Do You Consider The Current Usage Of Daniel Bryan To Be A Waste?

[Calderownz]

I ask this question, because personally, I do. I think his "character" is being focused on far more than highlighting what fans love about him most -- his in-ring work.

I understand that he is new and he needs time to build himself up so that when he gets thrown into these big matches, it's interesting and not just some great match that no one notices.

But currently, he's already the U.S. Champion, a focus on Raw virtually every week and I couldn't really recall one match I'd say is memorable in his WWE run.

I am not a fan that wants to see things rushed. I hate that, as a matter of fact. But I feel that Bryan is a special performer in the ring and that should be highlighted. Something along the lines of Shelton Benjamin, where there is a balance. Focus on both sides of the situation. Shelton had quality matches with Triple H. Had quality matches with Kurt Angle, tag team matches and had a quality match with Shawn Michaels.

Once again, I don't want it rushed. I would just personally like to see more of a balance. A little more focus on the wrestling side of things.

What do you guys think?

 

[blackmetalbuick]

I think they've been doing a better job lately. Him and Ziggler stole the show at the PPV so they got rematches on Raw AND Smackdown the next week. Obviously WWE knew they had something good so they did it two more times. It's just a matter of finding guys who can really go with him. Most of the big name guys have probably been working the simplified WWE style so long that they wouldn't even want or be able to put on a complex match with him. Ziggler is younger and complemented him well.

I think being US Champ and being part of major segments on a weekly basis is enough for him right now. Yeah maybe he deserves more ring time to really show what he's got, but as far as anything else like moving him up the card or giving him a major title, I don't think he is ready for that yet. He is fine where he is, just needs more good opponents, can't fight Ziggler 12 times. Oh wait, this is WWE, he probably will.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I don't consider it a waste at all. He is still in his rookie years and has already accomplished beating a future WWE Champion (Miz, because you know it will happen) and hold onto the second most important title on RAW. His theme music is perhaps the most recognized piece of music that a superstar has obtained since Flair's, and we as WWE fans will remember him for giving us a little taste of TV 14 with his "Tie" shenanigans. That was awesome.

Daniel Bryan was a big name before stepping into the WWE ring, that is true. So were Booker T, DDP, and countless WCW guys back in the day. But as we all should know by now WWE is not going to make themselves look bad by giving "the other guy" a rub. Bryan is working for it and I truly believe he is going an excellent job and is where he needs to be right now.

He's great in the ring- but over exposure can be a bad thing. We praised Shelton in the ring but on the mic we didn't feel it. Daniel will need both so I'm glad they are focusing on segments more than technical prowess as of now.

 

[mster]

I thought his mini feud with Ziggler put on some good matches. I like the way he is being used, although I would like to see him get some revenge on Shameus, that would be an interesting feud

 

[Stephen11]

I don't think there is a much the WWE can do with him without pushing him too fast but I think his current gig is great. He has the United States Championship and is actually actively defending it/competing in matches. His recent matches have been great especially the one at the Bragging Rights PPV. He has done some promos which have been great IMO and it shows his personality. I was a bit worried that he wasn't going to have the mic skills but his mic skills are great for where he currently is even though there is always room for improvement.

The only grievance I have about Daniel Bryan is that he isn't using a wide range of moves in the ring. While he is showing that he has skill and he knows what he's doing, he is constantly using the Labell Lock. He really needs a couple of signature moves that he can use rather than the same submission move that he uses over and over again.

 

[Syborgg]

Ok, Daniel Bryan is a good in-ring performer I'll give him that, but so was Chris Benoit or Shelton Benjiman. What I'm saying is, in WWE you have to be more because the fans want more. Look at who's been most successfull in the history of WWE: Hogan, Rock, Austin, Cena, etc. We all know that from the Eddies and Bret Harts to the Cenas and Hogans the wrestling ability varies immensely, but the one thing they all had were interesting characters. That's what Daniel Bryan is lacking.

We must remember that Vince McMahon once considered taking the word "wrestling" out of the company's name. WWE is an entertainment company first and a wrestling company second. That's not to say I wasn't entertained by the matches Bryan had with Ziggles, but to get to the ME level that you all seem to want him at he's going to have to somehow become more than just a "wrestler". Right now WWE is trying to allow Bryan's strengths to show by putting him in matches with other good ring technicians, which is smart. You say you don't want him rushed, but yet you want him higher than upper-mid card and he hasn't been with WWE for even a year. Maybe his technical skill will bring some much needed prestige to the U.S./I.C. title scene.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Has he put on any five star matches since being in WWE? Not at all but I would say that he has put on some pretty damn good matches since being in the WWE. First off, he needs someone that can keep up with him talent wise so he can showcase his full talents. Daniel Bryan has won the most outstanding wrestler award the past 5 years, no one in WWE can touch him on pure technical wrestling so having an amazing technical showcase is next to impossible for him at this point. Not only that, I'm sure the WWE wants him to change his wrestling style to be more WWE like so thats another reason I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Considering what I've seen, I would say Daniel Bryan has done a fine job so far with his time in the WWE, he puts on good matches consistently, he works hard, and he is actually over with the crowd, something I had my doubts on when he started. He's US champion and is actually being used and not wasted. Sometimes I think people complain about his WWE time because he hasn't had 5 star matches and isn't a main eventer yet when frankly Daniel Bryan isn't quite at that level yet.

