12 WWE Stars Who Got Better With Age

11. Daniel Bryan

A sponge for the art of pro wrestling, Danei Bryan has been less than similarly able to develop the nuances of larger-than-life characterization that are required for top-tier super-stardom in World Wrestling Entertainment. Bryan has certainly earned his stripes in WWE. It can be argued that his in-ring talent is almost a crutch at this point, Yes, Bryan is a great wrestler. Yes, too, he has made great strides as a well-rounded performer, too. Moreso than anything, his win at Wrestlemania 30 should be looked at as more of a singular achievement of leveling up as a character instead of a nod in assent to his placement as a dependable main event draw. However, as far as Bryan getting better with age, he certainly has, and continues to improve. Unlike CM Punk, Bryan's indie rise was not based on being one of few well-defined characters in a land filled with one-dimensional wrestlers. Bryan was the king of the one-dimensional wrestlers, and thus that became his character. However, for the purposes of WWE (which is so much more than just a "wrestling-based" product, being "the greatest of the great wrestlers" isn't going to mean as much in terms of WWE's business landscape. Watching Bryan on Total Divas, as well as now once again being put in situations where he has to get over without the crutch of his wrestling showcases points where Bryan must rise to the occasion to become an entrenched main eventer in WWE. A rare case of a wrestler who got incredibly far because of one skill being so demonstrably better than everyone else's skills in that same set, Bryan having to retroactively develop other skills certainly stinks for fans who hopped aboard his Wrestlemania bandwagon, but insofar as his career longevity certainly speaks to future greatness assuredly to follow.
Contributor
Contributor

Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.