Daniel Bryan persona change

[CM Steel]

Bryan Danielson aka Daniel Bryan has now been a big player on WWE TV for a year now being on Smackdown on a weekly basis in the middle of the feud between Mark Henry and the Big Show. Daniel Bryan was Smackdown's 2011 Money in the Bank winner. And cashed it in on the Big Show at the TLC PPV last December seconds after the Big Show defeated Mark Henry for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In-barking on his run as a heel on Smackdown and RAW.

Daniel Bryan gave birth to the "YES" chant before he started the "NO" chant telling fellow WWE superstars as well as the WWE universe to cut out the "YES" repeating chant that they do to taunt DB. But now DB is a face again tagging with Kane as the reigning WWE tag team champion(s)! But as we move into the year 2013 soon. Should Daniel Bryan tweak his charactor? Now just tweak it, but do a whole charactor makeover.

"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson is known all over the world. But as Daniel Bryan he's just the "YES" guy who knows alot of submission holds. But could DB be a new version of the late Chris Benoit? NOW LIKE THAT! But as a wrestling persona. Just a straight shooter who doesn't take no shit from anybody in the ring and is a wiz at worldwide submissions. DB holds candle to Deam Malenko as well! not just in size & weight. But in-ring smarts he does.

Everybody keeps saying that Jack Swagger is the new era Kurt Angle. Well isn't Daniel Bryan the new era Chris Benoit in that wrestling sence? From his finisher to DB's flying headbutt. As well as defeating his opponents under a minute.

So isn't it almost time for a Daniel Bryan persona change in 2013?

 

[Slowdude]

Haha you've got it mixed up. The American Dragon Bryan Danielson was known by people who kept up with the indies, the guy that Michael Cole and The Miz bashed for being a "nerd" during the first year in the company.

Daniel Bryan has evolved from a Pro that was reduced to being a Rookie, a cookie cutter face, an egotistical heel that was over his head (world title reign), a guy that embraced the fact that people were chanting his catchphrase (Post Mania - Till the wedding), The guy that hates the audience for using his catchphrase while having anger management issues built up from the egotistical and yes periods. Now merged into a wacky duo comedy with Kane trying to suppress his anger management issues but failing to do so.

His character has been evolving since he won the world title last year. He shouldn't evolve into another Benoit, he should keep evolving to become the best Daniel Bryan.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I appreciate the sentiment but I think Your Eternal Reward has hit the nail on the head here. Not long ago, Daniel Bryan was constantly being accused of being "just" fantastic in the ring - which is normally punishable by death, such a crime as it is. Now, I'd say it's hard for anyone to argue that Daniel Bryan isn't one of the most well-rounded wrestlers in WWE. The thought of a face push after Hell No disbands (as a non-super-mega-bland-face) makes me stiff as a board. Let's go forward, not back.

 

[dman1373]

Haha you've got it mixed up. The American Dragon Bryan Danielson was known by people who kept up with the indies, the guy that Michael Cole and The Miz bashed for being a "nerd" during the first year in the company.

I am pretty sure the american dragon moniker was created in japan. And he has wrestled for tens of thousands of people plenty of times before ever signing with the wwe. And just cause you here michael cole saying stuff like that (because he knows nothing about anything outside of the wwe), doesn't make it completely true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MlbBwzy67s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQRz_K9-Ux8

 

[George Steele's Barber]

No, let this nut bar role continue to play out. It's has legs and is very much over with the fans. He was stealing the show with his comedy as well as his matches with Cena and Sheamus earlier this year. His antics with the crowd added to the entertainment value of those matches. I've also enjoyed his tag work with Kane. I was kind of disappointed to see him move away from singles competition but they created something that works.

Plus being the next Benoit isn't exactly without it's problems.

 

[dman1373]

No, let this nut bar role continue to play out. It's has legs and is very much over with the fans. He was stealing the show with his comedy as well as his matches with Cena and Sheamus earlier this year. His antics with the crowd added to the entertainment value of those matches. I've also enjoyed his tag work with Kane. I was kind of disappointed to see him move away from singles competition but they created something that works.

Plus being the next Benoit isn't exactly without it's problems.

