Big Cass' absence from this week's Smackdown did not go unnoticed.
On the May 1st edition of Smackdown, Big Cass invited out "Daniel Bryan" which ended up being someone WWE called Pierre LaFleur in a Daniel Bryan costume. LaFleur being a little person was supposed to exaggerated the size difference between Bryan and Big Cass. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, the WWE officials backstage including Vince McMahon told Big Cass to only deliver a big boot to LaFleur but Big Cass continued the beat down afterwards.
As Fightful's own Sean Ross Sapp reported the segment was changed with late notice because of Bryan's bruised chest he received during the Greatest Royal Rumble match. Bryan was originally supposed to save LaFleur from the beatdown.
Big Cass faced Bryan at WWE Backlash but lost quickly by submission and then did not appear on Smackdown as Bryan was featured in the main event. Big Cass did appear on the WWE YouTube claiming credit for Bryan's loss to Rusev because Big Cass attacked him after their match at Backlash.
Fightful Wrestling had coverage of those episodes of Smackdown and the Backlash pay-per-views.
