7 Reasons Daniel Bryan Is The Most Important Wrestler Of This Generation
5. He Never Gave Up
John Cena is the biggest star in modern day professional wrestling. He is the most recognisable star, the undoubted face of the company and the man who ends up on top regardless of the odds. He has many catchphrases that he splatters all over his multi-coloured shirts, and whether you are a fan or not you know the words by heart. 'The Champ is Here', 'Hustle, Loyalty, Respect' and 'You Can't See Me' are ubiquitous with the man, but it is the mantra of 'Never Give Up' that resonates closest with the audience. The truth is, there isn't a professional wrestler less befitting that phrase than John Cena. The odds are in his favour, as we have been conditioned to believe. John Cena has become the anti-Cena in a lot of ways, where him not kicking out is the only thing that provides the reaction that him overcoming the odds is aiming for. The irony of saying such things in a tribute piece to a recently retired superstar is not lost on me, but 'Never Give Up' fits Daniel Bryan closer than any other performer in the company. Clearly undersized in the land of the giants, Bryan was legitimately fighting against the odds more often than not. Rey Mysterio was smaller, but Mysterio came with constant validation from the commentary team about his ability to fight above his weight. Daniel Bryan wasn't supposed to keep coming back, he was supposed to give in after a while. He never did it.
Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.
