Daniel Bryan = Shawn Michaels 2.0?

[HillBillyJim]

YES YES YES!

for the past few weeks, that's what ive been hearing from the WWE fans all over the place. My brain started thinking about the last time WWE had a guy like this. Then it hit me: the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. Think about it: both are/were phenominal in the ring, both are very charismatic, both have been heels [kind of] both have been in factions, both are/were extremely over, both were in epic matches, ect, ect. what do you think? could my boy D-Bry be the next shawn michaels?

 

[The Butcher]

I think that there will never be another Shawn Michaels. There will never be another Hulk Hogan. There will never be another Ric Flair, The Rock, Undertaker, Bobby Heenan, Jim Ross, Curt Hennig, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc. etc.

Daniel Bryan is and will be the first and only Daniel Bryan.

 

[Kidpolean]

NO NO NO!

HBK is damn near untouchable and beats Bryan in pretty much every category someone can name..there will never be another HBK he was simply amazing

Bryan is different...like nothing ive ever seen before when he wrestles...IMO he is by far the best wrestler in the WWE. He moves around the ring so smoothly and makes everything look easy...He is a very special wrestler and deserves to win at summerslam but HBK just had something about him that separates him from everyone else...I just cant figure out what it is

 

[Pepper Lewis]

YES YES YES!

for the past few weeks, that's what ive been hearing from the WWE fans all over the place. My brain started thinking about the last time WWE had a guy like this. Then it hit me: the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. Think about it: both are/were phenominal in the ring, both are very charismatic, both have been heels [kind of] both have been in factions, both are/were extremely over, both were in epic matches, ect, ect. what do you think? could my boy D-Bry be the next shawn michaels?

1. Daniel Bryan is good, but NO WHERE NEAR THE TALENT LEVEL of SHAWN MICHAELS, BRET HART, EDDIE GUERRERO!

2. As Far as being Charismatic, HBK is WAY WAY more entertaining than DB.

3. You can compare Daniel Bryan closure to Dean Malenko, than HBK!!!

 

[Kizzani]

YES YES YES!

for the past few weeks, that's what ive been hearing from the WWE fans all over the place. My brain started thinking about the last time WWE had a guy like this. Then it hit me: the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. Think about it: both are/were phenominal in the ring, both are very charismatic, both have been heels [kind of] both have been in factions, both are/were extremely over, both were in epic matches, ect, ect. what do you think? could my boy D-Bry be the next shawn michaels?

I personally think just for making this comparison you should be publicly nailed to a cross and allow wrestling fans to throw crap at you until your demise.

HBK as a heel was 1 million times better than Dbry as a heel, as a face HBK was 100k times better than Dbry. There is only one category where Dbry even ( I say this with much reservation) come close to HBK and that is in ring ability. Zip line from the rafters vs what YES YES YES......Yes keep the marks ( aka dumb fans) something simple to cheer. HBK never needed crap like that to get over.....could you imagine SUCK it SUCK IT SUCK IT.....that would have been lammer than a Dbry beard.

HBK carries the mic and can control a crowd with his mic skills. Dbry had Cena carry his butt last week, and the same can be said for two weeks ago with Orton.

By your Category Zach Ryder is like the next Shawn Micheal Both are wrestlers, both a guys, both are loud.....

Dbry is more like Benoit ( less the horrible person aspect) mic skills are ok but wrestling is there claim to fame.

 

[Shotaro]

Right now? No, Daniel Bryan isn't as good as HBK.

But when HBK was relatively new to the main event I'd say he and Daniel Bryan were about equal. Stellar matches, decent mic work. Will DB evolve and grow to be as good as HBK was later in his career? God knows, he quite possibly has the potential, he just needs 15 years or so to master it.

 

[NEW YORK 1989]

it reminds me of stone cold and the rock, how stone cold was the #1 guy and the rock wasmoving up trying be that guy, like john cena and cm punk

 

[steve6314]

I personally think just for making this comparison you should be publicly nailed to a cross and allow wrestling fans to throw crap at you until your demise.

HBK as a heel was 1 million times better than Dbry as a heel, as a face HBK was 100k times better than Dbry. There is only one category where Dbry even ( I say this with much reservation) come close to HBK and that is in ring ability. Zip line from the rafters vs what YES YES YES......Yes keep the marks ( aka dumb fans) something simple to cheer. HBK never needed crap like that to get over.....could you imagine SUCK it SUCK IT SUCK IT.....that would have been lammer than a Dbry beard.

HBK carries the mic and can control a crowd with his mic skills. Dbry had Cena carry his butt last week, and the same can be said for two weeks ago with Orton.

