2. Daniel Bryan & The Wyatts Win in Their Handicap Match
It has become clear that the WWE fanbase is not going to stop cheering Daniel Bryan. They have chosen him as the wrestler that they want at the top of the card and are bound and determined to ensure that he finds a permanent home as a main-eventer. The WWE has made it clear that they want to push Bray Wyatt and his "Family." There is something unique about the persona and it has Triple H's backing. You might be hard pressed to find a fan that feels that Bray is not, at the very least, an intriguing character. The problem for Bray, to this point, has been that he feels a bit out of place in the modern era. The audience has not fully embraced him, yet, and he has struggled to sustain any kind of reaction. Placing him opposite Daniel Bryan was a risky move. On the one hand, attacking the top babyface would surely garner consistent heat on an emerging lead heel. However, the fanbase in 2013 wants what it wants and might very well rebel against anything that stands in the way of what it wants. It wants Bryan at the top and it may reject the Wyatts being pushed ahead of him. Fortunately, everything seemed to work out fine at TLC. Bray did well to better define himself, coming across in the ring as a man with a clear sense of purpose rather than a wrestler struggling to learn how to match his #thatwascreepy personality and his in-ring style (as he largely had prior to TLC). He had the crowd appreciating his efforts, reacting to his unusual back-bending stare that appears like something right out of a horror movie. Yet, he did not do it at Bryan's expense. The Flying Goat was at his usual, compelling best, darting all over the ring and using his intensity and wherewithal to try and logically defeat three substantially larger athletes. Toward the climax of the match, he had everyone in the palm of his hand, making the people believe that they might see a repeat of Punk's surprise victory from earlier. Alas, that did not happen, but tonight accomplished something for both parties in the second handicap bout. Bryan further proved himself as the most entertaining wrestler in the game, while Bray flat out proved that he can be more than just a talker.