Daniel Bryan- Rabid Wolverine gimmick?

[ctln4rko]

So Daniel Bryan basically does not have a gimmick or personality. But WWE made the fact that he has no gimmick into a gimmick. But I think Bryan needs a gimmick badly officially. I think he should have a rabid wolverine ( chris benoit) syle gimmick. That huge intensity level, and he already is a great tecnical wrestler with a submission finisher. Thoughts? ( Don't call him the Rabid Wolverine, just have that as his gimmick is what i mean)

 

[MizterColemine]

Perhaps an angle in which DB is constantly screwed, or beaten down and goes on a losing streak, then does the heel turn with some "ruthless aggression" toward a face would make me like him. Or maybe something like, with the mic or backstage and in promos he's the same dry personality but works with ruthless aggression and a mean streak with his competition. Something in which he goes overboard in his submission holds and his beatdowns to prove some point. Yes, I might enjoy that. As of now I think he's boring and don't see the big deal. His matches aren't bad.

 

[Flex Cavana]

Not a fan of this idea. I believe stealing gimmicks is terrible for character building and it has no creativity from the writers perspective.

Right now Swagger is being used far too much like Angle and I feel it's crippling his career, even the faintist notion of him being someone else ruins all the work he has put in as an individual. If your always being compared to someone else it gives you no individuality.

If you can't be creative have your own ideas and own career then theres not much point. People already complain of repetition in wrestling so re-hashing old characters is a bad idea.

And for what character it is especially , the lord voldemort of proffesional wrestling ? I think theres 'no chance in hell' of Wwe reminding people of it's biggest skidmark in its long career.

 

[DwayneJason]

Of course the focal point of the rabid wolverine is intensity. He needs intensity, that's all. He's way too laid back right now, seriously. I mean I love his wrestling and I never heard of him as an indy wrestler but his intensity on NXT was PHENOMENAL. He needs some of that in him. Very subtle too, y'know everytime in matches just have that "I'ma fuck you up." look and when he gets his hand raised have that look like he just killed someone. The great thing is that it's live in the ring, he has all the power in the world to fuck up, stick to the method or go about his own way. And if he has some of that intensity I'm pretty sure writers will stick with it (It'd be ******ed if they warned him about a GOOD thing he did. Most likely, they'll just take credit for it.)

 

[silverwraith720]

My gut reaction was "Daniel Bryan the Rabid Wolverine?! More like the Timid Puppy!!!" but when I read Colemine's post he had a good point. After he got cut from NXT and subsequently got MORE air time, he was on a hot streak showing some aggression, he even started referring to himself as Bryan Danielson hinting at a split personality. It could work. I'm still not huge on the guy, but I think that could work for him.

 

[OutsiderDX]

I think the "rabid wolverine" was more of a ring style that his gimmick. It's not like Benoit was booked in other gimmicks until he became the wolverine.

And yes i think Daniel Bryan has the tools to take on a very very agressive in ring style.

But i absolutely love the non-gimmick gimmick of Daniel Bryan. I like him being face for now. The Bella twins angle seems a lil forced to me, and think it could have been handled a different way. Perhaps so they leave the audience guessing as to why the Bella twins and other divas seems to have a thing for Bryan... the girls are always leaving his locker room is a delightly daze.

Keeping a mystery why there is something special about him... which is true in real life- its like a mystery why Bryan Danielson is so outstandingly extraordinary, when he seemingly is average.

 

[Okininja]

I think this could work If say like one of the Bella's cost him the title. Like they distract the ref by accident when he had the match one, and then his opponent rolls him up, or hits their finisher on him, something to that effect. This can then lead him to push the Bella's away and be like "I didn't wan't this, I just want to win and wrestle" kinda goes on a rampage. Thusly bringing Intensity on which the OP mentioned.

