10 Biggest WWE Changes Since Daniel Bryan Last Wrestled

1. Changing McMahon

daniel bryan vince mcmahon
WWE.com

Many of the (in some cases, seismic) changes referred to in this list reflect alterations that were in progress when Bryan both ascended to the company's summit and disappeared off the edge completely in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Alongside CM Punk, Bryan forced a talent-centric agenda through over-top of all the usual WWE markers. His title win came at the expense of Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista. Outside of John Cena (and latterly Roman Reigns) there are few wrestlers that signify those markers more.

His exit felt like the end of a dream. For everybody else though, it was a definitive end of a nightmare. The winds of change caused by Bryan's ascent were now sprawling hurricanes, blowing through every aspect of the output to create a brand new veneer for the product. WWE doesn't always manage to pull it off, but never more than now have they been all things to all fans. In the dark days of 2009-2012, they often offered nothing to anybody. Vince McMahon was forced to change, and did so.

Or, the Chairman hasn't really changed at all. The near-sighted lens on his bifocal may see a 'goat-faced troll', but the billionaire promoter's tunnel vision extends far enough to spot that burgundy still equals green. And for all the huge adjustments made since Bryan last locked up, that central motivation has never strayed.

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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