I feel that he doesn't have to be the next benoit. I mean he is more over than benoit ever was at this point. He is also mroe well rounded.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Daniel Bryan is solid gold and has been for almost a year now. Bryan's evolved from a cookie cutter, standard babyface into one of the most over wrestlers on the WWE roster. They've got a good thing going with him right now and they know it. Bryan's proven a lot of doubters wrong by proving that a guy that's generally got a "normal" look but can wrestle extremely well is able to develop into a character the people wanna see each week.

Making Bryan into a Chris Benoit type of guy would be a massive step backward for him. Benoit was killer inside the ring but, let's face it, the man had no personality or charisma to speak of. He was still able to get over with the fans by a good deal but his popularity at it's peak was nowhere near what Bryan has attained over the course of the past 11 months.

I'm sure there'll be some sort of persona change for Bryan at some point. I'm not really worried about it because Bryan has shown he can do well as a face or a heel. That's not to say that I wouldn't like to see Bryan in a more serious role at some point. He's more than capable of pulling it off, especially if he keeps injecting the same level of personality and intensity into it. WWE has seen what a valuable commodity he's become since winning the WHC so they're not just going to stick him with something inconsequential. There's money in Bryan and WWE knows it because they've been making a lot of money from him, especially in merchandise. Whenever Raw or SD! is on, or even at WWE live events, there are always LOTS of fans with Daniel Bryan merchandise, he always gets a huge response whenever he comes out, he's among the top in-ring guys in the world and has really developed as a character.

I think Bryan has cemented his spot in WWE as someone that can be counted on to put on high quality matches and can be a quality character when needed. He's demonstrated too much talent overall to be saddled with what's basically a Chris Benoit persona, which isn't really a persona at all.

 

[BaconBits]

I've never been a big fan of somebody going back to the same gimmick they've used in the past in a lesser organization. Conversely, the WWE is even less of a fan of doing such a thing, as they've proven time and time again.

That's not to say that DB won't ever change his persona. The best wrestlers are great at knowing when to change things up when whatever act they're going with at the current time gets boring. Many folks like to blame creative when a character or wrestler fails, but it's up to the wrestler in question to take the ball they're given and turn it into something special.

I've never been a huge fan of him, but admittedly, he's done a great job of taking whatever ball he's given and running with it. Maybe a better job than anybody else on the roster currently.

 

[#tamale]

Keep moving forward, not backwards. He needs to evolve but not now. Daniel Bryan is one of the most over superstars in the WWE. I honestly believe he will be WWE Champion next year. Maybe he doesn't do all the moves he did in the indies but right now, he has the most interesting and compelling dynamic with the crowd during his matches. That's all it takes. And I don't see the crowd getting sick of it soon.

Keep Daniel Bryan as the lovable, egotistical maniac with the Napoleon complex as long as you can. I can't get enough of him.

 

[Wrestling101]

Daniel Bryan is absolutely the best character in the WWE. Let him roll with it in whatever direction he wants to go. He knows how to get himself over with the crowd. And if the WWE ever feels like giving him a try at the very top, he has what it takes to stay there. He could have GREAT feuds as a heel against Cena, as a heel or face against Punk, heel or face against Ziggler (after Dolph gets to the main event), and against any other wrestler there now. He is the most versatile wrestler in WWE....he can play a great heel or a great face, he can easily transition between main event/main storyline to tag team division to mid card, etc. If WWE lets him, he could get as big as anybody over the last 10 years.

The only thing that might hold him back from getting where I'd like him to get to, the top of the main event scene? The very fact I brought up in the previous paragraph, that he's so versatile. He could be putting on a classic program with Punk, but WWE almost had him vs Charlie Sheen at SummerSlam. He could be carrying Cena through a GREAT feud, but they have him helping to rebuild the tag division with Kane. I'm not complaining about what he's doing now because it's entertaining as hell, and it won't bother me as long as he's eventually given that chance to get to and stay at the top, but still, it makes me wonder if he'll ever get that chance to stay there.

I'll repeat it one more time in this last paragraph....he is the best character and has the most potential to get totally, crazy over with the crowd. His ability to get people to respond to him, whether he's a heel or face, is impressive.

 

[blindman]

Daniel Bryan has been amazing for since MitB 2011, technical matches, funny and serious promos, interesting storylines and kick ass classic music remix! Damn now I know why he got so much praise in the indies.

