Braun Strowman Returns, Daniel Bryan's Journey, More WWE SmackDown Fallout

One of the most dominant Superstars in recent Royal Rumble history returned Friday night on SmackDown as WWE put the final touches on its hype for Sunday's pay-per-view extravaganza.

Braun Strowman's explosive return has The Monster Among Men looking like a favorite to leave the extravaganza as the winner of the men's match, while Bianca Belair's pinfall victory over Bayley has her rolling.

They are only some of the Superstars trending following the go-home broadcast on Fox.

Who else established some momentum heading into WWE's first spectacular of 2021? Find out with this recap of Friday's episode.

Braun Strowman Explodes Back into WWE Universe in Royal Rumble Preview

Braun Strowman is back, and that does not bode well for the other 29 men who will share the ring with him Sunday night at the Royal Rumble.

The former universal champion exploded back on to the scene in the closing moments of Friday's broadcast, reminding his peers and the WWE Universe of his dominance. It was the first time we had seen him since the post-Survivor Series episode of Raw, when he was suspended for physically assaulting Adam Pearce.

Why that suspension suddenly ended is a loose end WWE will likely forget about, but Strowman returns just in time for the annual 30-man extravaganza in which he typically fares well.

Strowman adds depth to a match that could use it, even if there is no reason to think he will win it. What his presence does do, though, is create a monster for the winner to have to slay.

Imagine Strowman dominating, only for Daniel Bryan to fight from underneath and slay him en route to an improbably win in the match. It is a formula we saw in 2004 with Big Show and in 2019 with Strowman himself. It is tried and true and often leads to a hot, emotional finish, something that will benefit a match without a live audience to feed off of.

Speaking of Bryan...

Daniel Bryan Plants Seeds for Journey Back to Main Event

Daniel Bryan doesn't have many WrestleMania moments left.

He said so during the opening segment of Friday's show. The former WWE champion addressed the SmackDown viewers, laying out just what Sunday's Rumble match means to him and everything he wants to accomplish in a career that is clearly winding down.

In doing so, he planted the seeds for one last great run.

One of the most popular wrestlers of his generation, he stated his desire to headline WrestleMania, to get back to the mountaintop he once stood upon. Raw's AJ Styles mocked him, asked whether he was back to being a general manager and said it was almost like Bryan had one foot out the door.

Counting out Bryan, discrediting his dreams and underestimating him is exactly what got The Authority's ass kicked at WrestleMania XXX, when Bryan captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. And if his fellow Superstars do not take his desire to be back in that position seriously, they will find out the hard way that there is still fight left in one of the most tenacious, resilient competitors in professional wrestling.

And WrestleMania will once again be YES-leMania.

Bianca Belair's Milestone Win Sets Up Royal Rumble Run

After weeks of torment from former SmackDown women's champion Bayley, Bianca Belair finally got one over on The Role Model, pinning her clean Friday in what amounted to her biggest win to date.

The EST knocked off one of the Four Horsewomen, arguably the most successful female competitor of 2020, and a major hurdle on her road to Royal Rumble.

She also established herself as the favorite to win the women's Rumble match Sunday night, a feat that would serve as a massive launching pad for one of the most talented, charismatic and athletically dominant performers the women's division has seen in years.

Fresh off an edition of Chronicle on the WWE Network that allowed fans to get to know the woman behind the flair, Belair is on the biggest roll of her career. Momentum is on her side, and a potential showdown with Sasha Banks over the women's title has fans excited.

There is plenty of time for WWE Creative to switch course or mess things up, but Belair is one of the few performers it is effectively building into a future star.

Little Things Fuel Roman Reigns' Excellence

Overlooked in the discussion about Roman Reigns and his excellence as the lead heel in WWE are the little things he does so well.

Friday night, in the split-screen, remote promo he and Kevin Owens participated in, it was The Tribal Chief's body language and facial expressions that hammered home just how extraordinary the universal champion is from a performance perspective.

While Owens described the significance of his grandfather, Reigns shook his head in total disregard and boredom. He was unmoved by an opponent issuing what he considered hollow threats, almost in disbelief that KO still didn't understand his place after all of these weeks. He had been there, heard it and simply did not give a damn about anything coming out of his top contender's mouth.

Until Owens called him an "insecure bully."

His eyes shifted. His nostrils flared. Owens' words hit home, and Reigns could not help but let it show. As tough as he presented himself, and as much as he wanted everyone to acknowledge him as this Tribal Chief and Head of the Table, Owens had struck a nerve and brought up his insecurity. 

And how did he respond? Like any bully would: He took his ball and went home, this time in the form of shutting down his live feed.

It was further excellence from a character who is just hitting on every note right now, bringing the absolute best to every show he appears on and providing WWE with the sort of exceptional heel it has not seen in a generation.

Reigns is the best thing going in pro wrestling, and to not recognize that is either ignorance or stubbornness. Appreciate it now because we have a long, storied history of WWE that suggests these types of enthralling, compelling bad guys do not come along often.

If ever.

All hail your Tribal Chief.