Does Daniel Bryan have the ability to be a long term "Top Guy"?

[Maverick T Kenderson]

There is no question that Daniel Bryan is super over right now. He is undeniably one of the best technical wrestlers around today. But it should be remembered that he is working with fantastic heels. In my opinion Bryan's mic work/charisma is lacking. I am starting to find YES quite annoying. Plus he tends to shout promos. I think Orton/HHH are making him at the moment. I don't think he could carry the top spot working with lesser heels. I'm no fan of Cena but it's obvious he can draw against anyone. Former champions like Hart, Michaels, The Rock, Austin could all be relied upon against any opponents, and could put asses in seats. Does anyone think Bryan is in that league or the potential to be, or is he another transitional guy, holding top spot till a new Cena is found??

 

[5 Moves of Doom]

I believe that Daniel Bryan has the ability with the fan base, but I don't think Vince thinks he will be able to make him money in the long run like Cena can. I remember after WrestleMania 28 I believe it was when he lost to Sheamus is 18 seconds when the crowd starting chanting YES! YES! YES! writers and some members of the IWC thought that it wasn't going to last long. Well here we are 2 years later and the YES! chants are still going strong. Like I said, I believe he has the ability, but in Vince's eyes, he won't make him money in the long run.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Honestly, I figured the "YES!" chants keep on going because it's so simple a chant to do and makes sense to chant. Just like "What?!" and "Woooo!!" had their moments and still do to a degree. You can easily get people fired up when they're only shouting one syllable.

As for how I feel about Daniel Bryan, I would be surprised if he came out of this champion, just as I've been feeling for several months now. This is Triple H's supposed rise to power that's going on right now. Not Randy Orton's. Not Daniel Bryan's. Unless one of the two manage to do something none of us expect, for the rest of the year we are going to be talking about The Game and his iron-fisted ruling over the WWE. Even without the title I say Triple H has more chance of being the face.

I think most of us are drooling over the possibility that someone other than John Cena will be the face of the WWE for this generation. I don't believe anyone other than maybe CM Punk has that ability. A top guy? Sure, Daniel Bryan is already there in my books. A draw? Certainly. But on par with Austin and Hogan? Definitely not. Daniel Bryan is like the Kurt Angle of the PG Era.

"We Want Ryder/Hardy" used to be a frequently heard chant, too. Chants don't mean shit, really.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I like Daniel Bryan, a lot. He's grown on me more and more every week because admittedly, I couldn't stand him at first. Here's the thing about the modern WWE fan base in general (and the IWC), they get behind a guy, they get him over, then once he's over and has won the belt, they move on to the next guy. Daniel Bryan is going to have to take it to the next level if he wants longevity. Once he wins the belt and actually holds it for a long period of time, the whole "underdog" thing is going to die. So it's going to be up to him to keep his character fresh so we don't get bored and "move on to the next guy." Look at what happened with CM Punk. Not too long ago he was the greatest thing since sliced bread and some fans and IWC members were comparing him to Stone Cold, Rock, Hogan, Flair, etc. and then he lost the belt, lost to Undertaker and, while he's in a good feud, his luster has worn off and I'm not seeing the same fan support and obsession that I saw.

 

[Borck Lesnar]

Daniel's will probably stay the top star until royal rumble, around wrestlemania season daniel may take a step back, will he be on top afterward's? i have no idea wait and see.

 

[GameOver]

I would say no, love his ability and he is a good entertainer but in the long run it would get monotonous if he was always "the guy" same with Cena, same with Hogan, even same with Punk, it gets stale if they are always the sole focus for years on end.

I would liken Bryan to Mick Foley but with the in ring technique of a Chris Benoit on speed

He's always gonna be over but will never be the top guy for long, in fact i would go further and say noone on the current roster that isn't an established talent from the pre-pg era can be the Top Guy for long they are all just chop and change characters, which isn't a bad thing, they shouldn't be endlessly relying on one or 2 people to carry the load like they have pretty much always done.

Competition and variety is good for business, whether it be between talent within a promotion or between promotions

 

[LSN80]

The key wording there is simple: A top guy? Sure. The top guy? Not a chance.

Its a credit to Daniel Bryan that he's made it to the place in the company that he has. In 2010 at Summerslam, he was the surprise 7th member of Team WWE against the Nexus, returning that day after being fired months ago. Fast-forward 3 years, and Bryan is facing the face of the company and the WWE Champion in John Cena for the title, which he won. He was then pedigreed by HHH and pinned by Randy Orton to end the show. It says quite a bit about the guy when he's beating Cena clean, sneak-attacked by HHH, and cashed-in on by Orton within the span of a half-hour. Further, it speaks to faith the company has in Bryan to put him in said situation. And regardless of what HHH says kayfabe, Bryan is seen as much more than a B+ player.

Does Bryan have the staying power to be a top guy? Sure. He's got the wacky charisma that allows him to work as both a comedy character and a serious one, and mic skills to fit the situation as well. Above all else, he's got the biggest thing that will keep him near the top as long as he has it: Incredible wrestling skills. Not only that, but his ring-work is that of one who can wake up a dead crowd, or keep a live one invested for long periods of time. He showed that in the summer when he was trusted to wrestle 30+ minutes on Raw on several occasions, and he delivered memorable performances.