I didn't care him when he first in wwe he changed my opinion over time, and I hope he plays good face now that be has a personality.

 

[H33LTurn]

Since I'm one of the few who hasnt followed his career since the indies and basically looks at him like your average TV fan would, I think its time for a change sooner rather than later. Sure theres no urgency since the Kane thing is still working, but its not going to get him over forever. Also, crowd reaction doesnt define a superstar's true success in the company. Santino gets a pop, and a very big one at that. It doesnt mean that his character has evolved into something greater, it means that people appreciate a comedic superstar every now and then. For what its worth DB has above average skills in the in ring department and it would be a shame to see it go to waste because the crowd stops taking him seriously. Bring an end to the Kane stuff, take him off TV for a while, and bring him back with some badass heel character before its too late.

 

[YouGoingToJailNow]

Dumb posts like this are why I felt obliged to make a forum account. There is so much wrong with this thread its hard for me to sum it up in this short post. First of all, why would Daniel Bryan go back to a character that is not over with 90% of the viewing audience and only a very small percentage of the audience can relate to? The "American Dragon" character is only known by a small number of fans who go on wrestling websites and watch indy wrestling, which is why you would use to hear crickets during his entrance in 2010 and 2011 besides in Chicago, Philly, and NY. Now you have a guy that has gotten this catchphrase over with basically the whole audience that goes to shows, and while he still has good matches with people he doesn't have to kill himself in the ring to get over. He makes more money now than he ever has and it has nothing to do with his in ring abilities; so what sense would it make for him to go backwards in his career to a character that wasn't over with the wwe audience in the first place? Please I am begging you to get this through your heads.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

Daniel Bryan is doing fine right now. I still enjoy what he's doing, although I enjoyed him more as a singles competitor. I really do hope he locks up with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in the very near future in a singles match. Dean Ambrose specifically has some history with Daniel Bryan on the indies and I would love to see that cross over here to showcase some form of a serious side to Daniel Bryan for a momentary period. Like, Dean Ambrose can start playing mind games with DB for a while and DB one day snaps and says "two can play that game." My god, just thinking about the matches that ensue after that would be maniacal wrestling classic. Personal attacks via promos would also suffice. DB is an evolving character, so I'm sure he can pull off something just as popular or perhaps even more in the future. DB has the in-ring skills and the mic skills to transition as easily as Cody Rhodes.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Well first off isn't this whole "straight shooter, Chris Benoit" type character you want him to become exactly what he changed from? Bryan's character up until cashing in for the World Title was a loosely based version of his "American Dragon" persona, with him basically just being a good wrestler from the indies. They even started to refer to him as "The Dragon" if I'm not mistaken.

I think I get what you want though because I was thinking about the same thing the other day. Daniel Bryan is a top star in WWE & a world champion contender. And with his current goofy character, being the "Homeless Goat-Face" & shouting YES & NO all the time, when & how will he be taken seriously again?

But not only can Bryan make a solid but slow character transisiton, like shown in the past, but Bryan is doing great right now, doing something different with his character but still building layers & intrigue to him as a performer. I think simular to Kurt Angle, we already knew he was a good wrestler, he's building layers on his character as a good actor & comedian, & then he will come fully into his own as an athlete & sports entertainer, becoming a well respected multi-time world champion.

 

[anvilx8]

Yes, i think he will and SHOULD turn completely face in 2013. He's good at being heel, he's good at being face, and he's good at the comedy character. In alot of ways, he reminds me of Kurt Angle.. u give him anything and he'll turn it into gold.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I don't think that Daniel Bryan needs a complete persona change. He has been doing fantastic with the whole YES/NO chanting with the crowd and his work with Kane in Team Hell No has been gold. He is then able to provide just as much high quality work in the ring. Why change his persona when this is working out so well? He was a heel, is now showing sides of both ends of the spectrum, and can turn face later down the line. If they turned him face but kept this current persona then he can keep doing exactly what he is, only he would be encouraging the YES/NO chants rather than stuff like screaming NO if the audience starts up a YES chant.

