6 Reasons Daniel Bryan's Retirement Will Hurt WWE In The Long Run
5. WWE Fans Have Lost Their Everyman Character
One of the reasons Daniel Bryan was just SO DAMN LIKEABLE was the very basics of his character. Boiled down to the very core, he was just a regular guy who loved to wrestle. Raised in Aberdeen, Washington as the son of a logger, who still lives to this day a very simple and unassuming life, he would be just as welcome sat in the front row at a live event as he would be running the ropes. The reason Daniel Bryan resonated so well with the people who cheered him was because he was essentially one of them. A character WWE fans haven't been able to connect to on the same level as since the days of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mick Foley, Bryan's retirement brings to a temporary end the feeling amongst the viewers that they themselves could lace up a pair of boots and overcome their ruthless boss; there is simply no-one on the same level. Let's not beat around the bush, you felt compelled to tune into Raw to watch Daniel Bryan overcome the Authority. Since our everyman guy has left the scene, Raw ratings have been bombing, and it's no surprise; fans want something they can invest their time in. A principle so simple in its execution (hell, they managed to centre the entire Bryan-Cena feud on this single point), it will take WWE serious investment in a character to reach the same level of admiration and adulation that the bearded one held.