By your Category Zach Ryder is like the next Shawn Micheal Both are wrestlers, both a guys, both are loud.....

Dbry is more like Benoit ( less the horrible person aspect) mic skills are ok but wrestling is there claim to fame.

I'm sorry to disagree but I think this comparison is far from the worst I've seen on this forum and certain not deserving of such a rude response.
Daniel Bryan and HBK are both similar in the fact they are/were smaller wrestlers who were extremely versatile and able to have outstanding matches with a range of opponents. Both are extremely good at selling a beating and taking realistic looking bumps.
The difference between the two and what made HBK an all time great was he developed his mike skills to the point where he was outstanding. If you're of a certain age however you'll remember at a similar stage in his career Michaels boring the daylights out of you with the majority of his Promo's.
Bryan still has time to further improve his mike skills which is where I would argue against the Benoit comparison. By the time he reached the peak of his success Benoit was a season veteran of major promotions and truly horrible on the mike. He also did not have one tenth of Bryans current charisma

As for your comment of yes yes yes being a sign of Bryan relying on something simple for the dumb fans to cheer you seem to have conveniently forgotten the HBK HBK HBK chant that fans had for Michaels?

 

[thegoldensheath88]

Daniel Bryan is Daniel Bryan. You could compare him to a lot of guys from the past. Many say Milenko because of his wrestling knowledge, some say Benoit/Dynamite Kid due to his headbutt/ lebell lock, some say HBK due to his increasing charisma and his ring prescence, some say Ultimate Warrior due to his freaking out in matches. Honestly the guy seems to have a lot of these charcteristics because first and foremost he's a HUGE wrestling fan. He draws inspiration from the greats and takes the inspiration and forms it in himself. Daniel Bryan is Daniel Bryan.

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

Daniel Bryan is close to becoming the new FACE of the company. HBK did the same in 1996 for a while before reverting to his heel ways and forming the controversial D-X. Bryan may be the best in the ring outside of CM PUNK and DOLPH ZIGGER. HBK is among the TOP 2 or 3 WWE superstars of all-time. D Bryan has a ways to go before he reaches even Cena status. Don't get me wrong D Bryan is great and he's entertaining, however I agree with another poster that said he reminds me more of a charismatic Chris Benoit.

 

[Kizzani]

As for your comment of yes yes yes being a sign of Bryan relying on something simple for the dumb fans to cheer you seem to have conveniently forgotten the HBK HBK HBK chant that fans had for Michaels?

You will have to link a video or add a link so I can see the time when Shawn came out and started HBK chant. HBK never started those chants EVER.

 

[Broski_of_the_week]

Firstly, before everyone jumps on each point and says Im an idiot/mark etc for making certain points, I should make clear that by saying one is better than the other in some respects in no way means the other is shit.

I can see the comparison.... a bit... but I'm not convinced. Although Michaels was a smaller wrestler and yes obviously he had bags of charisma and in-ring talent, theres a lot different between the two. Firstly, Bryan is a master technician and I think his in-ring ability outshines Michaels despite the fact we all know Shawn could put on a show and a half, he was more WWE-mould entertainer/brawler i.e his stand out matches involve twists and turns and gimmicks (i.e ladders) whereas Bryan has put on some of the best 'Pure' wrestling matches in modern history.

In turn of charisma, I think Michaels more organically connected with the crowd and this led to the then-WWF pushing him, whereas Bryan has really had to create a character and earn the right to show his charismatic and entertaining side within that character. This has led to the WWE being less enthusiastic and confident in pushing Bryan, whether it be because hes an indy IWC darling or whatever, but it has meant Bryan has had to work a lot harder to get to even being close to the modern day HBK spot in WWE. Michaels on the other hand was always supported by McMahon as soon as he left the Rockers and adding in his pull with the Kliq means he had a much less challenging rise to the top.

All in all I think they are far too different to really be compared, arguably better comparisons for a modern day HBK would be with Dolph Ziggler (although he hasnt worked his way to the TOP yet), but I've seen plenty of threads on that so lets not open those can of worms again shall we?

P.S sad to see soooo many negative comments already arising about Bryan, before his push there was barely member on these forums who would speak bad of him, now he's suddenly not that great in the ring and only getting over on lame catchphrases that he's 'forcing' the fans to partake in.... oh how fickle some people can be

 

[BigThunder]

To be perfectly honest, Bryan reminds me a lot more of Kurt Angle than he does of Shawn, in terms of ring style, comedic ability, and the pomposity of his character. And I'll take the second coming of Kurt over the second coming of Shawn any day of the week, though I love them both.

