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Being a wrestling fan can become a pretty trying affair. It is but natural, as a fan, to become attached to a WWE performer and root for him/her. And if tragedy befalls the superstar, it can also simultaneously affect his/her fan, watching from the arena or on a TV set, a thousand miles away. Let's take Daniel Bryan for instance.
Bryan proved that his natural likability and incredible in-ring prowess could get him over with the crowd to an extent that people had thought unimaginable. He did not have the traditional WWE superstar look or physique but had something that few other wrestlers did possess. The fervent support of the WWE Universe.
Much to their disappointment, he had to announce his retirement in 2016. Much to their delight, Bryan has been cleared to compete, two years down the line.
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And on that note, we begin this edition of Best and Worst.
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#1 Best: Daniel Bryan's comeback speech
When the news first broke, our Facebook chat group of writers was absolutely ecstatic. It is impossible to dislike Daniel Bryan, with his humility, his skill and his genuine nature. Therefore, as fans, we were heartbroken to see him on the sidelines while the men and women of SmackDown Live competed in the ring. Which brings us to SmackDown Live.
We anticipated the raucous ovation that he received when Daniel Bryan came out to compete. When he opened his mouth to speak, not as a character but as a person, the moment was magical. He spoke of many things, especially his wife Brie Bella and how she'd inspired him to never ever give up.
Remember how we started this piece with how difficult it is to be a wrestling fan, at times? Moments like these makeup for it, in spades!
#1 Worst: The big botch
We were super excited to see Tye Dillinger in action this week. He competed in a singles match against Baron Corbin. Soon, our jubilation turned to dismay. Dillinger did not take the End of Days well at all.
It seemed like Dillinger decided to sandbag Corbin during the move, not allowing him to pull it off perfectly. Hey everyone makes mistakes, but when you're competing for TV time like Tye Dillinger is, you just can't afford to do so, at all.
#2 Best: Bryan taking bumps again!
To those who believe that wrestling isn't pre-determined, this was a heinous attack. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens got into heel mode and took Daniel Bryan to task. And then, we saw something really awesome. Daniel Bryan started firing back!
Of course, he couldn't overcome the numbers, but in the moments that he struck back, we saw that Bryan hadn't missed a step. He bumped like only he can, as he put on an incredibly realistic and masterful performance. While the crowd usually cheers for the cool heels Owens and Zayn, this time, they completely booed the tandem.
Months of build had led up to this moment. We wonder if Daniel Bryan will team up with Shane McMahon to take on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens at WrestleMania, next month.
#2 Worst: Pinning the Champion
Asuka has been undefeated for years now. She hadn't taken a pin during her NXT run and has not taken one on RAW either. She squares off against Charlotte Flair in a dream match at WrestleMania 34. We felt Charlotte Flair's mystique was lost after she took a pinfall, this week.
Yes, there was the added factor of Carmella's cash-in. Natalya only picked up a win after the distraction. We just felt that Flair should not have taken a pin, so close to her match against Asuka.
As for the match itself, it was pretty good. Flair and Natalya cannot have a bad match, really.
#3 Best: Nakamura vs Rusev
Rusev and Nakamura kicked off Fastlane this month. In our opinion, they had probably the best match on the card, by far. They had another TV match this week. Both men proved that they work really well when given the opportunity.
Maybe the two men need a feud down the road. If Nakamura does become WWE Champion at WrestleMania 34, maybe we could see this happen.
#3 Worst: Far too competitive
The Bludgeon Brothers have been built as the SmackDown Live version of Braun Strowman. Luke Harper took on Jimmy Uso this week, in the aftermath of the vicious beat down on The New Day and The Usos. The match was far too competitive for our liking. We felt that Harper should have destroyed Jimmy Uso.
Much like the case was with Charlotte Flair, we thought that some of the shine was lost after the match was done, with regard to the Bludgeon Brothers. Let's hope that when there's the inevitable three-way at WrestleMania, the mystique of the Bludgeon Brothers is regained once more.
#4 Best/worst: The failed cash-in
The WWE Universe wants to see Charlotte Flair take on Asuka in a singles match. There's the constant threat of Carmella looming in the background. Somehow her presence just diminishes the scenario. Carmella's great, but seems out of her league in this situation.
Take this week's cash-in attempt for instance. People were thrilled at the idea of her cashing in. However, they soon realized that if she had, it would have destroyed the dream match.
That said, this was a good week of WWE television, in our opinion. Let's hope WWE can carry this momentum, all the way till WrestleMania 34.
We'll see you again, for next week's show.
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