WWE SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, has been off-air for the past couple of months. As reported by The Heavy, Bryan took a sabbatical, because he and his wife, Brie Bella, have just welcomed their first child , a baby girl named Birdie Joe Danielson. During Bryan’s absence from SmackDown Live , the shows viewing figures have been tumbling, and many think that the blue team got the rough end of the WWE “superstar shakeup.” The ongoing absence of WWE superstar John Cena, who hasn’t performed since WrestleMania 33, may be a factor, but the fans are just not buying into some of SmackDown’s recent storyline developments.
Sunday’s SmackDown exclusive Money In The Bank PPV is a case in point. The WWE should be celebrating a breakthrough in women’s wrestling. Money In The Bank featured the first ever SmackDown women’s ladder match, a sign that the WWE’s female superstars are finally achieving parity with the men. It should have been a PR triumph, but instead, the match has fueled fury in the WWE universe.
For those who didn’t watch Money In The Bank, Carmella won the ladder match after interference by her boyfriend, James Ellsworth. As reported by the Sun , “fans have voiced anger that the history-making match for WWE’s women’s division was essentially won by a man.”
As a result, Bryan’s first job, on his return to SmackDown, was to deal with the fallout from Money In The Bank .
Daniel Bryan Says James Ellsworth’s Actions Were ‘Unacceptable And Cheap’
On Sunday night, Bryan took to Twitter to tell the WWE universe that Ellsworth’s actions were “unacceptable and cheap.” Bryan also resolved to put things right when he returned to SmackDown . On his return to SmackDown last night, Bryan did exactly that.
As reported on the official WWE website , Bryan called all five of Sunday’s competitors to the ring, and he stripped Carmella of her golden ticket. Bryan also announced that a new women’s ladder match will take place on next week’s SmackDown Live . The Mirror reports that Carmella put up a vigorous defense , saying that she and Ellsworth had not broken any WWE rules, because the ladder match was a “no disqualification” match.
Bryan asserted his authority and overruled Carmella. Of course, it may have been the WWE’s intention to create controversy, around the Money In The Bank ladder match, all along. We see all sorts of unlikely stunts, used to build rivalries and storylines. However, on this occasion, the fans are not buying it, and Daniel Bryan is now setting to put things right.
[Featured Image by WWE]