His time in the WWE has not been a waste, not at all. He's done some good stuff since coming into the WWE, was apart of the main event of Summerslam (something most wrestlers will never accomplish) their second biggest show of the year and once again is US Champion and putting on good matches with whoever he wrestles with. Personally, I couldn't ask for more, I thought he would be wasted and overlooked in WWE, and I for one am happy to say I was wrong (unlike Desmond Wolfe in TNA, who has been a complete waste ever since his Angle feud ended, which is a damn shame because he's probably should be main eventing there by now).

 

[Terminal Sledgehammer]

Where's the waste, he's been doing what is excels at, and building up his character is something that needs to happen.

His character needs to be built up for a few reasons. For one thing the WWE needs to make Daniel Bryan, WWE's Daniel Bryan. Another reason is that I'm going to guess that, outside the IWC, next to no one knew he is. So building up his character gives his new fans, (that is a lot of people) a chance to get to be familiar with his character.


I have also seen Daniel Bryan, put on good matches with The Miz, make my jaw drop when he was in the ring with Dolph Ziggler. Every week I look forward to seeing him go to the ring and put on a clinic on how to tear apart a person's body one limb at a time. He stole the show at Bragging Rights Considering he hasn't even been around a year he has made progress.

The only thing that I would like the see, as put by Stephen 11, a different signature. Not saying that the Labell Lock isn't good, (it's amazing), but if he had 2 moves that can ring the bell, people would have no idea what move he is going to use

 

[klunderbunker]

The guy goes from being an indy wrestler to being in WWE to being the big surprise for the main event of Summerslam to being the US Champion in less than 9 months and you think he's a waste? Can you stop for a second and listen to yourself about how ridiculous you sound? Bryan is probably second only to Barrett as breakout star of the year, but since he's not WWE Champion and getting to put on 50 minute matches that are boring as hell for about 45 minutes, he's being wasted. He's gotten a monster push and is being used far better than 99% of people in his spot would be. Hell no he's not being wasted.

Edit: forgot he was gone for like 3 months so he did all of this in 6 months, plus becoming the talk of the WWE section for about a week straight.

 

[Coco]

He was the breakout star of NXT, the big surprise at SummerSlam, has had highly memorable PPV bouts (and victories) with Miz and Ziggler, took Sheamus to his limit, did the same with Batista and Jericho, and even engaged in a supremely original triple threat falls count anywhere submission match. He's done most of this over the last 2+ months while also establishing that he's not your typical WWE superstar. Are you somehow suggesting there's something better they could have done with him in this limited time? Because I'm honestly struggling to understand what that could be. Would you mind telling me in plain terms exactly what more you want?

 

[AmericanDragonSW]

Its a little goofy for my taste but not enough to where I'd call it a waste. I just think that I'd like to see more of the real deal, more of him as The American Dragon. He's had fans call him the best in the world and I would like to see more of him showing why that is.

 

[The Crock]

You can't be serious. A waste? Really? Have we been watching the same guy? DBD is the US Champ and is on the fast track to superstardom, he's main evented one of the biggest PPVs of the year, and is crazy over with the crowd... But somehow in your eyes he is being wasted. I don't see it. Just because he isn't putting on matches that Indy marks would die for and call five-star matches, you say he's being wasted. This is one of the dumbest things I've heard in a long time. He feuded with Miz, another guy who's on the fast track to superstardom, and he looked damn good in that feud. What about the fact that he beat the IC Champ Dolph Ziggler? Does that not mean a thing? Daniel Bryan had been used perfectly. I couldn't have asked for anything more. There's bound to be some people that have idiotic ideas such as this, but honestly it is beyond me how someone can think Daniel Bryan has been wasted.

 

[OutsiderDX]

In no way has it been a failure.

Daniel Bryan had the longest and probably best fued going with the Miz, since the beginning of NXT 1 (obviously halted my Tie-Gate), which inlcluded Michael Cole and a lil of Alex Riley.

He got a bit of a rub by being included in SummerSlam's Main Event.

Then he him and Ziggler put on 3 great matches.

He was set to fued with CM Punk.... until Punk got sidelined. If these two never match, up this will be one of the great disappointments in history. But it could work out to be perfect timing. Punk vs Danielson at WrestleMania.... yes please!!!

