WWE SmackDown Live: Buddy Murphy’s stock is rising like crazy

Buddy Murphy probably wasn’t supposed to be involved in the storyline to set up a blockbuster feud between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, but he suddenly feels like WWE’s biggest winner heading into September.

WWE fans who watched Buddy Murphy put on epic matches with Cedric Alexander, Ali, and others on 205 Live understand that “The Best Kept Secret” is one of the best wrestlers in the company. He was on the proverbial MVP shortlist in 2018 on the strength of his work as the Cruiserweight Champion, eventually becoming the champion in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia at WWE Super ShowDown.

Now on the WWE main roster following the 2019 Superstar Shakeup, Murphy looks like one of the main roster’s next breakout stars. Along with Ali and Alexander, Murphy has enjoyed success in his first months after being called up, and he had his breakout moment on last week’s episode of SmackDown Live against Roman Reigns.

Any match against a wrestler of Reigns’s caliber is bound to be a huge moment, as Reigns has put on stellar matches with a variety of up-and-coming superstars. Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, and Jason Jordan are a few names who have benefited greatly from a match against Reigns early in their careers, but there was something extra special about the bout between Murphy and Reigns.

Perhaps it’s because Murphy has the explosiveness to match Reigns, a former NFL player, in the athleticism department and an equally keen attention to detail. The match between the two was a barnburner, a star-making performance and one of the best television matches of the year in WWE. To date, nearly three million fans have viewed the match on YouTube.

But Murphy wasn’t done there. After making the most out of his opportunity to impress against Reigns and looking great in defeat, Murphy picked up a massive victory on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live against Reigns’s upcoming opponent, Daniel Bryan.

While it didn’t receive as many YouTube views or plaudits as his match with Reigns, Murphy vs. Bryan will surely crack the one million mark. More importantly, it was another strong effort from Murphy against one of WWE’s best.

Defeating Bryan, who was WWE Champion earlier this year, is a huge deal. What made Murphy’s win all the more impactful is the fact that he didn’t win via fluke. There was no roll-up or small package here. No, Murphy defeated Bryan 1-2-3 with Murphy’s Law, using his devastating finisher to pick up a win over a multi-time world champion.

That win over Bryan has given Murphy major momentum, and it’s a sign that WWE took notice of his prodigious talent with his stellar match against Reigns. He’s already shown he can be a great champion when he was on 205 Live, and now he’s passed his first two real tests on the WWE main roster against Reigns and Bryan.

Heading into September, Murphy might have the rocket strapped around his waist, as he feels like the biggest winner in WWE’s Men’s Division over these past two weeks. It may not be long before Murphy holds a title on the main roster, with Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship looking like a potential long-term target for a man who will one day lay claim to a world title, too.