The wrestling world watched in shock as Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles to become the new WWE Champion on SmackDown Live - only to attack The Phenomenal One after the match to solidify a heel turn.

Bryan has been one of the most admired and beloved superstars since breaking into the WWE back in 2010. For some fans, it was impossible to simply envision turning this guy heel - especially after his two-year journey to get cleared for in-ring competition again.

But according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the new WWE Champion "was wanting to turn heel." Vince McMahon didn't decide until the day of SmackDown's show to complete Bryan's heel turn.

It was also noted that the plan was always to turn Bryan heel soon, once he was cleared to wrestle again. It's also believed that McMahon didn't want to have AJ Styles losing to Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in consecutive years, so Bryan will get his shot with the Beast Incarnate at Survivor Series this Sunday.

So as if the heel turn wasn't shocking enough for fans, we now know that this was the plan for a while - and Bryan was lobbying for it to happen. Eight months after he returned to the ring, there's now a new heel to run SmackDown Live - one that nobody could have seen coming.

RELATED: WHY DANIEL BRYAN TURNED HEEL & WON THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP: THE BEST THEORIES

What This Means

WWE did need to spice things up a little bit for the blue brand, with Bryan's babyface run feeling a little lackluster. With he and Styles now feuding, the WWE has two of its biggest main event stars to help SmackDown Live earn more momentum as they try to keep pace with Monday Night Raw - in terms of TV ratings, attendance and overall entertainment.

It's safe to say that the bulk of fans were more with Styles than Bryan, so that made this heel turn a fairly easy decision. The former was getting cheered despite an early heel run back in 2016, so WWE had no choice but to make Styles the No. 1 babyface on SmackDown.

Fans may never get the John Cena heel turn they've craved for years, but a Bryan heel turn should do just fine.

NEXT: SMACKDOWN LIVE WINNERS & LOSERS: BRYAN'S THE NEW CHAMP!