As long as Bryan keeps stealing the show with his matches, like him and Ziggler did, he has been a success.

 

[bmacklin]

I think WWE will go for a slow build. They put the US title on Bryan because they know he is a great mechanic who can have a great match with anyone and can add some prestige to the US title whilst improving his mic skills to prep him for main event maybe in the next year/year and a half

 

[wushady]

I don't see how anyone can see they way he's being booked as a waste. I don't like the way he was squashed by Sheamus, but other than that he has been given a great push. Not only is he featured on Raw every week. He's also made the US title seem important again in a short period of time. He hasn't used all of the moves in his arsenal yet, but many wrestlers mainly guys like CM Punk and Kaval. Have changed up their style they used in the indys a Little to fit WWE's style.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Wow..just..just wow. How can anybody with any shred of common sense even believe for a single, solitary moment that how Daniel Bryan is being used is a waste?

It's all been said before but let's sort of recap everything: The first season of NXT was practically weaved around the guy. He was someone that was booked in an underdog character on the show, lost every match he was in and yet was still able to get over with the fans. His stuff with The Miz was talked about nonstop and people were practically salivating over when they'd get into it. After the first episode of NXT, people were already predicting Daniel Bryan would take the United States Championship from The Miz. Even though he didn't win NXT, Daniel Bryan definitely stuck out and made and impression. After this, he participates in the original Nexus beatdown of John Cena. This is easily the best ending to a wrestling television show in 2010 and is possibly the best one in years. Even when he gets fired after the choking incident, he becomes the talk of the WWE. The thread on Bryan being fired on this site was monsterous, people couldn't stop talking about it, debating whether it was a work and couldn't wait to see what'd happen. Next, he gets rehired and brought back as a surprise participant in the SummerSlam main event against Nexus. During this main event, he is one of only 2 members representing Raw left on the team and eliminated 2 members of Nexus. Afterward, his feud with The Miz reignites, he has a great match against Miz and becomes United States Champion. Since then, Bryan has been involved in high quality matches that've often stolen the show at ppvs, he's featured on Monday Night Raw each week, has shown that he can hang in the ring and have good matches against a former 2 time WWE Champion and a feud with CM Punk is looming on the horizon.

Daniel Bryan has gone from being an indy wrestler to being a star in the biggest wrestling company in the world. He's over with the fans, his abilities in the ring are obvious, the guy can actually talk on the mic if given a chance and the WWE seems to know what they've got with him.

Short of the WWE slapping the WWE Championship on the guy, in all seriousness, what more can realistically be expected? They've done a great job with him thus far.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

Daniel Bryan has been used PERFECTLY since he returned at SummerSlam, He has put on Great Matches with the Miz and the Triple Threat match against Morrison and Miz Three Great matches with Dolph Ziggler. He is the US champion what More can he be doing right now. Daniel Bryan has not been Wasted he has been used Perfectly.

 

[fenfool]

I think he's been very well used. I think the whole 'commentator hates him' thing is a bit over the top, but he's been a good US champ, has held the title for a while, and defended it well. He's beaten some good wrestlers by submission, he was kind of the 'savior' at SummerSlam...all this in his rookie (WWE) year, I'd say it's a pretty good start.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

This is what I don't get about the IWC. You guys would throw a fit if they gave DBD the world title citing that he hasn't been there long. Instead the WWE made him the centerpiece of NXT (which some in the IWC nicknamed the Daniel Bryan Show), They put him in an angle where he does everything we all wanted to do for years (smack Michael Cole around) and gets notoriety for choking out Justin Roberts (which I think the whole firing was a plan). He's in the main event for Summerslam and gets the US title. The only blemish to his year is the fact that he was squashed by Sheamus.

The only thing else I could see how they could use him better is to occasionally let him work indys. It'll do two things, first it'll keep his internet hero image intact and second it'll get more people to watch the indys which will allow more wrestlers to get experience in the farm system and thus will make WWE's product in the long run better.

 

[Malenko316]

My, my, a wrestler actually getting praise from the WWE IWC marks? How very unsettling. Bryan as exceeded my expectations, not because of his talent - no one, bar maybe punk, could touch him for ring craft, but because he is the near antithesis of what it takes to succeed in the WWE. He's way under 200lbs and 6ft, a mat technician and submission specialist, an indy legend and mic skills that were unproven. Only the last of those could be improved and all could have seriously held him back - see Kaval for prove.

If you look at previous mat technicians who made it big, Jericho, Benoit, Bret Hart etc, non of them was an instant impact player. The accent to ME was years, even to mere US/Int'l title level it was the same in some cases. I may be corrected on this, by the last guy who wasn't a heavyweight (220lbs+) to receive a push on debute was Mysterio - and I would class him as a special case because he was a move set and style which is attractive to pre-teens and sells merchandise.

