7 Ups & 1 Down From WWE SmackDown (May 1)

5. Daniel Bryan's Passionate Promo

Daniel Bryan
WWE.com

Back in 2011, Daniel Bryan won Money In The Bank, cashed it in to become World Champion and changed the course of his WWE career for good. That was the narrative he wanted to spin on this week's SmackDown, and it worked if fans who lived through his worst periods are willing to forgive WWE's hesitance at the time.

Besides, this was one heck of a promo.

In around five minutes, Bryan successfully sold the importance of a stipulation match he's about to compete in again and put over the impact it previously had on his run. He even found the time to hype partner Drew Gulak's future in the company too, then succinctly explained to viewers who missed last week's show why he was wrestling 'King' Corbin at all.

Dan had great fire in his voice, and the material never felt cheesy. Everything he said was natural, on point and to the point. This might be the best show-opening promo from anybody in this promotion for a long damn time.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.