 

[karaki123321]

I dont think he should copy his gimmick, Danielson is a goofy guy, all smiling in entrance, when he comes into the ring, he brings intensity and aggression,

 

[The Man They Call WMD]

I think the words rabid wolverine will never be said on air. The E has no interest ever bringing mention of Benoit. Over the years Benoit has been phased out due to the fact that much as he is liked on Wrestle Zone; he committed double murder

 

[BAdkins11]

What I would like to see is that he gets the chance to have the same character he did during the last part of his ROH run, especially when they ran the CZW angle where they fueded. His promos were good and he was able to show a more "rabid" attitude

 

[Klown_Karnage]

I'll admit that DB could benefit from a bit of a "ruthless aggression" side to his persona, and something similar to Benoit's intensity might be a good thing. Truth is, he already has that potential, they just need to push it. Right now, they're doing a good job at giving him a slow build as they establish his character. He mostly wins, and he's a solid ring-performer.

I wouldn't copy directly the Benoit character, though. Benoit's character was what it was because Benoit was the man he was. Simple as that. If you listen to the interviews that other wrestlers give about him, he was just about as intense backstage as he was in the ring. Mick Foley once mentioned in an interview* that Benoit would punish himself with 500 squats backstage if he ever botched a move. That's the kind of guy he was. I don't think DB really has that same intensity backstage.

On a side note, I must admit I'm a little mystified as to what the heck they're doing with the Bella Twins. They seem to have taken a shine to DB...whereas he seems to be friendly but not interested in them. It makes me wonder if they're going to do something with that. Does he already have someone else? Are they thinking of making him a "yeah, so what" variety of homosexual? Are the Bellas just not his type? I'll admit, I'm confused here.

*Source: Wrestlecast Podcast

 

[alpha021]

To me, if anyone still remembers, Daniel Bryan's current persona reminds of Dean Malenko's when WWE tried to make him as a lady's man. The only difference is that Daniel Bryan is a face. The aggression factor is something that I would like to see from him, but I think it would take a rivalry with someone like William Regal to get it out of him, a person that can match DB's submission style.

If Regal were to do something like put one, or both, of the Bellas in the Regal Stretch which incurs injuries to either Bella (or both) to make DB go nuts, I can live with that. This would also show the relevance of why the Bellas are with DB in the first place.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I don't see him with the Rabid Wolverine Gimmick. Despite being a technical wrestler the diffrence between him and Benoit is his project is that of a guy who inflicts pain. For Bryan i could probably see him as either the no-nonsense personal (Bret Hart) or the laid back persona (RVD) fitting him perfectly.

 

[Arkham Noir]

The gimmick would easily work, I'm just not sure they should do it.

Bryan is way to small to really buy him having that kind of aggression. Sure he could act aggresive, but he would come across as an angry chihuahua opposed to a rabid wolverine. Benoit look like an animal, and it played itself out well because he also performed that way. Bryan would have to switch his moveset up quite abit to accomadate that aggression and would probably have to bulk up too. His gimmick now works because he is the common man and looks like it, so why not act that way.

 

[NachoKing187]

Daniel Bryan has plenty of intensity no doubt, but i agree that his
"non-gimmick" gimmick works well for him, it seperates him from the sports entertainers but for his run in WWE to be thought of as anything more than beating the Miz for the U.S title and getting fired for choking some geek, then he's deffinately going to have to add more edge to his personality and character.

 

[JGlass]

Daniel Bryan most certainly does have a personality, he just hasn't had the chance to let it shine lately due to the fact that guys like Miz, Orton, CM Punk, and Cena are eating up all the time for promos. In case you don't remember, DBD has been a part of a few segments where he allows his personality to shine through. It's a combination of humble intellectual plus confident competitor, which was evident in his backstage exchange with Edge.
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Also, this thing with the Bellas has allowed us to more of his personality, a sheepish, "go with the flow" type of guy.

Furthermore, why use a recycled gimmick on a wrestler with the potential to be a great draw for the WWE like Daniel Bryan? He's clearly talented enough to come up with his own personality/gimmick, let him blaze his own trail. And why would they want to bring up the bad memories of Chris Benoit? The WWE does everything in their power to erase him from the history books, giving him a gimmick like "The Angry Mongoose" would a clear allusion to Benoit.

