10 Times WWE Salvaged A Doomed Superstar

If someone was to tell you a few years ago that the recently retired Daniel Bryan would eventually make a triumphant return to WWE as an active performer, you probably would have just been happy to see him parade around with his hands pointing to the sky to the sound of a chorus of 'YES!' chants for the rest of his tenure in the company.

Yet, in 2018, that's sort of what we got and well... it felt a bit dead.

Sure, it was amazing to see Bryan back in a ring and doing what he loved, but the 'YES! movement' felt like it had run its course. But, you couldn't imagine Vince McMahon ever being willing to kill off such a lucrative character in the form of the fan-friendly Bryan.

Until he did... or more so, until Bryan convinced him to.

Sensing he needed that all important attitude change in order to make himself relevant again, Bryan leaned into his real life commitment to saving the planet and turned on the capitalistic fans in attendance. He took the precautions necessary to become a champion who could set an anti-capitalism example and in doing so became WWE's first ever Planet's Champion - equipped with hemp title belt.

The change-up was inspired and helped salvage a stale character which looked to have peaked in the company. Bryan went on to enjoy one of the greatest runs in WWE's recent history and McMahon's doomed attempt to recapture the magic of the 'YES! movement' was quickly forgotten.