Daniel Bryan Is The *NEW* WWE Intercontinental Champion

[Jack-Hammer]

The opening bout of WrestleMania XXXI is history and Daniel Bryan win the Intercontinental Championship ladder match. Bryan's performance as a whole wasn't really a big standout, but I'm not really surprised that they wanted to protect him from taking the dangerous high spots in this match.

Well, the right guy won so now we can only hope that WWE books him properly so that the title can be elevated, something it sorely needs, and the only way that happen is if Bryan is booked as a strong, relevant, high profile champion who doesn't lose every other match he's in.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

So I guess he's won everything now. US, IC, Tag Team, and the WWE title.

I think it was the right thing to do since the fans would definitely be behind it and he needs to be relevant while not in the WWE title picture.

 

[MWRedskins]

i'm not a fan of him being in this match at all, BUT if he's in it, i thought that he would have to win it to take him seriously. now if/when he loses the title, he needs to lose it in a triple threat where he's not pinned so he's not hurt by the loss and gets pushed back into the main event. however, i dont think Bryan will EVER be a main event player in WWE again. i think they really do view him as a B+ player and nothing else which bites for him, but i am glad he has the title and hopefully he will bring some prestige back to it.

 

[rmp0012002]

It's all on creative right now if the IC belt becomes relevant again as DB alone can't make it happen.

 

[Nate DaMac]

I love Daniel and I'm glad they aren't letting him get completely lost in the shuffle, but this should have been Ambrose's moment. The IC Title was dead in the water until Ambrose let it be known that he wanted it. He single-handedly brought heat to the title and deserved to win it as a reward.

Not saying Bryan isn't deserving, just that Ambrose set all of this in motion and should have got the big payoff.

 

[Navi]

I love Daniel and I'm glad they aren't letting him get completely lost in the shuffle, but this should have been Ambrose's moment. The IC Title was dead in the water until Ambrose let it be known that he wanted it. He single-handedly brought heat to the title and deserved to win it as a reward.

Not saying Bryan isn't deserving, just that Ambrose set all of this in motion and should have got the big payoff.

I totally agree. Ambrose seems to set a lot of things in motion and comes off losing each time. The powerbomb through the ladder looked brutal though and we never saw him after that. Was so hoping Ambrose would win, he really deserved it after laying down for almost everyone this year. Hopefully they have big plans for him coming up, it would be such a waste if there wasn't. The pops he gets for someone who never wins are amazing.

 

[gmanversion1]

I'm glad for D-Bry. He is a much deserved grandslam champion. Not only us he a grandslam champion, but he is in a very special variant, he has held all 3 versions of the world championship (World, WWE, and Unified)

 

[Nate DaMac]

So what's his first feud? I suppose the logical step would be to feud with Barrett seeing as he is the former champion. It'll be fine I'm sure but a program with Ambrose or Harper would be much more entertaining.

 

[XXJJ]

I'm happy that they might start placing more importance in both the US and IC title. I too think Ambrose should of won. Ideally, it should of been Barrett vs Ambrose in a singles match for the title.

I think Sheamus returns and attacks Bryan on Raw.

 

[SoulTrain4]

A guy wins all the titles in the company that it is possible for him to win and people still complain he being held down.

He doesn't have to be in the main event he's Daniel Bryan.

 

[GeminiGarlord]

Bryan is not held down, just as Cena isn't. They are trying to give prestige to the midcard belts by putting them on the waists of main eventer.

Admittedly Bryan main event run has been very short, but he is super-over regardless so it doesn't really matter all that much

 

[MERPER]

One year ago Bryan won the heavyweight title... and lost it cause he physically couldn't compete due to real-life circumstances and somehow the company is keeping him down...

Now they pick him to elevate the 2nd most prestigious title they have and get it back to its glory days and he's still being held down...

Amazing.

Last year, in a wide open and relatively weak heavyweight field, Bryan deserved to be in the main event and win...