Its a combination of those things that will ensure Bryan has a place as a top guy for years to come. Hes not going to surpass John Cena today, or likely even five years from now. But even as a new wave of potential main-eventers moves through developmental to the main roster, there will always be a place near the top of the card for a Daniel Bryan. People need be careful and not mistake that for spending most his time in the championship picture, as few do. But when one combines what is obviously lasting popularity and an ability to sell a feud both on the mic and in the ring alike, and it's easy to see Daniel Bryan in top storylines for years to come.

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

Daniel Bryan has far surpassed anything that I ever thought that he could be. I thought he would become an afterthought after losing the WHC to Sheamus at WM 28 in 18 seconds. Boy was I wrong. Team Hell No became the hottest thing since the New Age Outlaws and Bryan won me over. I was waiting for the Raw where D Bry would finally embrace the YES chant and boy was it epic when he did. From that point he solidified his status as a main event player. I know the ratings haven't been great, but the Bryan/Orton feud has been the best feud of 2013 for sure that wasn't CM Punk/Undertaker or CM Punk/Brock Lesnar. Bryan has shown an ability much like his mentor HBK had. The ability to put on great match after great match and in a pinch deliver the goods EVERY single time while simultaneously making his opponent look better. Not many guys in Wrestling history can do that. When Bryan finally captures the WWE title it will truly be a great moment for him and the fans.

 

[The_Don]

I believe he can be a top guy in the long term. The push he's had since NXT, 'till this day is unbelievable. It's like his push has been greater every time. I mean for example, who has beaten Cena clean? How many have submitted Orton? Top Stars! I'm surprised WWE let Bryan do it, not even CM Punk has done it.

WWE has given Bryan the right theme song, a non-submission finisher, a comeback and a chant. They are really investing in him. I see people here complaining about him, and I believe that it's due to the fact that his feud with Orton hasn't ended. Let's see what happens after this Sunday...

 

[ASKane]

No chance. He was an undefeated underdog between Summerslam and Raw(7th October) and that annoyed me and will begin to annoy others because underdogs should not always win. The YES chant does not have much longevity, when you are in the crowd it would be easy to join in but the fans at home have there hate in it grow each week, which is made worse by Show stealing it. I think he rides this run to Mania but he won't have the longevity of Austin

 

[Borck Lesnar]

but I don't think Vince thinks he will be able to make him money in the long run like Cena can.run.

cause it was in the script that vince didnt believe in him?
hahha if vince didn't like bryan he wouldn't be getting pushed lol.

 

[justinept]

cause it was in the script that vince didnt believe in him?
hahha if vince didn't like bryan he wouldn't be getting pushed lol.

That girl I met at the bar last night was hot, and so I had no problem bringing her home for the night. But that doesn't mean I want to make any long-term investment in this girl or introduce her to my family... It's kind of the same thing here. Bryan is entertaining. He has caught on and fans are clearly behind him - but the fans have been behind other guys, too, and they weren't long-term solutions.

I don't want this to sound like an anti-Bryan post because I think he's great. I'd be thrilled if he won the title tomorrow night and carried it into WresteMania. I felt the same way about guys like Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and even CM Punk. All of them are great on the mic, connect with the audience, provide compelling story lines and put on 5-star matches regularly. No one questioned their qualifications to be the champ, or the WWE's decision to run with them for a while.

...But none of them ever were, or ever will be, the "face of the company." As great as they are, none of them are on the level of a Hogan, Rock, Austin or Cena. In the pantheon of "Top Guys" in WWE history, those are the Mount Rushmore guys.

Other guys like Triple H, Savage, Warrior, Edge, Hart, Michaels, 'Taker, Guerrero, Lesnar, Diesel, Jericho, Angle, Batista, Orton, Hardy, Punk, Bryan etc are perfectly capable of stepping up to the plate when it's their turn to bat - but without a Hogan, Rock, Austin or Cena in the picture, the overall interest in the product tends to wane.

FWIW, and I've said this multiple times this week, that's REALLY the problem with what Tripe H said on Monday Night about Bryan being just another popular guy - like Jericho and Edge - who didn't have what it took to carry the company. I'm not supposed to agree with the heel, but when he's being that honest, it's impossible to disagree. And now, just a day away from Bryan and Orton's match - which is about determining who the "face of the company " is - I'm left not caring as much because even if the WWE decides to give Bryan the belt, it's just going to be temporary. He's as talented as he is popular, but he's not Hogan, Cena, Rock or Austin.

 

[BigThunder]

Long term, Bryan will probably end up being in the Ray Mysterio role: lower main event status throughout his career, moving down to mid-card feuds when needed, a few good runs with the two big straps, and respected as one of the best of all time by the end of his career. He's the current #3 guy in the company (behind Cena and Punk among full time wrestlers), he's got enough shared history with the major talent that he's easy to write storylines for, and while his mic work is still nowhere near Cena or Punk, he's a great underdog and easy to root for; his ringwork appeals to most hardcore fans, and his goofy persona is kid friendly. That's not a bad place to be. There's nothing wrong with having a legacy on par with Edge or Jericho or Rey or Savage. The Bruno/Andre/Hogan/Rock/Austin/Cena club is pretty exclusive.

