*OFFICIAL* Daniel Bryan/MITB Briefcase/WrestleMania - KEEP IT ALL IN HERE!

[The American Legend]

So Daniel Bryan has been getting beat down. I'm not gonna say buried, but certainly being beat on. I'm not sure what the E is going to do with it, but I have an idea. I think WWE is going to use some of what I'm going to talk about, but I'm going further then they would probably ever being willing to go.

Daniel Bryan hasn't won clean on SD since before SummerSlam. His latest promo video showed some nice building intensity, along with his match with evil Sin Cara where he won by DQ. But the losing has caught up to him. WWE takes him off tv match wise for awhile. They do an interview with DB at his home, where he talks about taking a break to refocus and train harder, clear his head. But he will be back. And he will be better then ever.

Survivor Series comes and goes. The first SD after, there's a promo. He's training. Scenes of working out, running, grappling sessions, kicking and punching in the gym. It shows DB. He looks at the camera and says 'You've never seen anything like this before. Daniel Bryan is dead. The American Dragon is reborn.' He turns around, throws up his hood, and as he walks off you see he's wearing his old AmDrag robe.

Evil Sin Cara has just lost to the Real Sin Cara and snapped. He's just beating him down. The lights shut off in the arena. A video starts playing, kind of like the original Kurt Angle to TNA video. A dusty, poorly lit gym. The shadow of a man in a robe. The video stops. The Final Countdown starts to play. Out comes Bryan Danielson. He comes out, stares at Evil SC (good SC has left the ring), points, then rushes the ring. He just mawls SC. Next week he cuts a promo, says Daniel Bryan is dead. He is Bryan Danielson, the American Dragon, and he's gonna kick you're head in. This gets him back to his roots, allows him to unleash his intensity and skill, and start getting the crowd behind him on the road to Wrestlemania.

You like it? You think WWE is going use something like this to help build him up without turning him into a heel?

 

[Slyfox696]

Another example of an angle which sounds so much better in your head than would ever happen in real life.

First of all, what's the point of Danielson saying Daniel Bryan is dead and that American Dragon is back? Who the fuck knows who AmDrag is, except for like 10% of the WWE's audience? Second of all, asking Danielson to cut that kind of promo isn't going to make for exciting TV. Again, it seems like a better idea in your head than it would play out on the screen.

In the end, this is a silly idea, because it would never realistically do anything for Daniel Bryan, except set him back.

 

[mikde_]

gotta agree with sly here.

I just could not take this seriously if it happened and im pretty sure that DB is happy with not doing the AmDrag gimmick again. Leave it in the indies and let that be his legacy for the indies. Let him rebuild himself in different direction in WWE.

The guy has been on WWE TV full time for what? just over a year?

Let him grow, let him mature to the WWE style and let him find his character like CM Punk did. Bryan has still got a lengthy career ahead of him aslong as he stays clear of any bad injuries and he has tons of time to fine tune his character.

 

[The American Legend]

It's all speculation anyway. But I really do see them doing something with his character soon. Like they said on CSR, it looks like they're gonna have him fill the Chris Benoit, intense wrestler void. Which he is more then capable of filling.

This is just what I would enjoy to see happen, but I know I won't. I do think it would be good to bring in his whole American Dragon gimmick, instead of 'that super hero, Daniel Bryan,' or whatever crap Booker comes up with to call him.

 

[TheSammichEater]

This makes me think back to when he took himself off of NXT and said that Daniel Bryan was a nobody, and that Bryan Danielson was a great Independent wrestler. I thought that would've been the best time to bring back the AmDrag role, but like Mikde said, he's been here for over a year, you can't just turn him back to Bryan Danielson. Sure there's talks of McGillicuty going back to Hennig, but he's not at the level Bryan is at. He'll surely have his role figured out before WrestleMania, hopefully Royal Rumble, and if not, he'll be the first to lose with the MITB

 

[Reflection]

Daniel Bryan cannot draw. He simply can't. He doesn't have the 1. Figure (height-weight), 2. Charisma, 3. Ability to draw reactions from the crowd, and 4. Mic Skills, to mention a few, to make it to the main-event scenario of the WWE. I don't know why people find it so difficult to understand, but what worked in ROH's 1,200 crowd won't work infront of WWE's 50,000+ crowd. The American Dragon gimmick is a joke. He needs something new, something innovative if he is to advance in WWE. And that start should be right from the basics- Entrance Music, Wrestling Gear... they matter more than Indie fans will ever know. I will have to agree with the admin above, and the guy below him.

