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The biggest shocker last week was the return of CM Punk to WWE Backstage. The second biggest surprise of the week was the announcement that Bray Wyatt would no longer be facing The Miz at WWE Starrcade, but would instead be taking on 'The Monster Among Men'.
Why did WWE choose to book this colossal match between the two beasts on what will be, at most, a Network special? I do believe that these 5 reasons should illustrate why WWE chose to go ahead with this match.
As always, I invite you to leave a comment and weigh in on why you guys believe this particular match was made. Also, is this a match that you think should have been saved for an even bigger stage like WrestleMania?
And just in case you have a minute, please vote for your favorite matches from RAW, SmackDown and NXT at this link.
#5 To make Starrcade a pretty big deal, and not another WWE Live event
As much as I love WWE, there are a few things that you know when you attend a WWE Live Event. While all the top stars will be in attendance, they will just go through the motions, and no titles will change hands. Sure, they may change hands if the venue is, say, Madison Square Garden, but it's very rare to see a new Champion crowned at a Live Event.
The idea may be to separate Starrcade from your traditional WWE Live Event, because of the name-value associated with the event over the years. Starrcade used to be the NWA's and WCW's WrestleMania, and in fact, Survivor Series only began as a concept to compete with this huge event.
Now that WWE owns the concept, they probably want it to be one of the most prized shows under their banner. Which is why such a huge main event for the WWE Universal Championship makes sense, all said and done.
#4 A match where it's tougher to predict the outcome
So, the initial plan for WWE Starrcade was to have The Fiend Bray Wyatt take on The Miz. As much as we love and respect The Miz, we all know how a match between him and The Fiend would have turned out, right? There was no chance at all that he would have come out on top against the Universal Champion. It would have been a cool match to watch live, but it wouldn't necessarily have made anyone tune into the Network, considering the outcome would be obvious.
But now, with Braun Strowman, this match is a lot harder to predict even though one assumes that The Fiend will come out on top and retain his title. Meanwhile, The Miz will be taking on Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn in a handicap match, and once again, it is obvious that he will succumb to the numbers game. The Miz is one of the all-time greats but at this stage of his career, he is no longer the star he once was.
The very reason this article is being written is because The Miz vs. The Fiend wasn't an exciting encounter, but Braun Strowman vs. The Fiend is!
#3 The shared history between the two WWE Superstars
No, it's not just the one mandible claw that happened on RAW a few weeks back. The history between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman is a long and storied one and it stretches back to The Wyatt Family days from when he first came up to the main roster from developmental.
Of course, Braun Strowman would be separated from the rest of the family and he would go on to find his footing on RAW while his cohorts would move to SmackDown, to terrorize the roster there. Now, Bray Wyatt has reinvented himself and Braun Strowman is no longer the same man that he once used to be when he started in the company.
WWE really has a chance to play up the master and disciple angle in the ring, if they want to take this match in a 'sports entertainment' centric direction where Bray Wyatt claims that he still has sway after Strowman. Sports entertainers are actors too and it would be interesting to see!
The clash at WWE Starrcade should be one for the ages. This match certainly has the potential to main event an actual WWE pay-per-view as well!
#2 To draw big viewership numbers to the WWE Network
I would say that until not long ago, the biggest reason to tune into the WWE Network, aside from the pay-per-views, of course, was NXT. But NXT moved up (as ironic as that sounds) to the USA Network and now, even though there is a wealth of great original content on the Network, none of it is 'appointment viewing'. Unlike a few years ago, there's only one pay-per-view every month and so, a lot of people may not even be tuning in to the Network as often as they used to.
If you look at the Starrcade card, the company is going all-out to promote it as a WWE Network special that is worth watching. The biggest names from both RAW and SmackDown are on the card and whether it's a one-hour Network special or longer, one can pretty much be assured that this is a show that they cannot afford to miss. Top stars like Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, and Roman Reigns will be a part of this card.
The Fiend vs. Braun Strowman is certainly the biggest attraction from the show. It's certainly a big reason to tune in and watch the stacked card.
#1 To honestly book The Fiend as a truly unstoppable force
With all due respect to Daniel Bryan who's going to take on The Fiend at Survivor Series, we already know that there's no way he's becoming the next Universal Champion. The Fiend is red-hot right now and while some may say that he does not actually need a Championship around his waist, it just adds an air of credence and legitimacy to the man/supernatural being overall.
To have him appear as a mythical being who can vanquish everything in his path, I do believe that it is necessary for him to pick up a lot of high profile victories. Like Survivor Series, I do not think that the Universal Championship will change hands at WWE Starrcade either.
Which means that The Fiend is in line to score a comprehensive victory at WWE Starrcade when he defeats Braun Strowman clean in the middle of the ring with a mandible claw or by escaping the cage to remain the WWE Universal Champion. Sometimes, you just have to invest in a character strongly to have him appear strong.
Even if it comes at the cost of another strong character.
Did you enjoy SmackDown this week? Rate your favorite matches right here.
