The Big Dog’s segment on “SmackDown Live” this week was a big dud. 

Late in Tuesday’s episode, Roman Reigns was walking toward Kayla Braxton backstage to put out a SummerSlam challenge.  Before Reigns could get there, a piece of scaffolding fell on him, then black containers landed around him as Braxton screamed for help. 

A shook Reigns slid out without a scratch and refused medical help from some persistent EMTs.  We even got a peek at the legendary Bruce Prichard poking his head out during a segment that WWE was obviously using to try to give their fans something to wrestle with. 

That question is: Who pushed the scaffolding on Reigns?  If this was just to set up a SummerSlam match, we will likely not have to wait long to find out with the event less than two weeks away. 

The attempt to add some mystery to an angle is a good thing, but the execution was lacking. 

First, Reigns not even getting a scratch on him certainly takes away from the impact of the segment.  If there was any time for at least a little bit of blood, it was there.  It would have added to the severity of what happened, and a cut doesn’t become an injury that Reigns needs to sell or have hindering him at SummerSlam. 

Added to this was the Instagram photo WWE posted of Reigns under the scaffolding with his hands up to his face as if trying to block the light from his eyes.  Why and how was this photo taken?  Shouldn’t the attention of everyone in the area be making sure Reigns was OK?  Maybe that’s why the camera cut to a shot of the floor, so no one could see the person taking out their iPhone to snap a picture of Reigns for the ’Gram. 

Would it have been too much for this segment to be earlier in the show, so an enraged Reigns could rip through the backstage area looking for the person who did it?  We will likely see that next week, but it would have extended the story and added some fire to it right away.  If it comes a week earlier, there is time to do a second sneak attack — maybe this one just misses — to potentially add to the drama and cowardly acts of the perpetrator. 

Add to this what WWE fans were watching on “Monday Night Raw” just a night before.  There was Brock Lesnar F5ing Seth Rollins into the ring post, dropping him on a chair, ripping him out of an ambulance and then dropping him on a stretcher.  Rollins was left spitting up blood, while Reigns looked like he slid out from hiding under his bed.  Again, there was good intent in the Reigns segment but the timing and execution — including way too many camera angle changes, just left it flat. 

So who pushed the scaffolding on Reigns? 

There is some internet speculation going around it is Buddy Murphy, the former WWE cruiserweight champion who hasn’t done much since being moved to SmackDown.  In the final frame of the show, a figure who appears to be wearing a shirt Murphy wore for an off-TV promo that night can be seen walking in front of Reigns.  The figure walks into the shot from the opposite direction from the scaffolding, so it doesn’t make it apparent he’s the culprit. 

Is it Samoa Joe, whom Reigns was brawling with on Raw this week?  Joe seems more of a to-your-face guy.  Drew McIntyre or someone completely different? 

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting the mystery attacker is Daniel Bryan, which would make for a heck of a star-studded SummerSlam match and potential feud going forward.  Reigns vs. Bryan is also being advertised on the Madison Square Garden website as a “Special Attraction” match for “SmackDown Live” at the Garden on Sept. 10. 

If so, it’s unclear how the attack on Reigns fits into the narrative of Bryan refusing to talk about his “career-alerting announcement.”  Bryan’s promo skills are certainly good enough to mold what appears to be two very different angles together.  A feud with Bryan could give Reigns a chance to really shine in the ring.  The two only had a short run together in 2015. 

If this flawed segment does get us to Reigns-Bryan, so be it.  And it’s a welcome feud.  A good narrative can still come from this.  It’s a shame, however, that this story device wasn’t used to its full potential to create a few weeks of more meaningful drama.