Bryan Danielson to WWE. Would he fit better in TNA, or stay in ROH?

[Mr.RKO]

Bryan Danielson has agreed in principle to a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.

Bryan has been an exemplary talent and a wonderful member of the Ring of Honor locker room and family since the inception of the company. We couldn’t be happier for Bryan and all of his successes, many of which Ring of Honor has been proud to witness first hand.

We congratulate Bryan on the beginning of this next journey in his brilliant career, and wish him all the best as he progresses. Many Ring of Honor fans refer to Bryan as the “best in the world” and we look forward to looking on in earnest as he shows everyone watching the wrestling world’s biggest stage just why that is.

Bryan will appear as scheduled at all of the September Ring of Honor events. Please join us in Philadelphia, Dayton, Chicago, Boston, and New York as we say thank you and farewell to a truly one-of-a-kind talent.


He doesnt fit the WWE mold to, unless they give him the punk treatment. This is definitely a good move for both sides the only problem would be the current lack luster star power of the WWE.
My question is, would he fit in the WWE or be better in TNA, or should he just stay in ROH? What could they do with him, just give your full input on the situation.

 

[TellMeWhy]

The best choice would have been for him to stay with ROH. He was the face of that company and him leaving is hurting the company imo. Danielson was the face of ROH. For him to leave would be like Sting leaving WCW or AJ leaving TNA. He was there 7 years when they had no exposure and now they've got a tv deal, he ups and leaves! He fell for the same routine that Taz did in ECW when WWE scooped up Taz once ECW got a tv deal. The only reason WWE picked him up is because they want to use ROH as an example for any other company that wants to dare move on tv the same night as WWE. They have no plans for Danielson. Danielson was a free agent for a long time and suddenly WWE signs him and 4 other guys from ROH when ROH gets a Monday slot. WTF??? That's not a coincidence. It's done to hurt ROH. Vince does not like the idea of competition. He's not going to let up this time and let there be a Monday Night Wars. The man was upset when Nitro came along the same night as him because in his mind they wanted to take him out of business instead of being #1.

But if I were to have a choice of Dragon choosing between WWE & TNA, it would be TNA without a question. TNA gives guys of all sizes, looks and backgrounds a chance. WWE is a company based on looks and not talent. Look at Cena,Orton, Batista, Mysterio and Khali. With the exception of Mysterio, those guys have no real inring skill but were all former world champions based on having a distinct look & gimmick that attracts. WWE could careless if you are the most talented performer ever. If you happen to have talent and receive a push, then so be it but this is the same company that misused great talents like Lance Storm, Dean Malenko, and Mike Awesome and all 3 of those guys had far more of a look and arguably more personality than Danielson. Hell even a great talent like Shelton Benjamin who has far more of a look than Dragon is currently being misused.

In TNA, he would have a chance in the X-division and have a chance to move up in the ranks later on down the line. Sure the roster maybe crowded but with their new deal and with more tv time coming soon, I see more opportunity for the roster. He'll also be able to showcase his talent and get over without dumbing down or succumbing to a certain style of prowrestling like CM Punk. Plus TNA is a company that sticks with wrestlers for a long time. WWE is more of a company that releases talent instead of developing them. If Danielson doesn't get over, I can see him getting the Scotty Goldman treatment and going back to square 1.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Wow. That's kind of like asking if you would rather live in a trailor, an apartment, or a house. Let's see, if he we're to stay in ROH, he would still be an internet darling and he would also worry if he's going to be paid for his work. To LetEmKnow, what exactly does he owe ROH? Sure they gave him his break, and now he does what a smart human being would do. He goes where the guaranteed money is. Also, you are high off of your ass if you think Vince wanted him just to fuck over ROH. ROH isn't a pimple on the ass of WWE. More than likely, he heard all the hype and finally decided to give him a shot. So to answer the question, if he is smart and puts his own personal well being over wrestling fans, he should go to the WWE. TNA? Well that would be the second choice. Wouldn't quite make the money he would in the E, but he would still likely manage to earn a comfortable living. Anybody who thinks that wrestling comes before money is truly naive.

