Though his heel turn should have taken place about a million years after his return (more on that later) instead of within f*cking eight months of it, Daniel Bryan's versatility was such that he took less than a year of poor booking and transferred it into the frustrations of one of the most forward-thinking characters of the decade. Literally so, if his supposedly selfless intentions were to be believed.
The New Daniel Bryan had no patience for sh*t scripting, nor the fanbase that once adored him, nor even the WWE Championship belt he secured at the starting point of his turn.
Taking environmentalism to a torturous extreme, Bryan played up his world-saving side to such a pretentious and pernicious degree that he threatened the very fabric of the organisation. Few characters could be trusted with literally binning the industry's top prize on screen - Bryan didn't just manage it, he got over a hemp replacement that looked more like his cardigans than an ostentatious reflection of capitalism's excess. Even its eventual sacrifice was under the most noble of circumstances.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, 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
