10 Best Wrestling Talkers Of 2018

2. Daniel Bryan

Chris Jericho Intercontinental
WWE.com

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.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!