 

[ianfromlondon]

would he fit in tna? answer NO
with the reason that vince hasnt made him a star yet so tna wouldnt know what to do with him because remember they can not make thier own stars, they only want stars that have been in wwe so they dont really have to do any work on them

 

[Excalibur]

Since he's not a old or disgruntled ex WWE person TNA really doesn't have much use for him. Look at their champions. Angle, Steiner/Booker T, Nash. Is this TNA 2009 or WWE 2001?

They either put him in the crowded with original TNA members X Division or relegate him to the lower end of the card with minimal TV time.

WWE gives him more money, more exposure and a better opportunity.

 

[Mr.RKO]

TNA needs to get some of these ROH talents to build there own stars. People Austin Ares, Tyler Black, The Lone Wovles, Chris Herro. They might not be as good as Danielson but they can build up the mid card and tag division.

 

[TellMeWhy]

Wow. That's kind of like asking if you would rather live in a trailor, an apartment, or a house. Let's see, if he we're to stay in ROH, he would still be an internet darling and he would also worry if he's going to be paid for his work. To LetEmKnow, what exactly does he owe ROH? Sure they gave him his break, and now he does what a smart human being would do. He goes where the guaranteed money is. Also, you are high off of your ass if you think Vince wanted him just to fuck over ROH. ROH isn't a pimple on the ass of WWE. More than likely, he heard all the hype and finally decided to give him a shot. So to answer the question, if he is smart and puts his own personal well being over wrestling fans, he should go to the WWE. TNA? Well that would be the second choice. Wouldn't quite make the money he would in the E, but he would still likely manage to earn a comfortable living. Anybody who thinks that wrestling comes before money is truly naive.

Where exactly did I say that Danielson owed ROH anything? I questioned him leaving now and WWE wanting to sign him so suddenly now that ROH has exposure and comes on a Monday night. The man has been so loyal to ROH from the get go and now that they have some type of break, you'd think with him being the biggest face of the company that he'd stay and help the company continue to grow and expand but no. He falls for the trick like how WWE did Taz and accepts an offers from them with no real plans for him. You must not realize that Danielson has built a reputation for years and if the guy is misused by WWE, he's just going to lower his value that he's spent years on his own building. It's not smart for himself and the company that put him on the map!

Not to mention, ECW wasn't necessarily on the radar either but yet WWE invaded them as well, so what you said makes no sense.

 

[Reddannihilation]

I'd prefer Danielson in ROH. His style of wrestling is much better suited to that company, even with WWE slowly converting to a similar format, I'd still much rather see the American Dragon face off against Austin Aries and the like. WWE is certainly the best option for him payment wise and I'd rather he not show up at TNA because they already have an over-crowded roster and they really don't need him. So personally I'd rather he stay in ROH seeing as more and more ROH seems to be losing all of their talent to bigger companies. WWE is the best option money wise and TNA has too many midcarders as it is.

PS: The lame TNA jokes I've seen in this thread make Jimmy Fallon look funny.

 

[XgringolocoX]

IMO, Considering TNA's lack of fan base, exposure, and presitge that wouldn't be a good choice. I feel that he would get lost in the shuffle, or ladden with a crappy gimmick or both. Smart money is WWE for all the previously stated and obvious reasons. I think the real question is will WWE use Danielson to thier and his best advantage. Wrestling as a whole needs new big name stars. As we all know preception is reality in this genre.
I'm interested to see if they'll allow someone to come in a make the splash using their natural persona instead of making him Dean Danielson or another just as shtty character.
At the end of the day this is probably up to WWE getting over themselves as the "know all, end all" of wrestling and Danielson not allowing them to screw this up. If they doon't rush his debut, or mangle it as they are wont to do then it should be a good thing

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

TNA has clearly been moving in the direction of Sports Entertainment and storyline-based television, where as WWE has been moving in the opposite direction, as a whole. So I would have to say "No". If ROH is out of the question for Danielson to stay in, and he has to be assigned to either WWE or TNA, then I am going to have to pick WWE. His style simply fits the direction they are moving in with their programming ... specifically with Smackdown.

