Are "Yes" chants a inaccurate measure of Daniel Bryans popularity?

[#1druid]

My first live wrestling event after being a lifelong fan was wrestlemania 29. I had a blast and the crowd was electric for bryan, not team hello no, but bryan. I know it wasn't the best event ever but i had a great time mostly because of the atmosphere. I liked it so much i bought plane tickets and took my girlfriend to summerslam, not knowing bryan would main event and the crowd was way more into him then Cena "the number #1". The next night on raw the same thing. I next went to survivor series and the whole crowd wanted him during the main even,no one wanted big show and i bought tickets with the hope bryan would be in the main event. He is what the crowd wants and the crowd is always right, Yes! is an extension of Bryan, it either means the crowd wants him, is behind him, or saying to the authority don't forget about him because we haven't. Yes! may outlive him but not in a burial sort of way but in the way people woo! at every knife edged chop or the "What?" chant which i can't stand. Obviously he is not Ric Flair or Austin but he has many more years to reach that level.

 

[PRMETFAN]

This is part of why I think pro-wrestling should be right up there with religion, political preference and race in terms of things that you should never argue about.

Wrestling today is more entertainment than wrestling? Okay, you're making that statement with the blind assumption that nobody finds wrestling entertaining. There are a few of us who don't need the "YES!" chants to like Daniel Bryan, we appreciate them but they're not the sole reason for why we like him or anyone else with his level of capability.

Back when he was lame, boring and stale? I'm just going to call that a fucking stupid statement, because I honestly can't find a more polite way to describe it. Daniel Bryan has always been of the personality that would likely cause the "YES!" phenomenon to occur. If you've ever seen his work in ROH or the indies then you'd recognize that his personality has always been of someone who takes himself seriously in a comical manner, imagine if Ron Burgundy was a wrestler basically. He's a pro-wrestler and he doesn't just rely on his athleticism to entertain the crowd, for the longest time he would lead "YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR FUCKING HEAD KICKED IN!!" chants that were just as much fun as the "YES!" chants.

To sum up your low-brow post, you really make me proud to be a Daniel Bryan fan.

"When was he boring and stale"? I guess despite claiming to be such a fan of his since his ROH days you didn't see him in the beginning of his Wwe career. You personify the typical wrestling fanboy that clings to a wrestler and is then blinded by reality. He was boring as a rock especially cutting promos in the beginning. I'm sorry if i offended your holiness Daniel Bryan but don't worry everything while be ok soon. As i'm sure you mom will be giving you a brand new "Yes Yes Yes" T-shirt for christmas. To replace the one you ruined with your drool.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

This is two pronged. The yes chants are more over than him and probably not an accurate measure. However, Daniel Bryan knows how to work it, people associate it with him, and he's a good enough worker that he'll find a way to stay over with or without it.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I doubt they would sabotage their performers so they can be right but if you are unsure about a performers value they are constantly under the microscope. Lets take Summerslam for example. Vince probably didn't think Bryan wasn't a big star but his popularity and chants made him take notice. I'm sure someone had to convince Vince that Bryan should go over Cena and get a shot, Vince eventually agreed but had the "I got my eye on him" mentality. As soon as there was a drop in Summerslam buyrates that was enough for Vince to pull out as he already wasn't sold on Bryan, which makes sense. Obviously that may not have happened but its a plausible scenario that happens in business.

Once with me I got hired by a place, they liked me but the owner was unsure about my experience and I was immediately under the microscope before starting. 3 hours after I started their system crashed, I did no work up to that point as I was solely going over code on a standalone machine that had no internet connection but because the system went down and I was new I got the blame and fired right there on the spot, even though everyone told the boss I had nothing to do with it. I'm not saying that's what happened to Bryan and his push but if Vince was unsure about him that left Bryan with no room for error, if Vince had faith to begin with then the buyrate wouldn't have affected his push much.

Or Vince realized the government shutdown killed buy rates and they have better plans. You can't have an underdog win the title and then carry it, then he's not the underdog. You can't have him chase forever either. I doubt DB is being punished, they're just pulling the rains to preserve his overness.

 

[DietPepsiRocks]

he's too popular and too over not to become champion at this point. He's the people's champion...Everyone loves him, he's who they picked. The WWE has to give in and make stuff happen. I'm getting really angry how they're high on Reigns and Langston and might give them a chance at the big belt when they have yet to give the guy who the people admire and want as champion a full reign....And its rather insulting to us because we clearly want him. He beat out Cena for Superstar of the Year in a legit vote....People backstage were shocked over that. That sends a message that Cena isn't as popular as DB.

 

[Slbrey]

I was fortunate enough to be at WrestleMania 28 which in my opinion was the birth of the crowd yes chants...I remember waiting in line outside of sun life stadium and the fans were going nuts...The weather was great and the fans were chanting yes over and over again for a good 10 minute's. ..I remember seeing some of the drink vendors even blowing there whistles in succession with the chants. ..never seen anything like it...

At first I think it was 100% directed tworde Bryan I know for a fact the fans at Wm 28 were doing it for him...now I think it's more a crowd participation thing and people just have fun...I dunno but I enjoy seeing fans having fun at the shows regardless it always reminds me of my time in Florida outside the stadium for wrestlemania.

 

[BigThunder]

The "yes" chants aren't a measure of Bryan's popularity.

His ability to use them to orchestrate the crowd like a master conductor, build on them, and use them to create one of the most memorable moments in wrestling of the last five years, however, is very much is a measure of his popularity.