Unfortunately, if you want any level of believability at all, Bryan simply couldn't be in it this year... not with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns (more the former than the latter) as there is no conceivable way he could have beaten Lesnar in a match...

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

One year ago Bryan won the heavyweight title... and lost it cause he physically couldn't compete due to real-life circumstances and somehow the company is keeping him down...

Now they pick him to elevate the 2nd most prestigious title they have and get it back to its glory days and he's still being held down...

Amazing.

Last year, in a wide open and relatively weak heavyweight field, Bryan deserved to be in the main event and win...

Unfortunately, if you want any level of believability at all, Bryan simply couldn't be in it this year... not with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns (more the former than the latter) as there is no conceivable way he could have beaten Lesnar in a match...

There's no "believable" way he could've beaten Triple H last year. But then there's no believable way that a guy would take their sweet time to climb a ladder to grab a belt, and there's no believable way a guy would rest on another's shoulders waiting to get flipped around and smashed with an F5.

Bryan vs Lesnar would've been a David Vs Goliath match and it's always a crowd pleaser no matter who wins.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The reset is complete... WWE has done something quite clever with all their titles now, they're ALL workhorse titles. No more "The IC is the one the best workers get"... They have top workers holding all of them so it's easier for them to build all their titles together, rather than one over another.

The match itself was not the best IC title ladder match, but why should it be? It's there to showcase 7 of the best guys on the Roster AND the IC title, not to "tell a story" in the way Shawn v Razor was.

Personally I wanted a Barrett win, with Sheamus helping him setting up an alliance between the two... but Bryan was the logical outcome here... Bear in mind though, there were 2 VERY bad situations in that match, none with particular blame attached, but the Superplex clearly took Cody and nearly BNB out of the match, I just watched the way Barrett rolled on his head again, VERY lucky and Ambrose clearly got hurt badly. While an injury to him would suck, it may also help him come back to face Rollins if he still has the belt rather than be stuck "midcard for life" as so many felt this outcome leaves him.

Ziggler was pretty "meh" here, the Mohawk works worse than his dark haired experiment and he seemed relegated in this match, like he's pissed someone off again. Truth did what he always does, work well without complaint, knowing he's not got a chance of a proper push... but if this was his last big match as I expect, it's not a bad one to end on.

Harper would be hard done by if Ambrose was hurt and he caught any heat for it, it was a risky match and a riskier spot, he showed more than enough to deserve more than he's got lately... still can't help feel him and Rowan showing up to help Bray, especially once he was hurt would have worked better for them all.

Barrett will be alright in the end, I am thinking he loses here so he can pick up MITB later in the year. He can always pick up the IC title, he's that kind of guy... it's almost a given he'll get to 9 and feud with Jericho over 10 in the next 2 years however.

Bryan works as IC champ... He has in effect 2 title matches stored up now, one rematch he never properly took and he's the perfect guy to invoke the "IC champion is the #1 contender rule" and people will go after him as a result. Ziggler, Barrett, Harper, they can all have great matches with him. Sheamus is a bit of a misnomer, I think he'll be involved with Cena or Rollins and Heyman rather than going for the mid card belts again.

 

[MCMG]

They are giving him something which is great. Yes Bryan could be used in the main event but there are others who can fill in right now. The IC title can be Bryan's project to improve on his legacy.

Bryan will defend the belt regularly and put on great matches. The belt, therefore, will seem more important and credible. As for potential feuds; Sheamus, Ziggler and Barrett come to mind. They could also go with Wyatt, Harper and guys from NXT. Indeed, in the long-run there might even be a feud with Cesaro. There are definitely options for Bryan and the IC title and I'm interested to see where they go.

 

[GeTiTT]

if they are setting up a 4 way feud for the IC title with Bryan, Ziggler, Sheamus, & BNB.. i am all about it. This will be a great feud and i see Sheamus coming out on top. He is so much better as a heel.