10 Origin Stories Of Awesome Wrestlers
3. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan was a trailblazer in WWE - initially depicted as an indy-riffic jabroni, he, as so many wrestling stars do, first showed real presence and personality following his 2011 heel turn. Bryan had already played the role to successful effect in Ring Of Honor, but there, he was a brutal mauler, whose heat was predicated on his ability and willingness to maim his opponents.
In WWE, the carefree Bryan was aware that character development was a necessary component of longevity - so, without seeking express permission, he imbued his nascent heel character with unwarranted ego. He knew that his character was the consummate chicken sh*t heel - and he thought it would be funny to add a deluded layer to it, celebrating tainted victories like they were hard-earned.
He did so by congratulating himself on the way to the ring, leading cheers of "Yes! Yes! Yes!'. They were borrowed from UFC fighter Diego Sanchez. Sanchez would lead a similar chant to gee himself up. Bryan re-contextualised those cries, with priceless effect, to irritate WWE fans.
He would re-contextualise them once more by adopting them as a maverick audience interaction tactic, cementing himself as one of the company's most beloved ever babyfaces in the process.