2 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Dec 5)

1. A Tone-Deaf Tease

WWE have generally done a good job of building tension between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. Last week's interactions gave the impression that while they claimed to have found an understanding, they'd only succeeded in papering over the cracks, with Kevin Owens' sneaky main event victory set to undo their good work. They've got a great dynamic, too, with Shane hot-headed and impulsive, and Bryan actually using his brain, but the company are heading in the complete wrong direction.

They're actually teasing a Daniel Bryan heel turn in 2017. Yes, really.

This is an absurd proposition, and one that will blow up in their faces if they progress with it. Bryan is the most universally beloved man in the company. His post-retirement sympathy levels are still through the roof, and his role as an affable authority figure has been a welcome contrast to the way WWE usually book such positions. These things alone should make the idea of fans booing him laughable, but it becomes even more ridiculous when you consider he'd be aligning with Zayn & Owens (who still draw cheers), and butting heads with Shane, the blue brand's prime spotlight-stealer.

Turning Bryan heel would present the writers as tone-deaf, out of touch, and ignorant to their fans' desires. Here's hoping this is a ruse.