10 Best WWE Storylines Of 2019 (So Far)

2. The New Daniel Bryan Hates Everything

Brock Lesnar Paul Heyman
WWE.com

Daniel Bryan becoming WWE Champion in November 2018 was at first something of a hail mary for a character the company had inexplicably lost control of following his remarkable return.

Within weeks, 'The New Daniel Bryan' was chasing control of everything.

Embracing cruelty as a way to be kind to the planet, he spat judgmental fire at every fan and face for the crimes against the planet he wished to protect. A Royal Rumble rematch with Styles peaked before the bell rang when Bryan raged on a burger the event's venue had created to celebrate the show.

Upon getting past his rival with the help of new sidekick Rowan, Bryan threw his leather title in the trash, literally and symbolically doing away with what he perceived to be needless and damaging glorification. In its place came a personalised, environmentally-friendly hemp belt that served as a visual signifier for one of the finest Championship runs in recent memory.

Bryan was robbed of tackling the rank commercialism of The New Day in his rivalry with Kofi Kingston in order to serve as an avatar for The Chairman himself, but unsurprisingly, he got that way, way over too.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett