Daniel Bryans rivalry with the Authority and subsequent rise to the top of the WWE is one of the best and most emotionally-satisfying stories in recent memory. Bryan proved that, despite being smaller and not fitting the right mold, if you have the right amount of skills and fan support, you CAN achieve your dreams. That much was for certain when Bryan defeated both Randy Orton and Batista at WrestleMania XXX to become the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, like many wrestlers, Bryans body was so worn down that he couldnt keep his momentum going. After only one successful title defense, Bryan announced that he had to undergo neck surgery, which sidelined him for most of the remaining 2014 calendar year. In an instant, virtually all of Bryans post-WrestleMania momentum was gone. Despite WWEs attempt to keep Bryan relevant by showing him doing promos, his touching video with Connor the Crusher Michalek, and having his wife Brie Bella continue his Yes chants, Bryans momentum was all but gone by the time he returned in November 2014. But by that point, much of the true star power in Bryan had faded. While Bryan remains an extremely popular WWE Superstar to this day, as shown by his continued fan support, he has lost his main-event status in the eyes of WWEs management. Despite the loud ovation he still gets, Bryan has so far been unable to regain his main event glory from WrestleMania XXX. Hes currently scheduled to take part in a multi-man Ladder Match at WrestleMania Play Button, and after that it is rumored that hell be feuding with Dolph Ziggler. While that certainly does sound interesting, its a far cry from where Bryan was around this same time last year.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