 

[Reflection]

Moreover, the promo you mentioned is good, but its made for a big guy, like Kane for instance, tired of the losing, changing his gimmick, coming back, and squashing everyone. But if its Bryan that will turn into a new character, how far will he go with it? Because when he faces someone from the main event, or a returning superstar, he's gonna get squashed anyway. Such stuff won't work in the mid-card, the general audience just won't take it seriously.

 

[The Right Fight]

Roy I do totally see your perspective but I don't agree. I think he's really more just stuck with a horribly stale gimmick and no real storyline. Back with the NXT story line and then the work with The Miz, the crowd was eating up everything he did. Right now he's just a boring happy smiling good guy. A lot of guys have said that is the worst position to be in for any struggling mid card worker. And if you think he's dull and can't motivate a reaction I recommend you see him live, it might change your mind.

While his mic work clearly needs a lot of work, he does have the ability to do a decent promo. There are far worse guys getting far more time on the mic.

As for the promo there are some things I believe are good ideas, taking him off TV though would only hurt, and anything other than hinting at his indy past I think would hurt him at this point. I think it would be more effective to tell this story on TV slowly over time.

 

[IT Factor]

Daniel Bryan cannot draw. He simply can't. He doesn't have the 1. Figure (height-weight), 2. Charisma, 3. Ability to draw reactions from the crowd, and 4. Mic Skills, to mention a few, to make it to the main-event scenario of the WWE. I don't know why people find it so difficult to understand, but what worked in ROH's 1,200 crowd won't work infront of WWE's 50,000+ crowd. The American Dragon gimmick is a joke. He needs something new, something innovative if he is to advance in WWE. And that start should be right from the basics- Entrance Music, Wrestling Gear... they matter more than Indie fans will ever know. I will have to agree with the admin above, and the guy below him.

I have to disagree with Bryan not being able to draw. Especially if your main selling point is that he's too small. Look at CM Punk. He's the perfect example of a smaller guy who rose up through the indy scene and is rapidly changing the standards in WWE about smaller guys being able to main event.

I do agree that Bryan hasn't yet found his niche in WWE. He needs to have more character improvement and rely more on storytelling to connect with the audience. His ring work is great though and he could fit nicely into a Benoit type of intense competitor who doesn't talk much and kicks ass in the ring to get over. The main saving grace for Daniel Bryan is that using him is something uniquely different from the status-quo in WWE. I'd like to see WWE use him better and help him find something that is more fitting for a guy of his talent.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

I think Bryan should drop his MITB briefcase asap to someone interesting, someone worthy of a push, someone who can make them money in the future. There are plenty of other guys who are actually over, who don't need story lines pulled from the anuses of WZ members to be interesting or relevant in the WWE.

This is the 2nd week in a row that Bryan wasn't on Smackdown, its clear that no one has missed him, and that no one cares about him. Again I will bring up the fact that his Indy work, does not mean a fucking thing in the WWE. Sure he's won a middle card title, sure he has MITB, but he has yet to do anything worthwhile in the WWE to make people want to see him.

 

[ActionJackson]

Chris Benoit was 1 inch taller than DB (BD whatever.) His losing streak is the perfect to happen to Bryan. Will he bring back the AmDrag?? No.. But he CAN create his own character. Check out some "Shoot matches," or check out when he was impersonating the Ultimate Warrior.
I sadly think the WWE is doing what is right with him, DB is purely a technical wrestler. A losing streak will bring our a vicious side of Daniel until he snaps. Then we will have a sound, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit champ.

