10 Best Wrestling Talkers Of 2018
2. Daniel Bryan
Ric Flair once entered the greatest babyface and heel performances to date across the same calendar year of 1989. From Ric Steamboat to Terry Funk, Flair portrayed himself as both preening, ingenious technician and vengeance-fuelled badass.
In 2018, Daniel Bryan did much the same thing, in much his own way.
Returning after two years, in a legit magic segment, Bryan conducted himself as the babyface ideal. There was something so moving, and so real, about Bryan's March 20 SmackDown promo, in which he choked up in gratitude over his wife's continued support of him. He didn't have to apologise for his bleeding heart, but he did; so palpably humble that he thought he was indulging himself out there, and not providing us with a moment of genuine inspiration, Bryan quickly promised to "get to the fun stuff".
This wasn't forthcoming: WWE managed to f*ck up this babyface. Rewatch that promo, and you will realise the fundamental booking issues plaguing this company.
Because he is a genius, Bryan, upon turning heel, subverted his time in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. He wasn't fighting for our dreams; he was fighting for his own. Just as we have allowed the earth to rot, we allowed the magic his return to waste away.
By killing the YES! movement, Bryan breathed new life into his act, one that has manifested as a series of brilliant - and ironic - scorched earth promos at the expense of his fickle fanbase.