I think the WWE should give DBD more time to develop himself as a character before they start assigning him a gimmick. He's a talented performer in all aspects of the business and he'd be more interesting if he creates his own destiny.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

If he was to turn heel, I think the WWE could do alot worse than make Bryan "snap" and go out to cripple people with his submission holds. WWE would not call him "rabid" as it would provide too close a link with Benoit, but definitely give Bryan ruthless aggression or intensity, I think that could work.

I am always a fan of a submission expert who just will not break a hold, I think it adds a lot of realism to the product, and Bryan would be a great candidate to play that role, thats for sure

Very interesting idea.

 

[Ashes]

how about instead of the dork daniel bryan they let him be "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, the wrestler respected worldwide.
If anyone is reminiscent of Benoit it is Davey Richards and he is not even in the wwe

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Daniel Bryan isn't Chris Benoit. Benoit looked like a Rabid Wolverine. Benoit also had a menacing appearance, something Daniel Bryan does not have.

Bryan has a babyface, and Benoit was ugly as shit. He had messed up teeth, and looked as though he had been involved in a lot of bar fights throughout his life. Daniel Bryan looks like a friendly 9th grader.

Also, Benoit was a bigger guy. He was much more muscular than Bryan, and seemed more intimidating. Physically, it just wouldn't work.

Bryan has a different style as well. I wouldn't mind seeing him be more intense inside of the ring, but outside his personality works fine. It worked for Benoit, it won't work for Bryan. Two totally different people..thank God.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

While the comparisons between Bryan and Benoit are inevitable, I don't think that Bryan needs to be a rabid wolverine. Firstly he looks way more clean cut as compared to Benoit and therefore does not look the part.

Secondly Bryan has a gimmick by means of which he is getting over. It may not be that apparent but him holding the US Championship means that he is the top midcarder on Raw. His personality in the ring is very unlike that of Benoit. Benoit was an intense wrestler which I think that you will understand better by actually watching him in the ring. He also performed very high risk manouvers without caring for his safety. That is not Bryan's style despite them having the same finisher. In some ways Bryan is more like Bret Hart, an excellent technical wrestler who can outmanouvre you completely. As we have seen he can hook on the Lebelle lock from any position. There is really no room for intensity in his character.

Also as we have seen, WWE are trying to portray him as a nerdy guy who is liked by women. Adding intensity will do no good to his present character which is working rather well.

 

[Coco]

You could not be more wrong with this. Daniel Bryan does have a gimmick. He's booked almost as a parody of how wrestlers see smarks combined with a sort of blinding quantity of earnestness and humility to offset an often underscored confidence. Do wrestling fans have a problem with subtlety?

Anyhow, even if he were to turn heel, he isn't a Rabid Wolverine. First of all, he doesn't quite match that ricockulous intensity that Benoit had. And second, because Daniel Bryan as a heel works without desperately trying to recreate that. How about Daniel Bryan aa a heel in the WWE becomes a redux of his cocky "Best Wrestler in the World" character from ROH? It would be extemely effective in the WWE given that his size and look offset the typical sports entertainment mold, thus making this cocky yet capable twerp stand out as something different.
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Basically, what I'm getting at is that Daniel Bryan has enough of an upside that he doesn't need to pretend to be Chris Benoit.

 

[WrestlingIsReal]

i dont think he should take a gimmick like that. he would have to be somewhat of a scary person to have a gimmick like that, hes not big enough and doesnt look like someone who could be ruthless.

 

[Trivia247]

for some reason I am getting a Bob Backlund Vibe off of Daniel Bryan. He got ability that is both impactful and classic wrestling, perhaps he can be one of those rare guys that doesn't need to go the whole Mic personality route.

But did you notice the crowd didn't even really pop for him tonight? Maybe he lost that buzz he was touting?

 

[Dean Winchester]

Only person right now in the WWE that could have the rabid wolverine gimmick is Randy Orton, because he looks like a menance, has the intensity and goes nuts in the ring because of his lunatic viper persona, but he already has a gimmick.