If the WWE had guys who were even medocre in the ring (or that they wanted to put over as well like Chavo or Kaval etc) to put against Bryan, then the match against Dolph could be topped. But even Bryan couldn't make Cena, Otunga or the Miz look good. Wait for Punk and Bourne to come back, or the chance of a fued with say Gabriel and then make a judgement. Now, I'm sure there will be WWE marks who want him to have 'a more engaging charactor' etc etc - look if you want to watch fairy tails and stupid shit, go watch chartoons. Some of us, adults we're called i believe, want to watch great matches, not listen to mic work from guys too stiff to be TV actors.

Bryan is where he needs to be for now, next stop is upwards, hopefully burying the embodiment of mic over talent, the Miz, in the process. Peace.

 

[CarlSinclair]

They had to build him up this way... sorry but the WWE Universe had no clue who he was or what he can do.

The IWC is minor.

It was also fairly obvious that they were going to do some 'epic matches' as he and CM Punk were going to be in a feud. Punk is injured now right?

Either way they know they have a top worker and they will use him. I can see an epic rivalry between he and Punk over the next 2 - 3 years.

He is a small fish in a big pond still.. WWE are not going to give him 60 minutes on RAW or a PPV because he had some ace matches in a indy promotion that 99% of their fan base has never heard of.

No matter how good he is, he has to get the WWE fans to see it, not the IWC.. you already love him.

 

[Ferbian]

Absolutely not. Daniel Bryan has accomplished quite a bit of things since he got hired by WWE. He has been consistently featured more or less every week, he has been main eventing Summerslam, wrestling a match of the year candidate with Dolph Ziggler, as well as he is the United States champion. All of these things in itself should be more than enough to say that in under a years time with the company, he has accomplished more than enough for it to be considered that he is NOT being wasted.

Bryan doesn't need to be hot-shotted to the top all of a sudden. He's doing great being build as a strong champion, as well as building a legacy in the mid-card with great matches with guys that are able to be as agile and able to firmly compete at the same level of him (John Morrison, Miz and Ziggler to be more specific). He still has many years within the company to come I'm sure, so it's also way too early to truly judge whether the time will be "wasted" even if I'm sure he is guaranteed a great career, even if he doesn't top the main event.

 

[Budvig_Lorga]

You know, DB has put on some excellent shows with the liks of Miz, Ziggler, and an impressive victory last week over Ted Dibiase.The writers have given him a US Title, some decent time on the mic, they've used the general dislike of Micheal Cole among fans to his advantage, and they've even given him epic (albeit sorta ridiculous) ring music.

That being said (and I'm not sure if I'm the only one not hearing it) but his "pops" tend to fall flat with the crowd and even his general applause meter isn't all that out of hand. It is more of an issue with the WWE fans not being really receptive to him as a whole. I think someone up above mentioned the fact that , regardless of true talent, it is the giant personalities that tend to win the WWE crowds over. Of course, there are going to be the indie kids who know what a badass Bryan is. But you gotta remember that the indie kids comprise only about 1/10th at best of the WWE crowd. And thats what I hear when I see Bryan coming down the WWE aisle - 1/10th of the crowd going nuts.

 

[LSN80]

No, not at all. He was released and brought back with tremendous fanfare- as the seventh member of team Raw at Summersla, one of the big 4 in terms of WWE PPVs. This year, it was considered to be a one match card, and it was the one he was in.

What's he done since then? He's made a likely future WWE Champion tap out, twice, to win and retain the US Championship, in the Miz. Other then the time he was beaten to a pulp by Sheamus, he's consistently had the best match week in and week out on WWE TV, including one with Sheamus. He made Ted DiBiase look really good in a span of 4 minutes last week! I think they've done a phenomenal job of emphasizing the wrestling side of things when it comes to Mr. Danielson.

As for developing his personality, well, I think we've seen he can hold his own with the Miz( a star on the mic), Michael Cole(their "top" play by play announcer), and with Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero. He's shown that he can be quite funny, and to be honest, having a personality is a big part of what makes up the "IT" factor that WWE emphasizes.

I think they've shown tremendous balance when it comes to Bryan. He embarrassed Ziggler both verbally and physically the Raw before Bragging Rights, then defeated him 3 straight times within the span of a week. The same Ziggler who hasnt lost to, well, anybody, that i can remember since he became IC Champion. He made him tap twice, and pinned him once. I see Ziggler as a future World Champion, so that's quite the vote of confidence for Bryan.

I think other then being annihilated by Sheamus one week, his push is exactly where it needs to be. WWE has done a good job here, and Bryan has lived up to his end, both wrestling and with his mic skills.