How The New Daniel Bryan Is Elevating EVERYTHING In WWE

Daniel Bryan
WWE.com

On the January 8 SmackDown! Live, the New Daniel Bryan removed us from the landfill of the in-ring opening segment, taking us instead to a concession stand. Mirroring the character’s raison d’être, Bryan used his resourcefulness to spare us the usual rubbish. There, with the sort of incandescent, fiercely believable promo that has renewed his headline career, he delivered a crucial message so detestably that, of all performers, R-Truth received a monumental pop purely by shutting him up.

So many of today’s wrestling characters, even the best in-ring talents, share the same, bland motivation: to be the best. To work the hardest. To earn through constant battle the opportunities elsewhere tossed in the insatiable maw of the part-timer generation and office favourites alike. But, beyond which of those performers cuts off or makes the comeback, what truly separates the likes of Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins? Bryan, in contrast, is equipped with the motivation and defined character to credibly oppose all manner of babyface opponents on the blue brand.

Mustafa Ali is not his primary protagonist, but Bryan has channeled—and subverted—his old babyface character to create an intriguing dynamic with which to drive their mini-programme. Bryan seems to resent the echoes of his old self within Ali’s bleeding heart, and has thus played the role of over-compensating bully to awesome effect. The New Daniel Bryan gets acts over. Ali, one of several also-rans on the 205 Live roster, has, by being in such close proximity to Bryan, maximised his cult appeal to a welcoming casual audience.

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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!