WWE Super Show-Down: Daniel Bryan Will Be Next WWE Champion and Top Takeaways

WWE Super Show-Down was a fascinating Saturday night (or morning for fans in the Western Hemisphere) of action that was far more fun and surprising than the card looked on paper. While not everything worked out, enough went right to make it a successful WWE event.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground was packed with 70,309 in attendance to watch the greats of the past and present clash. The Undertaker fought Triple H for the last time in a match that got quickly out of hand with Shawn Michaels and Kane interfering.

AJ Styles managed to finally put Samoa Joe behind him just as Daniel Bryan earned his way into WWE Championship contention with a quick victory over The Miz. Ronda Rousey also continued to dominate, winning for her team by making Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan tap out to the armbar.

The only championship to change hands was the furthest from WWE fans' focus, as hometown boy Buddy Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander in a show-stealing sprint to become WWE cruiserweight champion.

It was a night of highs and lows that gave many answers to long-asked questions. From Bryan's expected title victory to Taker's growing need to retire, these are the biggest takeaways from this overseas blockbuster event.

Daniel Bryan Will Be the One to Dethrone AJ Styles

In a shocking result more for how quickly it occurred than who emerged victorious, Bryan rolled up Miz for three within minutes of the bell ringing, earning the next shot at the WWE Championship. Even if it was quick, this victory signals an immediate change coming to SmackDown Live.

For months now, the biggest stars on the blue brand have been The "Yes!" Man and The A-Lister. For the third straight WWE event, the two have been the last SmackDown stars to compete, getting higher billing throughout the run of Styles vs. Joe.

Even before Bryan's feud with Miz, though, he was getting more recognition than the WWE champion, with his tag team feud with The Bludgeon Brothers also outshining a world champion approaching one full year holding the most celebrated title in the company's history.

No one should doubt how important The Phenomenal One is to WWE. His work has been spectacular, and there is a reason he was recently ranked the third-biggest star in SmackDown history by WWE.com. However, he just isn't considered as big a star as the former American Dragon.

When the two men fight at WWE Crown Jewel, it should be a special match, allowed all the time needed to be a match-of-the-year contender. The result, though, is almost certain. The torch is being passed back to one of the most popular stars in the company's history, and he may never let it go again.

Samoa Joe Follows Shinsuke Nakamura into the Background of SmackDown

Credit: WWE.com

Joe went to war with Styles one last time, and it was as good as they have ever been. The brutal battle of two longtime rivals ended definitively with The Phenomenal One making The Samoan Submission Specialist tap out to the Calf Crusher.

Joe's rivalry with Styles was often reminiscent of the champion's WrestleMania feud with Shinsuke Nakamura. Both heel veterans had history with the WWE champion that played out as growing animosity until the champ finally put down the challenge in front of him.

While it was not wrong for both heels to leave without gold in the end, The Artist's post-loss run feels like an eerie sign that the future is not all that bright for the former NXT champion. Now United States champion, Nakamura has barely appeared on the blue brand.

His title reign has been defined by a series of underwhelming performances where he is often barely escaping competition he should be able to defeat easily. Could Joe be headed for the same fate—quiet recognition and empty secondary title reigns?

Hopefully, the answer is no, but these two are both past their primes. They have done so much outside of WWE that they do not have much time to make their marks on the mainstream platform. The future is dimming for two of the best to ever step into a wrestling ring with little to show for their work in WWE.

The Undertaker Needs to Retire Officially Before Any More Singles Matches

Credit: WWE.com

In the main event, The Undertaker and Triple H went 27 minutes in their final clash. Shawn Michaels had to hit two Sweet Chin Musics to set up a final Pedigree by Triple H to put down The Deadman. The Cerebral Assassin won, but he could never do it alone.

The bigger story coming out of the contest, though, was just how haggard Taker looked even early on. Even though it was clearly a treat for fans to see The Phenom again, his body is not holding up well to the pressures of competition. At 53 years old, he passed his prime years ago.

Super Show-Down ended with The Brothers of Destruction standing tall, setting up a tag team match with D-Generation X at WWE Crown Jewel, and that can work because Kane can do the heavy lifting for his team. Taker cannot be competing for more than five minutes at a time anymore.

Likely the only reason The Deadman is still wrestling is the money on the line. WWE is using him as a selling point, and he must be making significant cash with each appearance. There's no reason, though, that he has to be wrestling to make those appearances and excite fans.

His entrance alone is a spectacle that could be used to boost attendance without putting Taker's health at risk. While his match with The King of Kings did not end as badly as his WrestleMania clashes with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, it was just one more sign that Father Time has caught up with Mark Calaway.

Buddy Murphy Has Quietly Put Together One of the Best Rookie Years in WWE

Many WWE fans tuning into Super Show-Down may have been given their very first glimpse at Murphy, a man who was better-known for helping start his fiancee Alexa Bliss' career in NXT than his short tag team title reign.

He has been a member of the 205 Live roster since February 2018, but the cruiserweight division rarely crosses over these days to the heavyweight brands. Many are missing out on one of the most promising stars in the company, a performer who has been stealing the show regularly on the forgotten third brand.

At Super Show-Down, in the city he was born in, the Best Kept Secret defeated Cedric Alexander to capture the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in the best match of the night. It was a great showcase of both men, but it was not even the best match the two have had.

It has been a stellar year for the new champion, whose battles with Alexander, Mustafa Ali, Kalisto and more have been among the best WWE matches of the year. Coming from almost nowhere, Murphy has had an unbelievable run in his first year on the main roster.

While he may have been new to some, the Australian star did not just win the title because of his home-field advantage. He earned the spot he has now taken, and many more should tune into 205 Live to see what he does next.

Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella May Not Be Set in Stone

With Rousey's opponent for Evolution up in the air, many expected her six-woman tag team match at Super Show-Down would set the stage for a major title defense. However, a clean victory with little controversy made this match a non-factor for the next WWE event.

Back in August, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio made clear that the rumored plan was for Nikki Bella to be Rousey's next rival (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc). With Evolution three weeks away, time is rapidly running out to announce a contest of that magnitude.

It would have been easy to sell the contest in Melbourne. A miscommunication or a clash of egos could have led to a loss or at least a far closer contest than most expected. Instead, Nikki spent the match getting beat down, and then Rowdy Ronda got the tag and dominated The Riott Squad on her own.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet facing arguably the biggest star to come out of Total Divas is a fascinating clash of stories, bringing together two different audiences. It likely would not make for a great match, though, so it is possible WWE could still go a different direction.

Monday Night Raw will likely shine a clearer light on the Raw women's champion's next challenger, but it is telling that WWE did not fully invest in this potential match as soon as possible.