After being screwed out of the WWE Championship twice last year, Daniel Bryan has been on a title chase for the ages. The story that has accompanied this chase has taken an unreal amount of swerves designed purely to keep the smartest fans watching guessing. In the time since Bryan's popularity exploded to an unprecedented level, he's formed a team with Punk, turned heel, turned face again, and has finally arrived in the midst of the WrestleMania main event hype. The really intriguing thing about Bryan's slow ascent to the top is the way in which WWE has seamlessly combined their storylines with real life issues. Similar to the way that Vince McMahon and the Corporation was keeping Austin at bay, The Authority have made a point to denigrate Bryan for being a "B+" superstar, holding him down in the process. Of course, almost the entirety of the WWE Universe have voiced their disapproval for Bryan's treatment. Thanks to Bryan's incredible ability to connect with the audience, he's become one of the most popular wrestlers since the Attitude Era. How has he connected with them so well? Why is the character of Daniel Bryan so compelling? Here's 10 reasons as to why Bryan and WWE have us in the palm of their hands.
10. Few Believed He Would Make It At All
Once news broke that Bryan Danielson was signing to the WWE, many fans were quick to express their cynicism. Back in 2009, the WWE didn't exactly have the best reputation when it came to taking indie wrestlers and making them legitimate stars on a national level. Colt Cabana, for example, had an incredibly unremarkable run the year prior as Scotty Goldman. Cabana was just one unfortunate case in a long line of incredible wrestlers that fell by the way side. At the point of his signing, it would've been pretty hard to inspire confidence considering his abilities. He may have been one of the best technical wrestlers in the world, but that did little to cover up what WWE was bound to see as glaring flaws. Those glaring flaws were handled, and Bryan was able to show his talents while not being bogged down by the trivial things WWE usually puts a priority on. Not only did Bryan become a household WWE name in time, but he shattered every expectation put in front of him. Not many expected it, but Bryan made it, and he made it in a big way.
I'm Andrew Hypes, and I'm aspiring to take over the world with my writing. I'm a senior at Capital University studying Journalism and Creative Writing. For the most part, I'll be writing about the WWE, but I'll try to get myself acclimated to other sections as well. For now, though, enjoy my musings on the insane world of Professional Wrestling.
Once news broke that Bryan Danielson was signing to the WWE, many fans were quick to express their cynicism. Back in 2009, the WWE didn't exactly have the best reputation when it came to taking indie wrestlers and making them legitimate stars on a national level. Colt Cabana, for example, had an incredibly unremarkable run the year prior as Scotty Goldman. Cabana was just one unfortunate case in a long line of incredible wrestlers that fell by the way side. At the point of his signing, it would've been pretty hard to inspire confidence considering his abilities. He may have been one of the best technical wrestlers in the world, but that did little to cover up what WWE was bound to see as glaring flaws. Those glaring flaws were handled, and Bryan was able to show his talents while not being bogged down by the trivial things WWE usually puts a priority on. Not only did Bryan become a household WWE name in time, but he shattered every expectation put in front of him. Not many expected it, but Bryan made it, and he made it in a big way.