10 Plain Wrong Wrestling Myths Perpetuated By The IWC
4. Little Guys Can't Draw
Steve Austin wasn't a small guy, by any metric - but was his emotional connection to the crowd based solely, if it all, on his size?
The people didn't love Austin merely because he was tall and (leanly) muscled. Yes, he looked like the self-styled toughest SOB in the WWF, but his character caught fire due to Austin's ingenuity and the emotional connection he forged with the crowd.
Fans wanted to see Austin prevail over injustice and defeat his boss because he spoke to and for them - not because he was 6 foot 2 and 250 pounds.
Daniel Bryan was similarly relatable - much more so than Batista, whose would-be short walk to the throne was summarily rejected. Fans were willing to walk out on WrestleMania XXX had Batista headlined over Bryan. That fact alone disproves the argument that size matters.
It used to - but times have changed.
Bret Hart is often cited as the counterpoint to this argument, when in fact he did very well to sustain what business the WWF had left during times of creative stagnation. He was tasked with drawing money with evil dentists during a cyclical, natural lull in the wrestling business.
Nobody really draws anymore, anyway. The brand itself draws. If you look at the PPV numbers between his 2012 return and the launch of the WWE Network, Brock Lesnar didn't move the needle any more so than Bryan did.