He does need his one major extended feud with the company top dog to cement his status, either with Cena or with a grade A part timer like HHH or Brock.

 

[H33LTurn]

Daniel Bryan is still in the development stage as far as his role in the WWE is concerned. Some of his success might have been delayed due to WWE caving into IWC pressure and making him WHC too soon. He's' gotten more used to WWE's in ring style and his mic work has significantly improved since his debut. Right now I dont see too many superstars on the roster who can topple him from his main event spot. Over the course of the next couple of years he might occupy a #2 spot like Punk or Orton have done throughout their careers whenever WWE has attempted to pass the brass ring to someone else, but Bryan's spot at the top is safe for now. To remain in the main event spot someone usually has to generate a steady flow of revenue for the WWE and avoid stepping on the wrong toes. Bryan has already manned up to Triple H backstage when he was forced to stop a match and he hasn't seen any legitimate repercussions for doing so which is a good sign.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I think Daniel Bryan has all the ability in the world. I think the better question is "Will Vince McMahon let Daniel Bryan be a long term 'Top Guy'?".

As much as I enjoy DB I still question what VKM's true intentions are with him as a superstar. Is Bryan here to stay or is he just holding a spot for someone else kind of like The Miz did back in late 2010/early 2011? & I don't know if Vince honestly knows the answer to that yet. It seems like DB is still being groomed to be "Thee Guy" for WWE but the buyrates & ratings over the past few months since Cena has been gone & Bryan has "taken over" have seemed to have dropped & we all know that Vince is about making money first & foremost.

Bryan has all the tools. He is extremely entertaining, very relatable, a good sympathetic babyface, the best technical wrestler on the roster, never has a bad match, the list just goes on & on. But unless Bryan adds being a huge draw & making the WWE a lot of money to that list, I don't know how much longer the WWE will continue to invest so much of their time & money into him.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

No, Bryan will never be the long term "Top Guy" in the way that you put it. To be perfectly honest, Triple H was never that guy either.

It's not really a knock...you can almost count the number of guys who were Top Guys on hand. There's only so many Rocks, Austins, Hogans or Cenas out there. The rest of the time, you're using guys like Hart, Undertaker, Michaels and Triple H to build up the card. It's why Lesnar can work the deal that he has. He managed to transition himself into a pseudo top guy role when it comes to PPV buys because he increased his exposure through UFC. Undertaker's got the Streak now, and that makes his Wrestlemania matches an event in and of themselves. But even Undertaker, awesome as he is, was never the Top Guy as defined originally.

So where does this leave Bryan? Pretty damn good company, IMO. He's likely always going to be a guy who has to prove himself through great matches with good opponents. Ain't nothing wrong with that. He may never be the guy that will inevitably always capture the World Title, but he'll get his runs, and he'll be around for a long time, I think.

 

[Rooster Smith]

There is no question that Daniel Bryan is super over right now. He is undeniably one of the best technical wrestlers around today. But it should be remembered that he is working with fantastic heels. In my opinion Bryan's mic work/charisma is lacking. I am starting to find YES quite annoying. Plus he tends to shout promos. I think Orton/HHH are making him at the moment. I don't think he could carry the top spot working with lesser heels. I'm no fan of Cena but it's obvious he can draw against anyone. Former champions like Hart, Michaels, The Rock, Austin could all be relied upon against any opponents, and could put asses in seats. Does anyone think Bryan is in that league or the potential to be, or is he another transitional guy, holding top spot till a new Cena is found??

My answer is "Kind of."

I agree that his charisma and talking needs work but at the same time, he has charisma and the ability to work the mic. Most don't.

I think he can be A TOP GUY for a long while. However, in wrestling there shouldn't be only one top guy. The fact that it happened with Cena is kind of a flaw on WWE's part.

And to be fair to them, their talent pool over the last few years has been kind of limited too.

I think ideally you want there to be a handful of people that get that top spot status. Like back in the day when they had, Stone Cold, the Rock, Sean Michaels, the Undertaker. HHH and Mankind are often slipped in there.

Angle, Guerrero and Brock at one point maybe ...

So I don't think Bryan can be on top of the mountain for months on end. I do however think that he can be a top attraction for months on end, and put him right up there with Cena in that regard.

 

[Redrum]

I think he can be a next level guy right below the "top guy". Macho man,Warrior,Lesnar,Eddie,Edge ect ect were never THE top guy. They were all at one time or another in the role of the top guy but only do to the top guy being injured or a transition. Never were they the top guy for years and years to come. I think Bryan can fill the role as one of the guys right under Cena/The Top guy. The only one on the roster atm who i could see being the top guy should cena just step away out of the blue is CM Punk.

Spoiler

All that being said i think tonight WWE made it clear they dont think he can be the "top guy"