
It felt more likely a couple of months ago than ever that D-Bry could make a comeback with WWE, but Triple H’s recent brutally honest comments appear to have all but ruled out that possibility.
#2 The best heel authority figures are in-ring competitors
While there are some exceptions, the best WWE authority figures throughout the years don’t just talk the talk outside the ring, they walk the walk inside the ring, too.
Would the Mr. McMahon character have been so memorable if he was unable to compete against the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels? And how would Triple H’s last four WrestleMania matches have been built if he held no power on Monday Night Raw?
If either Shane McMahon or Daniel Bryan turn heel, it will surely be the one who is medically cleared by WWE to compete – Shane O’Mac – in order to build more and more high-profile future matches between management and anti-authority figures.
#1 Shane McMahon is a better heel than a face
Without a hint of exaggeration, Daniel Bryan is one of the greatest babyface WWE Superstars of all time. While the majority of good-guy performers still have their fair share of detractors, you’d have to be the biggest Triple H fan in history not to have cheered on Bryan during their eight-month feud in 2013.
Shane McMahon, on the other hand, is popular as a face – you’ve only got to listen to the audience when he appears on SmackDown Live for proof of that – but he is also a brilliant heel.
Whether he was part of The Corporation in the late 90s or feuding with D-Generation X in the mid-00s, very few WWE Superstars have been able to make fans like them and instantly dislike them again as quickly as Shane O’Mac.
You could even argue that his best work since returning to WWE came when he showed a more aggressive side to his character during the 'Under Siege' segments ahead of Survivor Series 2017. It was fairly clear that he played a heel that night, even if it was just one night only.
