WWE Raw: Daniel Bryan joins The Wyatt Family on final show of 2013
The Wyatt Family's number swelled by one on Raw, while Brock Lesnar went berserk on his return.
Last Updated: 01/01/14 1:26pm
After weeks of rejecting Bray Wyatt's overtures to enter the faction, the submission specialist finally relented on the final Raw of 2013 after being subjected to another barbaric beating from the Eater of Worlds and his disciples, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
Bryan's night began well - he pinned both Harper and Rowan whilst battling the behemoths in singles action - but he elected to join the backwoods brood following his third contest of the show, against the sermon-spewing Wyatt.
The former WWE Champion won the encounter via disqualification after interference from Harper and Rowan but was so worn out - and so frustrated that his in-ring excellence and adoration from WWE fans had not been recognised by the Authority - that he reached out to his tormentors.
Wyatt felled Bryan with an initiatory Sister Abigail, before Harper and Rowan helped the wrestler from Washington - and, seemingly, their newest ally - from the ring in front of a disbelieving audience.
A shock move from Bryan was preceded by a surprise return, with WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H announcing that The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar - a man he has duelled with in recent times - was back amongst the active roster.
Brutalised
Lesnar, via his mouthpiece, Paul Heyman, declared his intention to face whoever emerges victorious from the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between John Cena and Randy Orton at the Royal Rumble.
And The Anomaly gave a blistering indication of what Orton or Cena could come up against when he brutalised Mark Henry, flinging the World's Strongest Man through a barricade and then flattening him with an F-5.
Lesnar wants to seize gold, then, but Big E Langston still holds it after defeating technically-savvy Fandango in a sizzling contest to retain the Intercontinental Title he snared from Curtis Axel in November.
Axel, meanwhile, lost to Dolph Ziggler, while Damien Sandow conquered The Great Khali; R-Truth - thanks to a little help from Xavier Woods - knocked off Brodus Clay; and Aksana, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes and Summer Rae bested The Bella Twins, The Funkadactyls and Eva Marie in a Divas dust-up.
Plus, CM Punk capitalised on dissension in The Shield to vanquish Seth Rollins - but will the Second City Saint be as successful on next week's Old School Raw when he battles the Hounds of Justice's muscle, Roman Reigns?
You'll have to head to Sky Sports to find out...