It would be one thing if his gimmick was boring and going nowhere. That is hardly the case here. You don't change a gimmick when the fans are reacting strongly to it, especially one that has not been used with both ends of the face/heel spectrum yet; and one that would be able to turn so easily. What could they possibly turn him into that would be better than this persona? The old saying goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and Daniel Bryan's persona needs no fixing. After Team Hell No has run its course I'd keep him in this persona even longer with a full face turn. He should not change into an entirely new persona until this one has completely outlived its usefulness and that will likely take a very long time.

 

[ABMorales787]

Yeah, that's brilliant. Let's change his persona by giving him something plain. There's a reason Chris Benoit only got 1 World title (let's ignore the one he got to not quit for now) and never returned to the top. As great as Benoit was in the ring, you'd have to be an idiot to think was anywhere near as marketable and versatile in his career as Daniel Bryan has been over the course of this year alone. So to your idea.... A big fat No! No! No!

 

[The Living Receiver]

Daniel Bryan EMBARKING on a new character path would probably be a good idea , yes the crowd is still popping for him big time but another six months of the "Yes/no" chants may end up doing a lot more harm than good to the him.
I think going back to the shooter style would be an idea the IWC (and myself for that matter) would love, but the casual fan would lose interest fast.
And unfortunately, that is who they will have in mind when they discuss redirecting the character.

I don't have any immediate ideas as to how or what he would tweak, but an educated guess would suggest it will be a cartoony and over the top tweaking at the hands of the "geniuses" that work in creative.
But I honestly do not care how they decide to tweak his character, he is one of few guys whose ring skills supersede his character work.
I don't care what stupid gimmick they give him, as long as he is allowed to keep giving us five star matches, he will always be one I watch for.

 

[Menski]

I think him playing the face when Hell No eventually splits makes sense but he doesn't need to change his character. He can go back to saying yes with the crowd and it is possible to tweak it enough to make him less comedic. I agree with the other posts though, he shouldn't go back to the American Dragon. As much as I loved him in ROH he has evolved from that and is more mainstream now, which you have to be if you want to get to the top. He's one of the most entertaining things of either show just now so continue the evolution of his character, no need to overhaul it or regress to a previous.

 

[Mustang Sally]

It would be interesting to consider how Daniel Bryan envisioned his ring persona when first entering WWE. Did he think they were going to let him play the technical marvel on which he built his indy career? Surely, he didn't foresee himself playing a comedy role, or did he? Did WWE management sit him down and explain that, while his in-ring ability was terrific, they just didn't think his bland personality would go over with the fans?

At any rate, through the efforts of Creative.... maybe with input from Daniel.....they've arrived at something that works. As a good guy, he was playing flunky to people like Sin Cara. As a bad guy, he had a brief title run and played giant killer to men like Big Show and Kane. Now, as a total comedy act, he's huge. Daniel is even able to get in enough technical wrestling moves to remind us of who he is. Working in a tag team, that's doubly tough to do, yet he still has that ability to attack much big people and chop 'em down to size, even a he caters to the fans by the hair on his chinny-chin-chin.

He's getting it done. I'd leave him alone for a long time to come.

 

[dotty_84]

Cream rises to the top if and when he needs to get serious he will for now, i think he's fine he's relevant even though he's not at the top of the card. He got over due to getting some time on the microphone at first then the sheamus WM deal.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

As the whole package, DB is much more than Chris, and I was a Benoit fan when I was younger. I always enjoyed his matches, and he could carry a basket in a match. When it all comes down to it, no one remembers Chris for being good on the stick, or oozing charisma. As sad as it is to say it, if he had anything more than what he had on the mic. He could have been a good underdog face.

I'm not an indi's fan, I never have been. With that being said, I do know a few people from the indi's and I have seen a few matches. Tbh, DB right now, Is better than what he was in the indi's. His promos have changed, and got better, and he can put a match on with anyone. Bash me all you want, go a head, be a smark.

DB and Kane made me watch them, they put the team infront of me and made me laugh, and care about them. He's worked his ass off, and his change will come in due time. But right now he can stick with Kane, and keep doing what he is doing. Why change something that really is very good.

 

[Dirk]

2012 was Punk's year, but Bryan had a huge season as well. He just kept growing and growing as a character and talker, which I love!

He also kept growing and growing his beard and his hair. He's morphing into a technical, slightly funnier Eric Young. If he doesn't trim the beard or shave the hair, I won't even notice if he'd start to rip his trousers off, next to Kane in an ill-fitting bra.