7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 17)

3. The Universal Title Bout's Gimmick

Royal Rumble 2020
WWE.com

There were some grumbles on social media when Daniel Bryan revealed that he wanted Bray Wyatt's 'Fiend' in a Strap Match at Royal Rumble. That gimmick is usually mixed when it comes to match quality, and it means the Universal Title bout on 26 January will likely be slow and plodding rather than fast-paced and bump-heavy.

Whether individual fans like the strap idea or not, it's true that Bryan vs. 'Fiend' II needed some sort of stip.

Another singles match like the one at Survivor Series was never going to cut it. It may have been better had WWE went for something more exciting (like a Steel Cage, for example), but they probs want to steer clear of cages after Wyatt's HIAC misery late-last year. A Strap Match it is then.

On the plus side, Bryan is that good of a worker that he'll find a way to inject the gimmick with some thrills and spills. It's also not ridiculous that an overtly pain-hungry character like the 'Fiend' would agree to be bound to his opponent so he couldn't "run away".

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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.