 

[BernacK6]

Danielson is the perfect fit for what WWE is trying to do right now. He brings in-ring credibility. WWE has moved away from drawn out storylines, extreme character development, and drama and is now an impact, 3 week story program, like ROH. Bad guys and good guys get cheered in the new WWE, and wrestling fans (although most not posting on this site) are smarter and cheer for who they like rather than who they're supposed to like. Danielson is an anti-hero and has the ability to feud with whomever he wants to. He can immediately be placed into any feud and you know whatever building he debuts in is going to be missing a roof when this guy shows up, because the crowd WILL mark out like no other occasion.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Wow dude. Ok LetEmKnow, I think you just provided a grand example of how naive wrestling fans could be. Lower his value? Ok bud. I'm sure he'll be kicking himself for going to a company that will insure money wont be a problem anymore. If he's smart anyway. And FYI, if ROH isn't getting near enough exposure for Vince to sweat. According to the latest financial report from the E, they have about 230 million just laying around. I'd bet that ROH hasn't even met a fourth of that since it's inception. Do you really think Taz regrets leaving ECW for the E? You think Taz isn't loaded right now? Where exactly would he be if it wasn't for him being smart and going where the money is? This is what I'm talking about. I don't mean to insinuate, but it appears that you put ones wrestling career and legacy above their financial security. I'll just say I really hope their aren't too many wrestlers who have that mindset. Btw, I notice that you have a problem when it comes to staying on topic. Kind of annoying.

 

[ProWrestling'sBrain]

His move to WWE was good. People might worry he will fall in the same fate as Kendrick, London, etc. who weren't pushed correctly and eventually got released but they got what they deserved. Kendrick failed over a dozen wellness tests for marijuana and it seemed as if he wouldn't give it up for his job, like a complete idiot. He knew it was upsetting WWE officials and hell he was getting pushed until he fucked himself over. Why would you want someone with an attitude like that working for you? Better yet, why would you reward him? The same with Paul London. Reports indicated he was cocky and he didn't have a good attitude. It's common sense in society boys and girls. If you want a good promotion you have to show respect and keep a positive attitude no matter what job you have.

Now Bryan Danielson? He's not like Colt Cabana. He is not "just another 'talented' wrestler". Being just "good" or "talented" means shit. In this scripted world with staged fighting people either expects a pretty fucking impressive in ring performer or someone with an interesting/unique character. That is why someone like Evan Bourne is well liked among the fans, although I still feel he will receive a push. And that is why someone like Shelton is somewhat successful; because their over the top in ring styles got them over with the fans and management. As long as you don't fail drug tests, keep a positive attitude and you work your ass off to stand out then I see no reason for someone like Bryan Danielson getting the "failure" stamp on his forehead.

 

[RVDgurl]

Bryan Danielson is considered one of the "founding fathers" of ROH. Bryan Danielson as he is right now, is what ROH is all about, so of course, ROH is naturally the best fit for him.

With that being said, Danielson has the talent and ability to succeed anywhere. He has been "the man" in every promotion he has worked for thus far and has had great success in Japan as well.

If he is allowed to be himself and show the fans what he has to offer without being smothered in some ridiculous gimmick, Danielson will flourish in the WWE just as he would have if TNA would have signed him.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Danielson is the perfect fit for what WWE is trying to do right now. He brings in-ring credibility. WWE has moved away from drawn out storylines, extreme character development, and drama and is now an impact, 3 week story program, like ROH. Bad guys and good guys get cheered in the new WWE, and wrestling fans (although most not posting on this site) are smarter and cheer for who they like rather than who they're supposed to like. Danielson is an anti-hero and has the ability to feud with whomever he wants to. He can immediately be placed into any feud and you know whatever building he debuts in is going to be missing a roof when this guy shows up, because the crowd WILL mark out like no other occasion.

I disagree about this statment. I honestly doubt half of the WWE audience even know's who he is. His huge in ROH, but just because your big in one company doesn't mean you are going to come in to huge fan support.

Gail Kim, Braden Walker, RTruth, Colt Cabana, and even CM Punk all made their debut(or re-debut)to little or no crowd expression. Cabana & Punk were big ROH/Indie stars, and the WWE fans could care less, or didn't even know of their past.

Secondly knowing the WWE, Danielson will make his debut to generic country music, be dressed like another generic jobber, and have the name "Daniel Bryans" or something lame.

