WWE SmackDown Aug. 23: Match of the Night, Best Promo and Noteworthy Moments

Daniel Bryan couldn't be more over with the WWE universe right now. With every attack from the establishment and every well-worked match and victory, Bryan is ascending to heights even the most diehard indie wrestling fan never could have imagined he'd reach.

On the episode of SmackDown that aired on Friday, Aug. 24, Bryan got the best of WWE champion Randy Orton on the mic and in a brief skirmish in the ring to kick off the show, but the Viper would have the last laugh.

Orton seemingly appeared out of nowhere to deliver an RKO to Bryan after the latter had defeated Wade Barrett in a steel cage match. That match kicks off my awards roll for the latest episode of SmackDown.

Match of the Night: Bryan defeats Barrett by pin fall in steel cage

Bryan vs. Barrett seemed like a weak main event at first, but when the match was turned into a steel cage affair, the prospects became more promising. The two superstars came through with a well-worked match that adequately utilized the structure and allowed both men to have their moments.

Though Barrett lost, he kept up with the breakneck pace Bryan exhibits in many of his matches. The Brit's best moment was a sweetly executed Winds of Change about midway through the match.

Bryan ultimately finished Barrett off with the same Shining Wizard he used to defeat John Cena to win the WWE title at SummerSlam. As he celebrated, Orton dropped him to add more fuel to their compelling feud. 

Their match at Night of Champions should be great.

Grade: 6.75 out of 10

Best Promo: Ryback Bullies Autograph Seeker

Ryback gets a bad rap for his mic work. He's well-spoken and has decent timing, yet he's struggling to breakthrough with the WWE universe.

The bully angle may be getting him over as a despicable heel, as he isn't being interrupted nearly as much as he was before when he speaks. It should be noted, his promos have been taking place away from the audience lately.

Ryback did solid work ripping a guy seeking his autograph for his son backstage. The random guy was quite poor on the mic, but Ryback carried the scene by demoralizing the man for not knowing his name.

Baby steps.

Grade: 6.5 out of 10

Most Memorable Moment: Bryan and Orton's Opening Scene

Bryan kept referring to Orton as "pretty," which was mildly funny. It was great to see Orton completely changing his posture to fit his new heel status.

It really seems as though it is the role he's most comfortable in. This is just the beginning of what could be one of the most entertaining feuds of the year.

Possible Teaser: Prime Time Players' Push

I'm not sure how much of a tease this is, but it is quite obvious Darren Young and Titus O'Neil are getting a long overdue push. Young knocked off Antonio Cesaro in singles action on SmackDown.

The WWE is taking advantage of the positive press Young has been receiving following the disclosure of his sexual orientation during an interview with TMZ, per WWE.com.

Everyone in the organization has been very supportive of Young since his announcement, but it shouldn't have taken something completely unrelated to wrestling to get the PTP a push.

O'Neil is a beast in the ring and on the mic. He just needs more opportunities. Young has been showing some solid wrestling chops in the last week, so fans should expect to see the team making a run at and probably winning the tag team championships within the next five months.

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