Though it shouldn't have really had to come to this, Daniel Bryan's November heel turn was not only the perfect solution to an injury-hit Survivor Series but also the saving grace of what had otherwise been a depressing 2018 return.
The moment he took the low road against AJ Styles was the moment he awoke from the slumber that was his wretched comeback. With a sinister glare, Bryan confirmed that he was committed to fighting dirty for his dreams and spider-walked into a fantasy clash with Brock Lesnar.
Framing a loss against 'The Beast' as the final awakening, his pious environmentalist schtick has already played magnificently in front of live crowds, with the untapped potential of some brand new matches far from realisation. Bryan - yet again - has lived as his new character would want, making the absolute best out of the dirt worst.
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
