Bray Wyatt will be going up against The Miz at this Sunday's TLC pay-per-view at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota - but that feud may not last very that long.
The Fiend has gone through numerous big-named opponents over the last two months. He defeated Seth Rollins at the Oct. 31 Crown Jewel event to become the new Universal Champion, and he had a successful defense against Daniel Bryan at the Nov. 24 Survivor Series show.
There's been plenty of buildup throughout the Bryan-Wyatt feud. Just two weeks ago, The Fiend brutally attacked Bryan, pulled him under the ring and even took out some of his own air. This was reportedly done in order to set up Bryan for a complete change of appearance, which has yet to be revealed.
So, why is WWE pitting The Miz against The Fiend at TLC, instead of continuing the angle with Bryan? According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Sportskeeda.com), the original plan was for Bryan to get a rematch against Wyatt, but the former "was actually pushing to delay it," because he thought the TLC event "would be too soon."
Related: Possible Spoiler On Bray Wyatt Vs. The Miz At TLC
Bryan has plenty of say backstage when it comes to the direction of his character, and he simply didn't want to go up against The Fiend again just yet. Meltzer also suggested that Bryan "is pretty hands-on with his story."
If that's the case, well, The Miz is an ideal short-term fill-in until Bryan is set and prepared for his next clash with The Fiend. Perhaps we'll even see Bryan interfere on Miz's behalf this Sunday.
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
There is no reason for WWE to rush this Bryan-Fiend feud, and the creative team deserves credit for actually listening to Bryan and his plans for the storyline. He's one of the best in the business, and they have to learn to simply trust Bryan. The Fiend isn't going to lose cleanly for a while, so WWE can take it slow here with Bryan vs. Wyatt here. They can take all the time they need to build up this feud up in order to make it the best one possible.