After Daniel Bryan triumphed over Jeff Hardy last week, WWE fans eagerly awaited this week’s promised matchup on SmackDown: Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe. This would be Bryan’s second chance at getting into the Money in the Bank match, and Joe, who recently moved to SmackDown as part of the “Superstar Shake-up,” has been eager to show his opponents why he thinks he’s the best competitor in the WWE.
Joe opened the show with some good old-fashioned trash talk, snapping that Bryan would have to run back to his wife (Brie Bella) and child (Birdie) once he’d gotten done with him. Bryan quickly entered the ring to defend himself, but there was a surprise third guest: Big Cass.
Cass, who was reportedly out of commission after Bryan attacked him two weeks ago, declared that he should have his originally scheduled match against Joe for the Money in the Bank qualifier as soon as he’s cleared. Cass’ next declaration: He’d already been cleared, setting him up for a clash that very minute. Cass, Joe, and Bryan all crashed into a demolition derby, each delivering brutal blows to each other.
After the smoke from the brawl had dissipated, SmackDown General Manager Paige announced that with Cass officially cleared, the main event of the night would be Big Cass, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Bryan competing in a Triple Threat match to qualify for Money in the Bank.
Daniel Bryan appeared to be the early favorite to win the match, easily handling Cass and Joe despite being far smaller than his hefty opponents. While trying to get the winning pin on Big Cass, however, Joe launched a surprise attack on Bryan from behind, trapping Bryan in the devastating Coquina Clutch. Bryan tried his best, but eventually had no choice but to tap out.
Having taken down two of the biggest threats on the Smackdown roster, Samoa Joe has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with. The only thing that would make him more dangerous is a Money in the Bank briefcase. We’ll see if he gets one in a few weeks.