As for people ragging on Bryan, meh. I've been a fan of pro wrestling for over 40 years. I know more about what makes a good wrestler than some Johnny Troll lately. Bryan is one of the good ones, and (with the possible exception of Kevin Nash) you'll be hard pressed to find anyone in the business who disagrees.

 

[Silver Fox]

Im not a huge fan of comparing current talent to talent from another era. Both Daniel Bryan and Shawn Michaels have completely different characters and are/were over on their own merit. One thing i will say is that Bryan has the potential to have just as big a legacy as HBK. I really hope they push him all the way and cement him as one of the top babyfaces of our generation. It'd be a huge waste if they didn't.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

Like any other wrestlers, it's easy to see comparisons of different aspects to wrestlers that have gone before if you look for them, especially if said wrestler is quite good or at least being pushed harder than others at the time. Is there a bit of HBK in D-Bry? Yes, I can see it. When it comes to ring style and some aspects of his charisma, sure. This could have something to do with the fact that, unless I'm very much mistaken, D-Bry was actually trained by HBK to some extent. Only natural. But there are a few other comparisons that can be made.

Chris Benoit is another we could compare him to, particularly when it comes to his intensity and ability to emote in the ring. When he's in the ring, as opposed to on the mic, that's who D-Bry reminds me of. He's a small guy who gets by largely by way of raw intensity.

Lastly, in personality he reminds me of (I know I'm going to get some heat for saying this) John Cena. At least the face version of D-Bry does. Even in NXT he was the guy who was facing the greatest odds and eventually returned to beat them and rise to the top (or very close to it). I could mention either Cena or Mysterio as far as his general story arc goes. His "clean living" bent also goes along with the Cena ethos (I don't consider D-Bry abrasive enough to compare to CM Punk).

 

[Mac Attack]

Daniel Bryan is not Shawn Michaels, in spirit or biologically this just isn't true.

Daniel Bryan I believe is currently a better pure wrestler than Shawn Michaels. I know this is going to cause some hate but from what I've seen of Brian (in all prmotions) and what I've seen of Michaels pure plethora of moves and the execution of moves goes to Bryan.

However...

Michaels is still by far better as an overall performer than Bryan. It's sports entertainment and Michaels entertained far better than Bryan has. Sure Bryan has the Yes chants going for him but Michaels overall could work a crowd better and actually entertained with his moves. Sure Bryan is crisper but I feel Shawn is the better sports entertainer.

I believe Bryan can get there for sure, heck even Michaels believes Bryan can get there (he's said it) it's just what WWE allows Bryan to do. If they give Bryan the time and the matches I think one day Bryan will be greater than Michaels.

You may now chastise me for my obscure opinion on the matter.

 

[RicSpade]

I get where we are coming from, and don't get me wrong Daniel Bryan is super over right now, and he does a lot of high flying moves and has been in high octane matches, and his 40 minutes plus on RAW is nothing to sneeze at, but I think until Daniel Bryan has been in a few high profile matches and can put on a stellar performance with them like a HBK did with a HHH, or Undertaker, or Rock, or whoever, or he even gets the stamp of approval from HBK himself he cannot be compared to HBK himself.

I think Daniel Bryan is special though, and the question is though can Bryan keep the crowd on his side like HBK has? Can Daniel Bryan keep it fresh and keep the crowd entertained? Will Daniel Bryan adapt to the ever changing universe that is WWE?

You want him to be the face of the WWE, but he has to be able to change and adapt to whatever the situation is for him atm, I think thats why Cena's star is fading with that glimmer of hope that is the youth movement...Bryan appeals to all age groups, and for different reasons, his skill set, his character, and his interactions with the crowd. While these are all HBK characteristics, again he has not been a top face in the WWE long enough to be compared to as the next HBK, we gave the rub to Dolph being the next HBK too,but reality is we cannot recreate, but can emulate and if that makes Daniel Bryans star shine brighter than good for him.

 

[MCMG]

YES YES YES!

for the past few weeks, that's what ive been hearing from the WWE fans all over the place. My brain started thinking about the last time WWE had a guy like this. Then it hit me: the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. Think about it: both are/were phenominal in the ring, both are very charismatic, both have been heels [kind of] both have been in factions, both are/were extremely over, both were in epic matches, ect, ect. what do you think? could my boy D-Bry be the next shawn michaels?

That could fit the description of many superstars. Why is Daniel Bryan not the next Ric Flair or Eddie Guerrero? Indeed, why is Dolph Ziggler not the next HBK?

