Well WWE Universe, you finally have what you want – former world champions Daniel Bryan and The Miz will collide at Summerslam.
After initially declining Bryan’s challenge, The Miz accepted the challenge on the Aug. 7 episode of Smackdown Live and will face the “Yes” man in a match at the Biggest Party of the summer.
The Miz and Bryan have a storied past. When Bryan first appeared on WWE programming as a part of the first season of NXT, the Miz was his pro coach. This was at a time when the Awesome One was rising through the ranks and Bryan was a beloved figure on the indie scene. The two mixed like oil and water in the beginning.
After Bryan returned to WWE after being released, he was in a program with the Miz and won the WWE United States title. Their paths didn’t cross in WWE for a number of years.
The two came ahead on an episode of Talking Smack in 2015. Bryan, who was retired at the time, called The Miz a soft wrestler. In his response, The Miz delivered a promo calling a Bryan a coward for not fulfilling his promise to not return to the ring.
The two traded verbal jabs and glares over the next few years. While fans were always hoping for Bryan’s return, Miz was becoming one of the most talented wrestlers on the roster. When Bryan was cleared to return to the ring, fans were hoping these two would meet in the ring.
The build for this match has been fun so far. Both Bryan and The Miz shine on the microphone in their own ways. Bryan attacking the Miz is icing on the cake.
Bryan vs. The Miz is not the only match added to Summerslam after Smackdown Live.
The New Day defeated The Bar in one of the best matches on Smackdown to earn a shot at the Bludgeon Brothers Smackdown tag team titles.
The Blungeon Brothers have been on a tear since winning the blue belts at Wrestlemania. They have beaten former champions the Usos and The Club. They have a chance to solidify themselves as one of the best teams if they beat a high caliber foe like the New Day.
Of course, The New Day are looking for their fifth tag team title. Adding another trophy to their rainbow-colored case would bring them one step closer to being the best tag team in WWE history.
Some fans may cringe at the idea of the Bludgeon Brothers facing the New Day because most of the champions’ matches have been squashes. Harper and Rowan aren’t flashy wrestlers – they are powerful, dominating monsters. Still, the New Day is crafty and clever and will be able to get in some good offense.
Both matches are worthy additions for a large event like Summerslam.
WWE has touted SummerSlam as the party of the summer and in recent years has built their annual August cards to Wrestlemania-level in terms of talent and matches.
This year’s SummerSlam event appears stacked on paper. Sure fans will complain about Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Title match because it’s the fourth main event title between the two. But this time around fans aren’t getting the same promos as before – Lesnar shoving Paul Heyman around is a nice change from the advocate spewing his usual lines promoting Lesnar.
