WWE SmackDown Buy Or Sell: Big Cass Feuding With Daniel Bryan
By Josh Raibick
The WWE Universe has been waiting for the return of Big Cass, and this past week on WWE SmackDown Live they got it. Big Cass returned in what appeared to be the start of a feud with Daniel Bryan.
Big Cass has been out since suffering a torn ACL back in August of last year, and there has been a lot of speculation about his role and which show he would be on. It has now become more clear that Big Cass is being booked as a heel in high profile feud immediately,
But is a feud with Daniel Bryan the best place to start? Well on a positive note he is feuding with one of the top two babyfaces in the company.
Already in one night, Cass has been elevated to the highest spot on the card in his WWE main roster career. AJ Styles is in the middle of a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura, so really a match with Bryan is the biggest opportunity for Cass.
Another positive is the move to WWE SmackDown Live, which traditionally has been the show that has given more opportunities to non-established talent. Following a feud with Bryan, regardless of the outcome Cass could potentially stay on the upper half of the card.
Even though the initial glance at Cass feuding with Bryan appears to be positive, there are some concerns. If I had to pick who will win the feud, my money is on Bryan.
If Bryan does in fact come out victorious, this could mean an immediate demotion for Cass. It would be difficult to imagine Cass being rewarded with either a WWE Championship opportunity or another high profile feud following a loss in his return.
Another option is if Cass wins a big match over Bryan with outside interference. The problem with that scenario is it kills the dominant, big man presence that Cass needs to maintain to continue to look strong.
Superstars like The Miz and Jinder Mahal benefit from cowardly heel tactics, but superstars like Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, and Big Cass do not benefit from this booking. These giants or super heavyweights need to be protected for the big moment where the top babyface is able to conquer their opponent despite insurmountable odds.
Bryan and Cass are the two perfect superstars to be matched with each other to tell a David vs. Goliath story. The issue that I have is there’s no build to Goliath in this case.
Last time we saw Cass he was beating up Enzo Amore pretty effortlessly. A feud with Enzo did not scream main event, and while I do admit the feud was meant for Cass to go over and move onto bigger things, he never got that chance.
Because of the lack of build to Cass I am going to have to SELL his feud with Bryan. I am not selling this feud for a lack of immediate entertainment, but unfortunately a loss for Cass can fast track him to a run of losses similar to what Baron Corbin suffered this past year.
Some members of the WWE Universe hate when they see jobbers being used weekly to elevate a talent, but there is a clear purpose. Cass working with jobbers for his return would have allowed him to squash opponents and look dominant for an extended period.
Don’t get me wrong, obviously working with Bryan is more credible than working with a jobber, but Cass isn’t going to squash Bryan. Just like every other big man before Cass, the mystique wears off once pushed in a highly competitive match.
The bigger the build, the better the payoff in this case. Who knows? Maybe Cass will be booked to beat Bryan clean, and if that happens I will change my tune quickly.
I just wouldn’t put my money on it, and because of that I am SELLING Bryan vs. Cass because of the potential long term effects it could have on Cass.