Just because their are similarities between two superstars doesn't mean we should star labeling him as such. Bryan is talented and he has done very well for himself. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the "next Shawn Michaels". You can't physically replicate someones career.

I agree that they have share some characteristics but HBK will always be better than Bryan. Bryan is nowhere near the level of HBK but that is where he should be aspiring to.

 

[SSJPhenom]

Methinks not.

Shawn Michaels, IMO, is the greatest in ring performer that the wrestling business has ever seen. One would be hard pressed to find anyone that even begins to come close to HBK in the ring.

Now don't get me wrong, however. D-Bry is fantastic in the ring and again, IMO, is the best in ring performer that the WWE has right now. As far as comparisons go, though; I think that D-Bry is closer to Benoit or Angle. His stature and style remind me of Benoit, however, he has much more charisma and mic ability then Benoit ever had.

I think that D-Bry still has some developing to do, however, I also believe that he is well on his way to becoming one of the most over and one of the greatest performers that the WWE has ever had.

 

[The Gribbler]

Will people please say 'Such and such is the next blah blah blah'. I am sick of it. Dbry and Michaels are different people, with different styles. As is every superstar and every other superstar!

Seriously, stop wanting people to be the next someone, and just be pleased you have that person for who and what they are and what they bring to the table. IF you keep comparing people to older superstars no wonder people think wrestling never does anything new.

Just My Opinion

 

[LascoX]

Bryan reminds me more of a charismatic Benoit more than being in the mold of HBK. As many here have said though, Bryan in his own person and is pulling from several of the greats that went before him, as he should. I think the latest inclination to compare him to HBK is that Shawn's name is the one that stuck out when Cena compared Bryan's size to that of previous Champions. I am glad to see he will be headlining Summer Slam as the match has the potential to really deliver as a great main event.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Well first off your title implies that Daniel Bryan could be some sort of improved version of Shawn Michaels, which not only do I personally believe is impossible but I think is overall just inaccurate because while he may prove to be in the future Bryan simply isn't even on the level of several other main event talents on the current roster, let alone a bonafied WWE Legend like HBK.

But I do think they have a lot in common like their athletic ability & seemingly uncanny connection to the majority of the WWE audience.

So I have to agree with those who say Daniel Bryan is simply Daniel Bryan & no one else. But only time will tell if he truely deserves to be in the same category as guys like Shawn Michaels (I imagine the fact that Shawn trained Bryan won't hurt).

 

[The Eighties]

I was thinking about this the other day but not for the reasons listed in here, but due to the fact that Bryan's consistency of quality as regards his week to week match output reminds me of HBK, he just doesn't have bad matches IMO.

Bryan has parts of Benoit, Angle and Foley in his make-up, plus at times when he stands sweaty on the top rope and his eyes are going crazy within the mass of wild hairiness I see 80's Randy Savage.....Mainly though Bryan is just himself and doing damn well as he is.

 

[Kizzani]

Dbry has a lot of talent, but he lack the size factor and that will continue. Sure he will have a few matches around the WWE title, shoot he might even pick up the strap for a short run. But overall he is a flash of light for the moment.

The fans will get behind someone for a little bit and fall off, not long ago people were out crying for Zach Ryder, once he got his shot, people realized what the WWE already knew...He had NO talent.

The wwe has a proven formula, say what you want about it, the fact is they have been on top for nearly 40 years, because they use those big guys to sell the idea. Shawn had something other small guys lack and that was mic skills. Between Dbry and Cena there can only be one top face and until Cena falls of with the kids Dbry will hold the second banana.

Wrestling is not based on wrestling, that is Obvious by past champions? Hogan, Cena, Nash.....and many others lack a Dbry type of ring skills, but they all had a easy to cash in on look, Goat/troll boy is not a winning look unless he is joining the Wyatt family.

Dbry will have his moment in the spotlight but will not go to far, he will no carry the company on his back like Shawn did. Their are some WWE enforced requirements.....Height and skin color.

 

[Horatio Fellatio]

I've never seen a bigger joke than Daniel Bryan. It's a laugh to see him get this token shot at the WWE championship. When I think of champions I think of Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Ryback, Andre The Giant, John Cena.... not some terribly untalented little flippy floppy wrestler who can't even suplex his opponent.

Vince is clearly toying with the nerds as he does from time to time. The rug will be pulled out from under Daniel Bryan for good at SummerSlam. There's no doubt of that.

He's going to come close to appease the smarts, and then he will be back where he belongs wrestling Miz for the IC title. That's the belt for people like Daniel Bryan.