WWE fans have probably been pinching themselves over the past month based on everything that’s been going down on SmackDown LIVE.

Just as it looked as if fans were coming to terms with the fact that Daniel Bryan could be leaving the company once his contract expires, the WWE made the surprising blockbuster announcement that the former SmackDown general manager will be making an in-ring return, with his first match coming at WrestleMania 34.

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Following the victory in his emphatic comeback - which just so happened to fittingly take place inside of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans - the announcement of the Superstar Shake-up had everyone believing that WWE would be capitalising on his popularity by sending him over to Monday Night RAW.

Once it was confirmed that both Bryan and AJ Styles would be staying on the blue brand, WWE fans were ecstatic that we were finally going to get the dream matches fans were wishing they could see if he ever came back - including The Miz.

With WrestleMania in the books and attention turning to Backlash - after the Greatest Royal Rumble - fans wanted to see what the company was planning for him. Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, The Miz, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe are just some of the huge matches out there for him.

Instead, we’re getting Bryan vs. Big Cass.

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Big Cass was brought over to SmackDown in the Shake-up after seven months out with an ACL injury. With no Enzo Amore hovering around, fans are interested to see how he can cope as a singles star, but they clearly didn’t want him to end up feuding with Bryan as you’ll be able to see by the negative reaction the announcement received.

The fact is, Cass is a star Vince McMahon loves as he has the perfect big-man look. Plus, he could end up looking like a million dollars once his match with Bryan is over, so the only way could be up for the former NXT star.

At the same time, you can understand why the WWE would have Cass as the ‘placeholder’ right now. While it would be fantastic to see one dream match after another, there’s nothing wrong with making fans wait in anticipation and giving the bigger matches a slower build to gauge even more interest down the line.

It just helps get Cass get a typical heel reaction by being in the spot the audience wants to see someone else in.

Although, the underdog storyline for Bryan is an act which can grow old relatively quickly.

What do you make of WWE having Daniel Bryan take on Big Cass at the Backlash event? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.

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