One of the most interesting storylines quietly developing over on SmackDown LIVE is Daniel Bryan's strained relationship with Shane McMahon.

The general manager and the commissioner of the blue brand haven't exactly been seeing eye to eye recently on a number of huge decisions.

STRAINED RELATIONSHIP

Most of them seem to be revolving around Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, as they continue to entertain by running amok on Tuesday nights.

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We've seen what Owens and Shane have been through, so it comes as no surprise that he wanted them out of his show.

On the flip side, Bryan has been heavily favouring both Zayn and Owens and has even placed them in a handicap match against AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble with the WWE Championship on the line.

This came off in a heel manner, something an evil authoritative figure would do to stack the odds against the face champion. That's certainly not his character. Not yet, anyway.

So, it's clear to see the direction in which this is going. Now, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has highlighted why WWE could be pulling the trigger on a heel turn for Bryan.

HEEL TURN

It's difficult to imagine Bryan receiving negative reactions. Not only because fans still cheer for Owens and Zayn, but also because he took popularity to new heights before WrestleMania XXX.

That, coupled with his injury worries will only have fans further on his side, especially since they want to see him wrestle again.

However, according to Meltzer, there's a very sneaky reason why a heel turn could be in the works.

Meltzer believes that the WWE could be turning him heel so that the number of fans that tune into Bryan's wrestling return to the indie scene will be minimal.

This means they're trying to hurt his mainstream appeal and value by having him potentially leave the company as a heel, rather than a face where fans will have sympathy for him.

Bryan has already revealed that he hates the current role he has in WWE and it's thought that he could return to in-ring action upon leaving WWE.

Although WWE could be trying something as drastic as this, they should know by now that the fans are extremely loyal to Bryan. Plus, there's a large number of fans who want to see Bryan wrestle again.

So, it probably won't matter if he's a heel or a face. They'll be happy that he can do what he loves - even if WWE believes they're protecting him.

What do you make of WWE's rumoured reasons for turning Daniel Bryan heel? Have YOUR say in the comments section below and the fourth episode of GiveMeSport’s WWE podcast is here! Check it out via this link: https://soundcloud.com/user-818579649/gms-wwe-podcast-money-in-the-bank-fallout

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