There isn’t a whole lot in the WWE these days that gets me excited. I often say to friends that if I was growing up today that I’d probably turn Monday Night RAW on and turn it off…that is unless Daniel Bryan was on television.
[adinserter block=”2″]Daniel Bryan has always been a favorite of mine, so this isn’t exactly a new discovery. As a former pro wrestling announcer, I always enjoyed calling Daniel’s matches whenever I had the chance on the independents. My call on his Ring of Honor debut main-event is one of my proudest of my career. Yet even as good as I always thought he was, I had no idea he was this good.
The former American Dragon has turned into the most entertaining pro wrestling character on television for my tastes. I don’t know what it is about him but he makes me laugh every time. I know his, “No, no, no” shtick is goofy but I pop every time for it. Even better is watching the fans get in his face yelling, “Yes, yes, yes” as he argues back “No, no, no.” I don’t think there is anyone else in the business that could pull it off as great as Bryan is doing.
That is the most pleasant surprise to me about Bryan. Plenty of us who have watched Bryan over the last decade on the independents and internationally had no reservations that he could get into the WWE rings and tear it up with anyone. Yet I don’t know how many of us rabid Bryan fans had any idea what a great character he would be week to week on television. Heck, even the WWE had no idea or they wouldn’t have had Michael Cole call him boring for a year.
It has been awhile since I felt this way about any pro wrestling character in the WWE or TNA. I know there are a lot of you reading thinking, “CM Punk” but not for me. The last time I felt that there was one guy that I couldn’t miss in or out of the ring on television was Kurt Angle in the WWE. He had it in different spots in TNA, but I don’t find myself as entertained by the former Olympiad as I used to be. Daniel Bryan has taken his proverbial spot on my television set.
After watching Bryan being evaluated in a segment on Monday Night RAW a couple of weeks ago, it boggles my mind that I haven’t seen more. Sure Daniel Bryan doesn’t fit the prototypical Vince McMahon headliner, but what was not to like about those segments? Unfortunately it appears that every time Bryan gets a little momentum, the WWE makes sure to do whatever they can to keep him in his place.
[adinserter block=”1″]Daniel Bryan truly is the best in the world. Not CM Punk, not John Cena, not anyone else. Is he the biggest draw in the business? Hardly, but who is to say he couldn’t be with the same commitment that the office gave Punk or even Cena? Who knows, yet unfortunately we’ll probably never find out.
Until then I am going to enjoy the ride. I won’t complain about 18 second matches, jobbing for John Cena, or being squashed by The Rock. As long as Daniel Bryan is on my television doing something, I am watching.
Yes, yes, yes!
[amazon_link id=”B0082SIK9A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE: Superstar Collection – Daniel Bryan DVD[/amazon_link]
[amazon_link id=”B008IG0ESG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE: CM Punk Best in the World DVD[/amazon_link]
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