WWE SmackDown: Could Daniel Bryan Turn On Shane McMahon?

At WWE Survivor Series 2017, Shane McMahon was the last man standing for SmackDown Live, but the wheels had already spun off the proverbial wagon, leaving Shane to be fed to Kurt Angle and Triple H.

Although Shane McMahon is a babyface and a commissioner the fans can get behind, the same traits that make him likable are the traits that often cause his downfall. Shane’s never-say-die attitude, toughness, and pride often lead to hubris, and Shane clearly underestimated Raw heading into WWE Survivor Series 2017. The SmackDown Live commissioner also poked the bear with his “invasions”, and he got laid out on the go-home episode of the show by Kurt Angle and the Shield before eating defeat last night.

Throughout the entire build-up to Survivor Series, SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan stood by Shane’s side, even though he clearly articulated a difference of opinion regarding Shane’s tactics. Bryan didn’t like the way Shane invaded Raw, and it seems like his concerns were warranted.

Fans have been speculating that Bryan could turn heel on Shane in response to the commissioner’s actions. Personally, I don’t believe we’ll be seeing a shocking heel turn from the WrestleMania 30 hero, but I’m willing to take this idea long for a ride, especially since it seems like so many fans are intrigued by the idea.

First and foremost, there needs to be some payoff for Shane McMahon being SmackDown‘s last man standing at Survivor Series. For the most part, the WWE does a great job of letting Shane showcase himself in matches and be the strong character that he is, while also ensuring that he doesn’t look better than the actual wrestlers. While Shane didn’t get much offense in last night and wasn’t posed as a real threat to anyone on Team Raw, it was a bit off-putting for some to see him as the last man standing after Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, John Cena, and Randy Orton were all eliminated.

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Shane was probably the last man standing to set up an intervention in the upcoming Kurt Angle vs. Triple H feud, but it would be much cooler if there were an additional payoff to it.

That payoff could be Bryan admonishing Shane for making himself the captain, not eliminating anybody at Survivor Series, and doing very little in the match before being the last man standing.

Again, Bryan has made it known that he hasn’t been seeing eye-to-eye with Shane, and it’s possible that there is more tension bubbling under the surface.

Bryan has been the perfect GM and team player on SmackDown Live, and he’s always tried his best to help Shane, even when Shane has made ill-advised decisions that led to feuds with AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. Perhaps Bryan is done with playing nice.

It seems incredibly difficult for WWE to pull off this kind of turn consistently, and having a heel GM under a babyface commissioner could lead for an awkward combination. This is especially noteworthy on SmackDown Live, because the “Blue Brand”s cohesion between its two leaders has been refreshing to see. That comes in contrast to the weekly Stephanie McMahon vs. Mick Foley/Angle promos that we’ve seen on Raw.

But at the same time, you can’t help but wonder if Shane deserves to suffer some consequences for his reckless decision-making. We don’t need to see another heel McMahon, so the only way something big happens is if Bryan makes the turn. And, again, while it would be crazy to see Bryan in heel mode, he has reason to have complaints with Shane. The likes of Rusev, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens are among those on SmackDown who can say the same, and some of Shane’s decisions don’t exactly jibe with a logical babyface commissioner.

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Although I’m not banking on something as jarring as a Bryan heel turn, here’s to hoping we see at least some sort of friction between the two of them tomorrow night on SmackDown Live. Even if they make up and Shane exhibits remorse for his errors, some sort of fire from Bryan and some sensible storyline continuity would go a long way in making the fallout from Survivor Series seem fruitful.