 

[akathelaw]

Understand that when a guy like Daniel Bryan is walking around with the MITB briefcase, it's a guaranteed shot to the main event scene. He won it, he can cash in anytime he wants to. That's pretty major. If DB was going around right now squashing the midcard, yeah it will serve to make DB look really good but it minimizes the abilities of the rest of the roster. Losing streak means nothing when you have the MITB briefcase, you could lose every match for a year and cash that thing in and be World Champ.

As far as his name, Daniel Bryan has a better ring to it. Bryan Danielson is a mouthful. Any 8 year old can figure out he's the same guy from the indies, WWE was nice to keep his name similar. It's more important to build up his WWE name, that's what the world knows him as now.

I like your idea of bringing back "Final Countdown" as his theme. Wrestling themes are important, it sets the tone for the character. Countdown really suited DB's personality.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It's something worth trying, I suppose. The problem is that most of WWE's fans do not watch ROH so they are not familiar with his work other than his current run, and some didn't even watch him on NXT. What they could do is incorporate some of The American Dragon into his persona right now. He needs to be more intense and constantly showcashing his submission abilities. They do not need to turn him heel to do that, he can be as over as the next guy as long as he goes out there to steal the show and still gives face promos. It could work and I wouldn't mind seeing something like this with Bryan but it should be a tribute to The American Dragon rather than a complete revival because most fans are unfamiliar with it and thus would not really get the references.

 

[Rubedo187]

I think the best thing for them to do is to have Daniel Bryan turn heel leading into Wrestlemania before cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Due to his losing streak he's been having as of late Bryan could finally just lose it and start going off on his opponents in a far more aggressive manner. As such, his heel character would focus on him being one of the most aggressive and technically sound wrestlers on the roster, and knowing it. I know also many fans would also be marking out immensely when we finally see the resurgence of the classic “I have till five” moments that have been seen by the American Dragon in the past. After Bryan wins the World Heavyweight Championship, Bryan can continue being on a winning streak tearing through the Smackdown roster going through guys like Sheamus and Randy Orton. After such victories, Bryan could start going on about how he is truly the one that is the “Best in the World,” Que “Cult of Personality” in the middle of his promo on Smackdown.

CM Punk could walk out and start talking about how long he has known Bryan, and how he could not believe he has sunk this low. From there he could start going on about how since he is the WWE Champion, than he is the one that is the true “Best in the World.” From there they could arrange to take on one another one on one in order to see who is truly the best. In order to make things more interesting, as well as to help the feud begin sooner, this can be built up as a best of five series to determine who is the best beginning at either Capitol Punishment or Money in the Bank and ending with the final match being at Night of Champions. Also, the title stipulation wouldn't necessarily have to be added right away. The matches could be seen as a pride thing at first, but when it comes down to the 2-2 score, Punk could bring up uping the stakes to the series by making their final match be a unification match; most likely with it being a 30-minute Iron Man Match. From here, Punk could go over Bryan in the end in a classic match to end an entralling series that would be remembered always, and would solidify Bryan as a main eventer.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

WWE defiantly needs to change their direction with Daniel Bryan.

You give him a Money in the Bank briefcase... say he's going to cash in at WM.. and then have him get buried... I will use it.. because I think he is being buried right now.

Daniel Bryan should start going on a tear... if you want him face.. just have him go on a winning streak. If you want him heel, have him start injuring people with devastating submission holds.

Either way.. if they are serious about Daniel Bryan/Wrestlemania and the World Title.. they need to do a lot better job of building Daniel Bryan.

 

[XXJJ]

I dont think recreating an old indy gimmick makes sense. Majority of the WWE Universe dont know anything about his old gimmick. But he does really need to be repackaged.

I still have a hard time believing he will get a title match at WM. I thought Christian or Barrett would of won the briefcase from him.

He has two big issues. He has poor mic skills. And second, and more importantly he lacks charisma. During his entrance he does a little skip and raises his arm. It just looks so corny.

