5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Dec 21)

1. Daniel Bryan Cuts The Promo Of The Year

Daniel Bryan Goat II
WWE

On the Kickoff to the TLC Kickoff, WWE Now, something below even NXT UK on Vince McMahon's list of priorities, Daniel Bryan cut the promo of the year. With apologies to Samoa Joe, who was in such amazing form throughout 2018, this felt different. It felt different because Daniel Bryan cut an improvised promo himself, one that put over the warped-but-credible extension of himself that is his outstanding New Daniel Bryan character.

Bryan launched his tirade by raging against the ills of social media, and how it renders everything a shallow simulation of an idealised non-reality, before intensifying his words with an anti-capitalist, eco-friendly bent delivered so hatefully that the reasonable - hell, vital - message was undermined by his abrasive holier-than-thou shtick. Over the course of this incendiary promo, Bryan put over his opponent's skill level, as opposed to burying him; reconciled his new character with the old, to maintain a sense of continuity, thereby allowing us to believe in it; raged against the capitalist machine, by refusing to wear a WWE t-shirt, but then buried us as planet-killing pigs before we could pop; put in our minds the hilarious idea that he is close enough friends with a cow to name them...

Between his in-ring and character work, the New Daniel Bryan is the best thing in wrestling right now - all of wrestling, NXT and NJPW included - by streets. By miles.

By the distance Shane McMahon misses a worked punch.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!