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At Crown Jewel, Bray Wyatt, masked at The Fiend, did something many fans were hoping he’d do, as he defeated Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to win the Universal Championship.
Wyatt was expected to appear on Miz TV the next night after his victory, but was unable to do so due to well publicized travel issues after the Crown Jewel event. During that episode of SmackDown, the depleted roster was invaded by members of NXT, who waged war on the main roster in the build-up to the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view.
While Wyatt was expected to appear on SmackDown's Miz TV, he appeared in an episode of Firefly Fun House during WWE Backstage instead.
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Wyatt promised to see the WWE Universe on Friday Night, which confirms that he will be appearing on the show for the first time after becoming Universal Champion.
In this article, we look at the five Superstars who could confront ‘The Fiend' Bray Wyatt on Friday Night SmackDown.
#5 Braun Strowman
Let's begin with one of the most obvious choices. Braun Strowman has had some terrible luck in WWE and has failed at every major opportunity he's received. The WWE Universe last saw Strowman falter in his attempt to topple professional boxer Tyson Fury at Crown Jewel, and we could see him come back this week seeing red.
Strowman will now do everything to prove his worth and needs to come across in a big way to once again appeal to the WWE Universe.
We've seen Strowman get attacked by The Fiend in the past. The two men have history, as Strowman is a former member of The Wyatt Family. Now that both men are on the SmackDown brand together, and Wyatt is holding the championship that Strowman has tried to win several times in the past, we could see 'The Monster Among Men' get another opportunity at the coveted Universal Championship.
Since the company has used Strowman several times in the past as formidable competition to several champions, we could watch them do the same once again against Bray Wyatt. Since Wyatt won’t be battling Brock Lesnar, it would be good to see him confronted by a man bigger than himself for the first time since becoming The Fiend.
#4 Sami Zayn
SmackDown has some of the best mic workers in the industry, and Sami Zayn is one of them. Zayn has been Shinsuke Nakamura's mouthpiece for some time now and has given up competing in the ring for the most part.
Last week on SmackDown, when most of the roster was stuck overseas, Zayn stepped up to talk against NXT and their invasion. He'd pay dearly for his remarks, as he was chased into the arena by Matt Riddle and Keith Lee, who then proceeded to flatten the Superstar with some impressive moves.
This week, we could see the loudmouth express his anger at being targeted by the NXT roster. He could talk about how he single-handedly stood up for the Blue brand while other Superstars, along with the Universal Champion Bray Wyatt, were busy vacationing overseas.
This could bring out The Fiend once again to attack 'The Critic of Critics,' as fans love to see Zayn get what's coming to him. The attack would keep The Fiend in the loop and in front of the WWE Universe in case the company decides against booking him for a match at the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view.
#3 Adam Cole
Adam Cole arrived on the main roster and completely shook things up in just two matches. The NXT Champion first defended his Championship against Daniel Bryan on SmackDown last week in a match fans won't forget for a long time.
Cole followed up his successful defense with a disqualification loss against former Universal Champion Seth Rollins on Monday Night RAW. Although the match did not belong to Cole, he gave another captivating performance.
Now that Cole has the momentum, we could watch him confront Bray Wyatt on SmackDown this week. Cole has already faced a former WWE Champion and a former Universal Champion, and could now target the Universal Champion. Since he has the other three members of The Undisputed Era with him, while Wyatt doesn't have his family along anymore, things could get interesting for both brands.
This would make for great television, as Cole is red hot while The Fiend is seemingly unstoppable. A battle between these two would help WWE build both the NXT Champion and the new Universal Champion. The Survivor Series build would be taken to the next level while giving fans what they've been expecting to see at the PPV on SmackDown instead.
#2 Triple H
Let's get down to business, and the only man who knows what's best for business is none other than the leader of the NXT pack, Triple H.
Last week, Triple H was at the forefront of the NXT invasion which he unleashed on the depleted SmackDown roster. He then appeared on RAW and tried to convince Seth Rollins to join him and his NXT squad in their effort to take down the other two brands.
This week on SmackDown, we could see Triple H appear once again to make a similar offer to Bray Wyatt. Triple H could remind Wyatt of his past, his stint as Husky Harris, and even of his alliance with The Nexus, which led to his first appearance on the main roster as a WWE Superstar.
This could work really well as WWE is trying to build Wyatt as the driving force on the Blue brand, and Triple H approaching him would only confirm that even more.
It would be great, if Wyatt asks for some time from Triple H to think about it and then promise to give his answer by the end of the night. Then Wyatt could respond to Triple H as The Fiend. Triple H could find himself on the receiving end of the mandible claw while the NXT roster watches on helplessly.
This would work extremely well for the Survivor Series storyline, as WWE has already put faith in Bray Wyatt to defend the SmackDown brand. It would also be a good way for the Blue brand to answer last week's NXT invasion with an assault of their own, and things would get much more interesting for Survivor Series.
#1 Finn Balor
If there's one man who has a score to settle with Bray Wyatt, it's Finn Balor. Balor was The Fiend's very first opponent, and put the new character over big time at SummerSlam 2019. After Balor moved to NXT, he did not hold back and spoke openly about the "man in the mask."
If Balor wants to avenge his loss, and also get a shot at the Universal Championship once again, then we could see him appear on SmackDown this week. Balor hasn't been part of the two previous NXT invasions, but we can rest assured that the Black & Gold brand will use their new trump card for the upcoming PPV in a big match. If Balor does appear on SmackDown and challenges The Fiend once again, things would get extremely interesting and we'll have two huge men's championship matches set for the Survivor Series pay-per-view.
While Adam Cole might be the most logical opponent for Wyatt at the PPV, Balor seems like the most realistic opponent for the man in the mask, as he already has a score to settle with the Universal Champion.
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