TOP 3 DEVELOPMENTS – SMACKDOWN 4/3: Bryan and Shane hug it out, Styles and Nakamura toy with each other, Rusev gets to be a babyface

Check out Wade Keller’s Pro Wrestling Post-show covering this episode HERE.

Bryan and Shane Kiss and Make Up…

Recap: The show opened with Daniel Bryan in the ring. He introduced Shane McMahon to the crowd, who came down to the ring looking healthy.

Shane recapped his past two weeks, talking about being hospitalized for diverticulitis, a staph infection, and a hernia (which he blamed on the attack from Owens and Zayn).

The two men then apologized to each other for their actions over the past six months. Bryan wanted to “hug it out”, but Shane preferred a handshake. After some egging on from the fans, the two finally embraced.

Later, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn stormed through the crowd onto the announcer’s table. They sarcastically apologized to Bryan’s wife and child for what they were going to do to him on Sunday. They also mocked Brie Bella’s inspirational instruction to Bryan to “fight for his dreams.”

While Kevin and Sami continued on to rant about what they would do to Shane McMahon, their microphones were cut, at which point they began to exit through the crowd. Shane and Bryan then came to the ring and instructed fans to film the exit with their cellphones, stating it was history as it was the last time the two would be seen in WWE.

Evaluation: Shane frankly looked healthier than before he was hospitalized. It was interesting that he explicitly blamed the hernia on Owens and Zayn; perhaps the diverticulitis was real but the hernia part was worked. Assuming the diverticulitis has died down, it wouldn’t cause any limitations in the ring. A hernia, however, would be a totally different story.

Overall, these segments accomplished exactly what they set out to do: show that Bryan and Shane are 100% united on Sunday.

Forecast: It seems very clear that there will be a united face tag team to oppose Owens and Zayn on Sunday. If WWE did in fact have one of the face partners turn on the other on Sunday, it would be a huge swerve. WWE will likely want to give the fans a feel good victory for Bryan’s first return match, so I would expect the faces to win, with Owens and Zayn eventually ending up on Raw.

AJ and Shinsuke Toy with Each Other…

Recap: In a pretaped talking head segment, AJ Styles indicated that while Shinsuke Nakamura was right to call him emotional, his emotions were a strength, not a weakness. He stated that Shinsuke’s weakness, on the other hand, is that he takes AJ too lightly. He reminded AJ that the two are a long way from Japan.

In a similar talking head segment later, Shinsuke said that AJ is right in saying that Shinsuke plays games, but that this match was a game that he takes very seriously. He emphasized that he came to the US for one reason: WrestleMania. He reiterated that AJ’s emotions would lead to him making a mistake, and that mistake would lead to Shinsuke’s victory.

In the main event, AJ and Shinsuke faced off against Benjamin and Gable in a tag match. Shinsuke’s mind games continued; at one point he made a tag to AJ by patting him on the head (as he did after pulling the Kinshasa last week).

The match ended with a Phenomenal Forearm from AJ to Chad Gable, which was performed directly in front of Shinsuke to clearly send a message.

After the match, Shelton Benjamin attacked Shinsuke. Rather than run in to save him, AJ waited for Shinsuke to drive Benjamin from the ring, and then attempted a Phenomenal Forearm to Shinsuke. At the last moment, however, AJ pulled the blow and instead patted him on the head, as Shinsuke had done to him earlier.

Evaluation: Tonight’s events were very effective in continuing the story that WWE created last week: that AJ Styles is emotional, and Shinsuke is exploiting those emotions.

Having AJ turn the tables on Shinsuke at the end created a nice balance; it likely would have been too one-sided had Shinsuke been the only one successfully psyching out his opponent headed into Sunday.

Shinsuke also successfully stated his purpose tonight by emphasizing how much WrestleMania meant to him and that it was his motivation for coming to the USA.

Forecast: This buildup has been the most motivated that I’ve seen Shinsuke since being on the main roster. He and AJ should tear down the house on Sunday, hopefully making us all forget about Shinsuke’s lackluster first year on the main roster.

Rusev Plays the Clear Face (For a While)…

Recap: Before the match between Jinder Mahal and Rusev, Sunil Singh came to the ring singing a song about Jinder Mahal, clearly meant to one up Aiden English’s patented musical hype for Rusev. After Jinder’s entrance, Aiden English appeared on the ramp and performed an insult rap on Sunil, after which Rusev came down the ramp for the match. The fans booed Singh’s performance and cheered that of English.

After Rusev won the match, Orton appeared and hit him with an RKO Out of Nowhere. English then attempted to save him, but was thwarted by Bobby Roode, who shoved him into an RKO. Roode then handed the US Title to Orton, although he didn’t let go at first.

Evaluation: By pairing Rusev against Jinder, it appeared WWE was finally setting him up as a clear face. However, the later post-match RKO to Rusev didn’t advance that proposition. Ending the segment with Orton and Roode facing off clearly made those two appear to be the stars of the Four Way, with Mahal and Rusev playing supporting roles.

Forecast: The fans are going to be solidly behind Rusev on Sunday, however the Orton-Roode faceoff tonight makes me thing Rusev will play only a supporting role in the match, which will be won by Orton or Roode.

Random Thoughts…

•Asuka’s Mixed Match Challenge promo tonight was the best English I’ve heard from her to date….

•The Bludgeon Brothers’ interruption of the goofy New Day promo for “free” WrestleMania was somehow just too smooth to be believable or scary….

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: TOP 3 DEVELOPMENTS – SMACKDOWN 3/27: Rusev seems to be positioned as a babyface finally, Bryan’s WM match is announced but his partner is in doubt, Shinsuke plays mind games

Check out Wade Keller’s Pro Wrestling Post-show covering this episode HERE.