6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (April 30)

2. Bryan Refuses To Tap

Daniel Bryan Roman Reigns
WWE.com

That ending was also f*cking ace.

Bryan refused to tap out, instead passing out like he was Steve Austin in a Bret Hart Sharpshooter at 'Mania 13. There was no blood like back in '97, but there didn't need to be. Daniel faded in Roman's guillotine choke, then the referee was left with no choice but to call for the bell and award Reigns the win.

This finish kept Bryan strong enough that he didn't look weak, and it also made the Universal Champ look like a total mauler. WWE showed how much more satisfying a definitive, but protective, finish can be compared to the usual lame DQ decisions or count outs that accomplish next-to-nothing.

If Bryan toddles off to Raw (or, dare one suggest, NXT?), he does so with credibility. After all, he didn't tap out to Roman, and actually made the champ himself beg for mercy a month or two ago. This is how you put someone over without sacrificing your own integrity as a babyface.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.