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Bray Wyatt's newfound storyline with LA Knight moved along on this week's SmackDown as Wyatt was slapped twice during the segment. Dutch Mantell shared his thoughts on the angle and was particularly unhappy with WWE panning away the cameras from Wyatt's angry face at the end.
As seen on the Blue brand's latest episode, Bray Wyatt was livid after eating two hard slaps at the hands of LA Knight. Instead of cutting the feed, WWE's production transitioned to Michael Cole and Wade Barrett in the commentary booth.
Bray drew first blood on the last SmackDown show when he headbutted LA Knight during a backstage interview. The former Universal Champion apologized for his actions this week and wanted to make peace with Knight, who responded with two unannounced cheap shots.
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On the latest edition of Sportskeeda's SmackTalk, Dutch Mantell explained that WWE should have wrapped up the segment with a visual of an enraged Wyatt before going on a commercial break.
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"The only thing I didn't like about it was when they closed in on Bray Wyatt's eyes at the very end. They should have left it right at that spot there and then gone to commercial. But what they ended up doing was going to the desk with Stew and Michael Cole; it kind of broke the spell there. But if they would have left it there, it would have been a perfect spot to leave it." [20:38 - 21:04]
Barring a misstep at the end, Dutch Mantell liked every other aspect of Wyatt's interaction with LA Knight.
Mantell noted that despite being a slow-paced segment, Wyatt and Knight got the fans' attention in a gripping back-and-forth exchange.
"The part that I liked the best was the Bray Wyatt part, and that was actually pretty compelling to watch. It was slow, and no commentary to it. I like this because the fans themselves are given time to think. I thought it was really, really good." [20:00 - 20:37]
You can watch the full interview here:
Dutch Mantell says WWE did the right thing by not booking Bray Wyatt to get physical on SmackDown
The entire narrative around Bray Wyatt has changed since his return, as he seems remorseful about his past. The 35-year-old refrained from attacking LA Knight, and Dutch Mantell said it perfectly fits into the superstar's new creative direction.
WWE is patiently peeling the layers of the Bray Wyatt mystery as all roads lead to the introduction of a faction. Mantell stated that the booking treatment would pay dividends in the long run as the superstar would get over massively with the audience.
"I liked it. The worst thing they could have done is have them do something physical because, I mean, that's not Bray Wyatt's style because he has to work himself. Now we see that he is working himself into his own frame of mind, and he is going to a different realm, and that would get over." [22:48 - 24:30]
While LA Knight was eventually subjected to an attack later on SmackDown, the culprit was nowhere to be found, and many believe it could be Uncle Howdy's handiwork.
Wyatt and Knight's story is expected to get even more exciting in the coming weeks, but have you liked what you've seen thus far? Sound off in the comments section below.
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