But really if your talking which company can make you a world wide star, and pay you good money then the WWE is the best fit. Will he be the top guy like he is in ROH? No, but he instantly gains more exposure and money by moving to the WWE.

If he want's to stay the big dog, he should stay in ROH. But I think with the right grooming, storylines, and creative in put he could be a star in the WWE. With TNA, it would just be like ROH(money/exposure wise) and he'd be in the X Division or tag division, so I'd say TNA is his worst option, WWE is the best money option, and ROH is his best option if he want's to stay the "big dog".

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Danielson is the perfect fit for what WWE is trying to do right now. He brings in-ring credibility. WWE has moved away from drawn out storylines, extreme character development, and drama and is now an impact, 3 week story program, like ROH. Bad guys and good guys get cheered in the new WWE, and wrestling fans (although most not posting on this site) are smarter and cheer for who they like rather than who they're supposed to like. Danielson is an anti-hero and has the ability to feud with whomever he wants to. He can immediately be placed into any feud and you know whatever building he debuts in is going to be missing a roof when this guy shows up, because the crowd WILL mark out like no other occasion.

Your comments about what WWE is trying to do right now are absolutely spot on. And it only goes to show that you are seeing WWE doing the same things that I am seeing. Contrary to many beliefs, the PG Rating hasn't transformed the product into a Kiddie program. Rather, the result of the PG Rating has been WWE trying to appeal to both kids and adults through Japanizing their wrestling and trying to educate their fanbase to appreciate wrestling from a technical standpoint as opposed to a character/storyline standpoint. WWE figures that if they can do that and get their adult fans to buy into this philosophy, then they won't have to worry about being "cutting edge" or doing risky storylines/characters anymore.

However, to say that the roof will blow off when Danielson debuts ..... I simply don't think you could be further off the mark with those comments. WWE fans will not have a fucking clue who Danielson even is when he debuts. You will hear the crickets chirping when he debuts for the first time. I really have no high hopes for Danielson getting over with the fans, unless they push him in a character or get him to talk on the mic.

Case and point ... Christian's debut reaction was extremely underwhelming when he re-debuted. And clearly he did have exposure with WWE prior to his latest run and was more nationally known. If he got a less than impressive ovation working for that very same company a few years ago, why on Earth do you think WWE fans are going to "blow the roof off the place for Danielson?" I dare say over 80% of WWE fans don't even know what Ring of Honor is, much less who Bryan Danielson is.

 

[TellMeWhy]

Wow dude. Ok LetEmKnow, I think you just provided a grand example of how naive wrestling fans could be. Lower his value? Ok bud. I'm sure he'll be kicking himself for going to a company that will insure money wont be a problem anymore. If he's smart anyway. And FYI, if ROH isn't getting near enough exposure for Vince to sweat. According to the latest financial report from the E, they have about 230 million just laying around. I'd bet that ROH hasn't even met a fourth of that since it's inception. Do you really think Taz regrets leaving ECW for the E? You think Taz isn't loaded right now? Where exactly would he be if it wasn't for him being smart and going where the money is? This is what I'm talking about. I don't mean to insinuate, but it appears that you put ones wrestling career and legacy above their financial security. I'll just say I really hope their aren't too many wrestlers who have that mindset. Btw, I notice that you have a problem when it comes to staying on topic. Kind of annoying.

Yes lower his value!! Being on a national stage is not always what it's cracked up to be. Just like the big stage can make you, it can also break you. Don't you think if Danielson came to the WWE and started to job to Hornswoggle or was made a fool of in anyway, don't you think he'd hurt his credibility? If they decided to make him a ****** like Eugene or put him in a gimmick where he wears diapers and no shoes, you don't think it would hurt him. Chris Harris is a prime example of how WWE can lower your value. He thought the grass was greener on the WWE side but since he's been unemployed after they fired him, nobody even wants to hire Chris Harris now because his small WWE run made him a walking joke. It's not always about the money. Sometime it's about doing what's right so you can make yourself a commodity to the business to earn money for a long time.

You say that I have a problem when it comes to staying on topic. Well so do you being that my name isn't part of the thread title and that you can't stop bringing up my name and referring to what I wrote in your posts.

 

[ProWrestling'sBrain]

I disagree about this statment. I honestly doubt half of the WWE audience even know's who he is. His huge in ROH, but just because your big in one company doesn't mean you are going to come in to huge fan support.