When he got fired and returned, he was just the flavor of the month. People moved on and are now in love with Zack Ryder. Sure the 10 percenters love him. But he has a long way too go before the majority of fans can buy into him, as a credible champion.

He has not done anything special in the WWE. They might has well give the briefcase to Alex Riley. Because he has done just about as much as DB as done in the WWE. Daniel Bryan is just living off his indy hype.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Stop booking selfishly. No one knows or gives a shit about Bryan Danielson. I do, I remember traveling from the middle of missouri to chicago and back in one day just to see him (about 13 hours of driving). I'm a HUUUGE fan. But I'm not stupid enough to think he should be pushed just for me, or cut a promo just for me.

He needs to get over, which is all on him. If a guy needs a great character, angle, and wins to get over, he's not that good. DB is very good though and he'll get over with what they give him. He may not get main event level over, because the WWE audience is different than the ROH audience, shit even working an arena is different than working a small venue. He'll be fine. He may not be world champion and if he never is, that's fine. He doesn't deserve it. by that I mean, he's not "world title" level over right now.

And for fuck's sake 'TEH HEEL TURN" thing is getting old. I swear to god you guys, in general, want everyone to be either a smarmy heel or a badass heel. That's not how real life works. He's small and looks like a guy who would buy your a teddy bear if your dog died. I KNOW he can be a heel. I KNOW how fucking good he is in the ring. I was there for Dragon vs KENTA II, Dragon vs Nigel for the last time, Dragon vs Aries on his way out, etc. Live in attendance, marking the fuck out. A heel turn isn't going to get him over with anyone except the smarks who....are already fans. stop booking for the smarks and book for the majority. Look at Punk, he's not as smarmy and doesn't sound like a smark anymore and guess what, he's more over because of it because more people relate to him.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I love your idea, American Legend. I think the best way to go about recreating the American Dragon in the WWE would be for Daniel Bryan to win the Royal Rumble and challenge the WWE Champion at WrestleMania. He would then cash in his Blue Money In The Bank Briefcase on the World Champion and walk out of Miami as the Undisputed WWE World Champion. On the next night on Raw, he can then proclaim that he’s changing his name to Bryan Danielson, The American Dragon. I’d love for him to say something along the lines of, I told you Bryan Danielson will return.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

Daniel Bryan cannot draw. He simply can't.

Being a major draw is only important for three guys in the company: Cena, Orton, and Punk. They are the only ones who might be considered "I'm going purely to see that guy". Unless you're in that top bracket, you're just part of the rest of the roster. Certain guys may appeal to certain niches (Khali, Miz, Del Rio, Mysterio) and so are draws in a very minor respect. But the need to be a draw is over-exaggerated. You don't need to be a draw when you're the undercard champ, or whatever.

I do think that Bryan needs more air time if they want this MitB win to amount to anything. Which it should do, otherwise it's a waste. If they were just going to put it on Bryan and then not build him, I'd rather see it on Barrett. I also agree that something's missing in terms of character, but once again that's only because he gets little mic time on the main shows.

I think the OP's problem is that it relies too much on pre-WWE stuff, and that'll go over the heads of most people. I like the gist, yeah, I think that's great. But "bringing back" a gimmick which was never on WWE in the first place is a bit off the mark, I think. It would be counterintuitive to what you want to achieve. The best way to get DB over is to have people understand him, not be alienated by him. So he should continue with the "just a regular dude" schtick until we reach, like, the Rumble. Then yeah, I'd be open to seeing this intensity thing.

 

[BK Styles]

To an indie internet fan, that idea is pretty cool. To the general fan, not so. As has been said before, multiple times, no-one knows Bryan Danielson in the mainstream wrestling world. Sad, but true.

Think of it like this. Pre-Royal rumble 2000, when Mankind changed into Cactus Jack, would anyone have given two shits about it if they'd not heard of Jack before? (Foley debuted Jack in WWF at Wrestlemania XIV) I know that Foley was bigger at that point than DB is at this point, but it's a similar theme of on-air character change.

