12 Ups & 12 Downs For WWE In 2019
9. The New Daniel Bryan
Long lost to the rest of the year that followed, Daniel Bryan's first few months were so utterly absorbing that they warrant mention here even if WWE rendered most of his work surplus to requirements following his WrestleMania title loss.
The New Daniel Bryan had no patience for sh*t scripting, nor the fanbase that once adored him, nor even the WWE Championship belt he secured at the starting point of his turn.
Taking environmentalism to a torturous extreme, Bryan played up his world-saving side to such a pretentious and pernicious degree that he threatened the very fabric of the organisation. Few characters could be trusted with literally binning the industry’s top prize on screen - Bryan didn’t just manage it, he got over a hemp replacement that looked more like his cardigans than an ostentatious reflection of capitalism’s excess. Even its eventual sacrifice was under the most noble of circumstances.