Gail Kim, Braden Walker, RTruth, Colt Cabana, and even CM Punk all made their debut(or re-debut)to little or no crowd expression. Cabana & Punk were big ROH/Indie stars, and the WWE fans could care less, or didn't even know of their past.

Secondly knowing the WWE, Danielson will make his debut to generic country music, be dressed like another generic jobber, and have the name "Daniel Bryans" or something lame.

But really if your talking which company can make you a world wide star, and pay you good money then the WWE is the best fit. Will he be the top guy like he is in ROH? No, but he instantly gains more exposure and money by moving to the WWE.

If he want's to stay the big dog, he should stay in ROH. But I think with the right grooming, storylines, and creative in put he could be a star in the WWE. With TNA, it would just be like ROH(money/exposure wise) and he'd be in the X Division or tag division, so I'd say TNA is his worst option, WWE is the best money option, and ROH is his best option if he want's to stay the "big dog".

Actually CM Punk came in with a big ovation when he made his debut in the Ballroom back in 2006. You'd think it's just because they were ECW fans but every week after that in regular venues the fans were standing pretty strong behind CM Punk. Many felt it was his popularity on the internet that got him over. Hell if you purchased SmackDown! vs Raw 2009 JBL (who did play by play for the game) even acknowledged Punk's loyal fanbase on the internet although I feel Punk's success was a combination of some people already knowing him, his unique personality with his vignettes leading to his debut and his intensity. Who would want to cheer for someone like Braden Walker with no character? His top accomplishments were that one time he was seen talking to Matt Hardy backstage and that one time he stood on the top of the stage with his hands on his hips.

If they build Danielson decent with unique vignettes leading to his debut and if he works his ass off to really stand out then I'm sure he could get the same reaction/s that CM Punk got when he made his debut.

Just put an end to the internet stereotypes and give him a damn chance. I strongly feel he could stand out unlike many other wrestlers who may be good but pure boring because they were incapable of drawing a fanbase and attract management with a unique style. That is why CM Punk is the 2nd top heel of the WWE and Danielson has just as much potential as Punk did/does.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Actually CM Punk came in with a big ovation when he made his debut in the Ballroom back in 2006. You'd think it's just because they were ECW fans but every week after that in regular venues the fans were standing pretty strong behind CM Punk. Many felt it was his popularity on the internet that got him over. Hell if you purchased SmackDown! vs Rae 2009 JBL (who did play by play for the game) even acknowledged Punk's loyal fanbase on the internet although I feel Punk's success was a combination of some people already knowing him, his unique personality with his vignettes leading to his debut and his intensity. Who would want to cheer for someone like Braden Walker with no character? His top accomplishments were that one time he was seen talking to Matt Hardy backstage and that one time he stood on the top of the stage with his hands on his hips.

If they build Danielson decent with unique vignettes leading to his debut and if he works his ass off to really stand out then I'm sure he could get the same reaction/s that CM Punk got when he made his debut.

Just put an end to the internet stereotypes and give him a damn chance. I strongly feel he could stand out unlike many other wrestlers who may be good but pure boring because they were incapable of drawing a fanbase and attract management with a unique style. That is why CM Punk is the 2nd top heel of the WWE and Danielson has just as much potential as Punk did/does.

He had a decent first reaction, nothing amazing or anything(no roof blown off). And his reaction slowly faded, because your name in another promotion can only carry you so far. And Punk is one that did alright, but the others? Hell even Christian didn't get a huge reaction from his return.

I mean how many people actually watch ROH(I seriously don't know), then how many of thoes do you actually think watch the WWE and go to ther live events.

I am not saying Danielson won't succeed or anything, I'm just pointing out the fact, just because he's a huge star in ROH doesn't mean shit in the WWE. Hell, he will have a nice amount of fans when he joins, but to think he'll get standing Ovations and become a big star because of his previous work, is not right.

I could see him slowly climbing the ranks like Punk did, but even Punk found himself in limbo before he's heel turn. And Punk had huge WWE backing, nobody know's if Danielson will get that. People are just making usumptions that he'll be big because of his previous work, but with WWE's creative, and WWE fans, you can never be to sure.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Isn't this question pretty much a no-brainer? Of course he would prefer to come to the WWE rather than go to TNA or anywhere else for that matter, including staying in ROH.

