WWE TLC 2018: 10 Things WWE Got Right

3. Daniel Bryan’s Opportunistic Win

The key thing to note from Daniel Bryan's success at TLC is that the 'new' heel didn't cheat to beat challenger AJ Styles at all. There was no low blow, no cheap way out and no ref bump to detract from Bryan's win. Rather than use those shortcuts, he was written to win decisively.

Somehow, the pair managed to squeeze some opportunism into that clean win.

Daniel reversed AJ's small package with one of his own and picked up the quick three count. Then, he left the ring with a smile and now has ultimate bragging rights; he beat one of the best in the world, and he didn't have to resort to cheap tactics in order to get over the finish line. That, to a self-righteous heel, is gold dust.

The psychology was strong with this one. Styles doesn't have an argument to fall back on come Tuesday's SmackDown, and Bryan can move on to other things as a heel who is starting to see the payoff to his one-man crusade against the fans who once adored him.