But, that doesn't mean the idea is bad. What you're essentially talking about is making Bryan more aggressive. This is a good idea. And I'm not talking in the way you make more people more aggressive, where they just add angry kicks and punches and speed the pace up a little.

I'm talking make him a pitbull; the second someone gets in the ring with him, have him leap on them; stiff kicks, elbows, grapple with them before they can catch their breath, suplex them to within an inch of their life, then LeBell lock, or hell, any cool looking submission. Obviously, don't keep it to that formula for every match, but start him with people you can believe he could do that to (Santino, maybe Gabriel or Slater, Jinder Mahal, etc) and eventually he will evolve further. If as a result it turns him heel, so be it. If done right (and i know this is turning into a broken record) he will be the closest thing in this generation to the next Benoit.

Start it slow and lower down, and build it up to Wrestlemania. don't just make him the token MITB threat (because he already announced the cash-in, the usual anytime, any place advantage has gone). Make him a DEADLY threat.

 

[IHW]

The only thing Bryan has going for him is In-Ring Abilities. (sadly)

He dose need to work on his mic skills and promos.

Have you seen his Youtube videos?
He actually makes them funny/interesting
Why don't he bring that to the WWE. Charisma!

I think what he needs is a BadA heel turn.
Make him that little guy that can tap ANYONE out!

Been done before... but so has a lot of other gimmicks in WWE.

 

[AngryCenaFan]

Honestly he has become an afterthought on Smackdown, If I watch the show I'll remember him, but the way he's booked does not scream confidence from the WWE Hierarchy IMO, He never shows up on Raw with the other top SD guys as part of the supershow.....

What I am getting at is, do you even care about his title match anymore? Will it be irrelevant at WM28?

 

[Mustang Sally]

If he is allowed to continue holding that briefcase, the company will find a way to make him relevant before next April. Obviously, there's no way Daniel will be losing his match every week and then booking himself in a match for the championship at WM, whether it be a pre-planned match or a run-in after the champ is exhausted. Of course, they can find a way to take the briefcase away from him without his ever cashing it in; it's been done before.

Is Daniel Bryan being punished for something, in the manner we suspect John Morrison and Drew McIntyre have been? In both their cases, rumors have said it was non-performance related incidents that made Vince McMahon force these guys to stand in the corner.

Has Daniel done something, too? If so, it seems a hell of a way to treat adult human beings, no? I just can't understand what Bryan could have done to deserve this......and if he has been declared "guilty" of it, how long his sentence is to run.

But the implications of: "You're still going to get the push we promised you.... you'll just have to sit in the doghouse a while longer" makes the company look more like a military school than a pro wrestling organization.

Of course, if there's some other reason why the Money in the Bank winner has become a jobber, it would be fascinating to know what it is.

 

[Dagger Dias]

do you even care about his title match anymore? Will it be irrelevant at WM28?

Absolutely. The longer Bryan holds onto that briefcase the more the anticipation for his cash-in will grow. I hope that they do let him hold onto it all the way until Wrestlemania because a cash-in has not been done there yet. Bryan is a great candidate to do that with and it will add tremendously to his relevance to get to be a part of that moment. If he wins there it could easily become a career defining moment for him. There is still time to build him up and until we hit Wrestlemania season it is not that big of a deal if he is not on most of the Raw Supershows. Somewhere between TLC and the Rumble is when he will need to begin being feaured along the other top Smackdown guys on Raw. I am highly looking forward to the match.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As long as Daniel Bryan continues to hold onto the MITB briefcase, WWE will eventually begin building him up into a compelling challenger for the WHC by WrestleMania XXVIII.

I don't understand why people are so concerned over this. There's still quite a lot of time until WM comes around and it won't take all that much effort for WWE to turn things around with Bryan. A few big wins, maybe a major storyline turn in which he plays a prominent role, a heel turn in which he decimates some of the top guys on SD!, etc. these are a few examples of what WWE could do. In a few weeks time afterward, the losing streak he's been on will hardly be thought of.

Now if WWE waits until about a month before WM to start doing anything with Bryan, then I can understand a legit lack of interest about Bryan and his impending title match.