Absolutely positively every single solitary North American professional wrestler not named Sting aspires to be in the WWE and hopefully excel once there. Because it's the pinnacle of professional wrestling/sports entertainment in this part of the world.

Pro football players don't want to play in the CFL, the XFL, Arena football etc., they want to win the Superbowl in the NFL. Guys who play baseball don't want to stay in AAA, they want to win the World Series in the Major Leagues.

Brian Danielson obviously wants a shot at the big time. More power to him, who wouldn't? He won't debut in the WWE as Brian Danielson, he'll definitely be re-packaged and re-named. 90% of the fans won't know who the hell he is or what ROH is (I wouldn't if it weren't for this site). Maybe he'll succeed or maybe he won't, who knows, but he wants a shot and from what I read on this site, he deserves it.

Why would he go to TNA? He is already wrestling in obscurity with no spotlight, no fanfare, and for very little money, so why make a parallel move to TNA to only do the same? Why leave a "C" organization only to go to the "B" group. Just as well to go for it and jump right to the "A" organization.
If he succeeds, he'll have achieved his professional pinnacle. If he fails, he can always go back to ROH, I'm sure they'd welcome him back with open arms. Or go to TNA at that point, they always have the welcome mat out for failed WWE guys who couldn't cut it in the big time.

I say Danielson will go to WWE and do just fine. He probably won't headline WM26 like many IWC smarks will think he should. But he'll flourish in the mid-card and if he's as good as everyone says he is, he'll find his way to the main event. CM Punk has paved the way for him.

 

[HBK-aholic]

Danielson would bore the life out of general TNA fans, they might drop dead. Seriously though, the biggest appeal of TNA is that it's different, it's 'exciting' and outrageous things supposedly happen. Danielson is the epitome of a technical wrestler. While not bad necessarily, in the world of pro-wrestling it's not a huge factor, and in TNA it's practically discouraged. Yes, that is an exaggeration, don't get your knickers in a twist. But yeah, if Danielson had to sign for a bigger company, it's better for him to be in WWE.

 

[ProWrestling'sBrain]

He had a decent first reaction, nothing amazing or anything(no roof blown off). And his reaction slowly faded, because your name in another promotion can only carry you so far. And Punk is one that did alright, but the others? Hell even Christian didn't get a huge reaction from his return.

I mean how many people actually watch ROH(I seriously don't know), then how many of thoes do you actually think watch the WWE and go to ther live events.

I am not saying Danielson won't succeed or anything, I'm just pointing out the fact, just because he's a huge star in ROH doesn't mean shit in the WWE. Hell, he will have a nice amount of fans when he joins, but to think he'll get standing Ovations and become a big star because of his previous work, is not right.

I could see him slowly climbing the ranks like Punk did, but even Punk found himself in limbo before he's heel turn. And Punk had huge WWE backing, nobody know's if Danielson will get that. People are just making usumptions that he'll be big because of his previous work, but with WWE's creative, and WWE fans, you can never be to sure.

Actually the reactions were pretty good. Hell a couple months after his debut he teamed with DX and the Hardys and he out popped his team members and people were starting to chant his name so I wouldn't say he was slowly fading off. But other than that I understand what you're saying but I just wanted to correct you with your CM Punk claims.

Back to the main subject. Why would Danielson go to TNA? If he wants to do his own thing then he would stay in ROH. If he wants to become a household name, receive recognition for his talent and earn a good salary then he would go to the WWE. One way or the other TNA doesn't really have anything special to offer him.

 

[tnarage2]

i think brian danielson would be perfect in the wwe. look at CM Punk . He was the top star in ROH. And now he is a 3 time world heayweight champion in the WWE. And it would be awsome to see punk vs danielson just like old times.

 

[Jevin Drake]

I'm hoping AmDrag gets similar treatment in the WWE as has CM Punk in the sense that they'll let him keep his original name and gimmick. I think he has a huge enough indy following (as did Punk) to carry on into the WWE that he could get some pretty good reactions from the WWE crowd. I just hope he doesn't get Scotty Goldman'd.