The Daniel Bryan Debacle
The drama surrounding Daniel Bryan's early elimination in WWE's Royal Rumble continues to make headlines. What began as just disappointment among fans is now reaching full blown riot status as the masses are gathering for perhaps the biggest boycott of all time; the pitchforks are sharp and the torches are lit.
Okay none of that last bit is true. But it's all beginning to get very interesting.
The reason for that is the recent story online claiming WWE has no intention of booking Daniel in the main event of WrestleMania 31. Supposedly, Vince McMahon does not want to mimic last year's Mania so for now, It seems that the Yes man will be used against Dolph Ziggler instead.
While there's likely not a fan alive that doesn't want to see Bryan take on Ziggler in what will surely be a technical masterpiece, the truth is Daniel should have more. He should have a lot more.
But it seems that's just not going to happen. Evidently WWE does not see Bryan as a top babyface anymore and in fact they may never have. Shocking, isn't it? Leaves you speechless, doesn't it? Yeah, me too. I have to say that while I am a firm believer that you can never say never in pro wrestling, the truth is I never saw this coming.
Bryan is a star. He may not look or sound like the top guy archetype that WWE has become accustomed to but every time the guy gets in the ring, the fans respond. He is easily the most popular Superstar in the company and he has been since 2013.
He has heart, he has drive and he has a connection to the WWE crowds that very few stars have ever had. There's a reason why Bryan's rise was compared to that of Stone Cold Steve Austin and CM Punk; Bryan just has that same kind of spark. He is not the usual top star because he's not Hollywood.
Daniel Bryan is just himself. And fans have completely embraced him.
WrestleMania 30 was the culmination of Bryan's entire career, a career built on top quality matches and fan support that began when he was back on the indie circuit. Bryan may have been the unlikeliest main event star that WWE has ever seen but he was perhaps the most deserving as well.
Even after his return from surgery, Bryan consistently gets the biggest pop of anyone in the WWE locker room. The fact is that fans still want Daniel and they want him on the top level. The Royal Rumble is proof positive of this, as Bryan's exit was met with a shocked chorus of boos and hate that lasted through the rest of the match. Roman Reigns paid the price for WWE's indiscrection and now the company is faced with a budding top guy that no one wants.
So considering all of this , why wouldn't WWE correct the problem? Why shouldn't Bryan once again be in the main event of WWE's most important night of the year?
Because Vince apparently just doesn't want him in it. Simple as that.
This is where the controversy comes in. WWE has a certified main event player on the roster, a guy that came from the bottom up and emerged as the people's favorite. Daniel Bryan weathered the storm of weak booking and gained the crowd's support by just being himself with the volume turned up. He proved that the best formula to succeeding in the business is still the most simple one and he did it all on his own terms.
And he will probably work Ziggler in the curtain jerk of WrestleMania 31.
Think about that for a moment. The guy that main evented WrestleMania, the man that saw his dreams come true on the worldwide stage by winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, is going to follow that up the next year in the first match of the night.
WWE seems intent on staying the course with Roman. They've found their new guy and from this point on, every effort will be made to get him over and convince every fan watching he's worth their support. But while all of that is happening, Daniel Bryan is there and is over to the moon. And he doesn't have to try very hard at all.
Vince McMahon's company is creating its next top star against a mountain of opposition while the star that basically created himself will not be used in that role at all. There's your controversy.
