YEa i think that's the dirt sheets playing up the "WWE hates indy guys grumble grumble grumble" narritive.
I mean, they made him World Champion man, and gave him an extended run leading up to WM. That AJ storyline was already Red hot.
I can buy that they shortened the match, but I assure you the finish was still going to be AJ distracting him and him getting murdered, I though the finish actually served todo that better than a 10 minute fight leading to the same finish.
WWE clearly saw something in Bryan, when they let him go after he went over the PG limit in his Nexus debute, he clearly had a handshake deal that he was coming back once the sponsers calmed down. If they really saw him as some indy side show, they would have let him walk.