Daniel Bryan's heel turn has worked out better than anyone probably could have anticipated as he's gone from beloved babyface to hated heel in the blink of an eye, all while proving to be a tremendous foe for AJ Styles.

Although Styles is currently negotiating a new contract and there is speculation that WWE will stop pushing him unless he signs a new long-term deal, that doesn't necessitate Styles being beaten clean by Bryan at TLC, especially this early on into Bryan's heel run. Bryan, of course, has already done a very good job of getting heat from the fans, but he's still likable because of how good of a wrestler he is. Especially in an era in which diehard fans gravitate more toward villainous characters, it would benefit Bryan more to present him as a cowardly champion who does whatever it takes to win and is a complete 180 from his babyface character.

WWE tried to make Shinsuke Nakamura this exact same type of heel, but it didn't work because he couldn't get the job done even when he tried to cheat. Bryan is different from Nakamura in that his dastardly heel tactics actually work, which is what has made him transform from liked to loathed so quickly and is a formula WWE needs to continue to follow moving forward. The logic behind that booking is obviously to establish Bryan the heel as the complete antithesis of Bryan the babyface, which is necessary to ensure WWE maximizes the potential of his heel run.

So, at TLC, "the new Daniel Bryan" should beat Styles, yes. But tapping him out or pinning him cleanly isn't the answer. Another low blow or something similar is the best route to take.

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