Does Michael Cole's Hatred for Daniel Bryan Have a Point?

[Bernkastel]

Is this a serious thread? Really? Spoodbeast, do you just not understand what heel psychology is? Michael Cole is using Bryan Danielson's past as a well known indy star (which is factual) as a catayst for the WWE Universe to hate him. Michael COle says the things he says, because WWE creative knows that the small percentage of the IWC smarks will be pissed off.

By signing Bryan Danielson, the WWE knows that smarks are going to be watching. They also know that most smarks (espiecally the diehard ROH fans) are extremely delusional and arrogant. The WWE uses their hate, and biased opinions against them by purposely belittling, and shitting over everything that Danielson did on the Indy Circuit. The heat created not only flows through Michael Cole, but to guys like the Miz, and/or any other heels that Danielson might be fueding with in the near future.

The WWE are using Michael Cole to work the smarks, so that they willingly watch Danielson, willingly watch the WWE, and willingly pay for the fruits of his feuds on PPV. It's a brillant creative decision...

 

[Bernkastel]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, a commentators job is to put over storylines and superstars no matter how bad either is and even though Bryan is very good IMO, Cole for some reason tries to bury the guy every chance he gets. So all in all, my issue with Cole doing what he is doing is the simple fact that he has put no effort into trying to get Daniel Bryan over with the crowd, and that is his job as a commentator, if he can't do that, then maybe its time to find someone else.

That's what Cole is doing; except he's using reverse psychology in Danielson's case. To an internet smark, who'll watch and cheer for Danielson based on what he did in the Indy's, they'll turn their hatred to any heels that might feud with him. To a casual fan, Cole's actions create sympathy for Bryan, who comes across as a determined underdog.

Michael Cole is a heel sympathizer; it's his job to uncharacteristically agree with what the heels do, while belittling the faces... not just Bryan Danielson.

 

[King_of_Swing1520]

it does help boost people cheering for bryan but its not really neccessary. the live crowd cant hear cole and bryan gets a pretty good pop. i have always been curious how many people who watch wwe knew bryan before he debuted. ofcourse we here new of his skill but the casuall fan had probly never heard of him and he has always been recieved well. it might be just cuz his pro was the miz and the miz's awsome heelness shot the babyface right into bryan

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

No opinion that comes across on commentary can be an actual reflection of the caller's views. I have no idea if Michael Cole has an legitimate issues with Daniel Bryan. I know he hates the internet community, and he's really not a fan of the "minor leagues" like ROH. But you don't get away with running your mouth that much about a guy unless you're being told to. I think they used Bryan as the start to Cole's heel turn on commentary. Yeah, they did it very unevenly, and it made things really awkward. I already hate Michael Cole more than anybody in the world... But even with a heel turn, I have never seen a caller hate a single guy so much. Even during the Evolution days, JR didn't show that much disrespect for Triple H. He hated his guts and was obvious about it, but he didn't go that far... Daniel Bryan has been made into a joke since he first debuted. He went 0-10 in NXT, and has been thrown around like a rag doll. The first thing he ever did well was help out team WWE at SummerSlam. I have no idea if they're punishing him for being in ROH, or trying to get the fans to hate Cole, or what... but it's working either way. What I thought was weird is they consistantly billed him as the best in NXT, but at the same time forced him to lose every week, and had Cole hate him. I think Vince is making Cole take the fall for Bryan to the public... At least that's the way it seems to me.

The real test is with the upcoming Bryan-Miz feud. Miz is the "new face of Monday Night Raw" and Bryan is the big return. Cole hates Bryan. He loves Miz. I could easily see him get involved in this whole thing. Bryan will probably win the US title off of Miz, because it needs to be defended. But how will they work in Miz looking good in the end? That'll really be the key to seeing if Bryan is actually hated backstage, or if it's just a mask to get Cole massive heat.

 

[CyDeez]

It is basically to turn him Heel without having him straight flip out, out of nowhere and just start hating on the company's biggest Faces all at once. I like how he was accusing Rey of being the one to jump The Undertaker and put him in his "vegetable state" at Summerslam.

He was 100% behind putting Orton over on Raw. This is a gradual turn from Cole. But I do think something is brewing somewhere about him. Possibly being The GM. Or leading Nexus or both. They are giving him Heel type tendencies and then hopefully there is a BOOM moment where he completes the turn!

 

[The Crock]

Hell of a thread, SB... But then again I have come to expect no less of you. I actually think that Michael Cole does a great job playing a prick who despises everything that Daniel Bryan does. Cole really gets under my skin when he does that, and he happens to be one of the only announcers who can get a reaction out of me. Most of the announcers nowadays don't have a character, they are the same bland announcer that came from the same template as all the others. It has been a really long time since I've enjoyed an announcer this much, I can appreciate a good commentator.

Will this lead to a full fledged heel turn for Michael Cole. Yes, I honestly think it will. He supports everything The Miz, a heel, does. Like you said, Michael Cole is annoyed by R-Truth's rapping, and he didn't care that Miz almost buried, and screwed, Team WWE. Before you know it he will be cheering against faces like John Cena and Triple H (when he returns), then he will have solidified his heel turn.

Lastly, am I the last one who misses a solid face/heel announce team? Think back to just recently, Jim Ross and Jerry "The Kng" Lawler. Lawler loved to cheer on heels, while J.R. loved the faces and really tried to call the matches down the middle. That was one of most enjoyable announce teams in recent memory, and of all time. Maybe it can happen again, although Lawler would play the face and Cole would play the heel.

This is a great opportunity for the WWE to inject some life into WWE, specifically Raw and PPV, broadcasts and make announce teams interesting again.

 

[Nikeo]

*Face!Palm*

You're all getting worked, it's that simple. The angle is designed to get Bryan over and get heat on Cole and it's working. Do you honestly think Vince cares enough about the indys to spend ANY amount of his airtime burying them? Why would he? They're no threat to him or his company, if he was any bit worried about them or wanted to prove a point he'd have ignored their entire existence.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

I'm sure it is all a work, but it's a fuckin' pointless one. Utterly pointless.

You don't need to constantly insult Daniel Bryan to get him over. People were chanting his name at the end of Fatal 4 Way after Nexus attacked, surely that's indication enough that he was over before they released him?

He comes back and rejoins Team WWE against the Nexus. So therefore he's a fully established face, and the crowd were behind that.

We then have Michael Cole berate him for 20 minutes straight. Even when the guy was eliminating Nexus members, Cole i still slagging him off.

Some of you have said 'it's to get heat on Cole'. He doesn't need any fuckin' heat! Have you seriously never been at a live show, and heard ther eactions of the fans as he walks down to ringside. He's boo'ed the ENTIRE walk down to the announce table. Michael Cole's piece of shit announcing ability is enough to generate heat for 10 wrestlers combined, without him having to be officially deemed a 'heel' or a 'face'.

Plus, it seems fairly obvious that we're going to have a Miz/BRyan fued in the works, so why does Cole need to be involved? Surely Miz will help Bryan get over as a mid-carder and vice versa so Miz gains more momentum heading into his title reign, so Michael Cole being allowed to speak at all will benefit who, how?

Cole berating Bryan will not encourage me to pay more attention to Bryan. The guy has a submission finisher, HE'S GOT MY ATTENTION ALREADY! Cole berating Bryan will however, encourage me to hit the mute button during his matches so i don't have to listen to Cole at all, and if that's what WWE want, surely it'd just be easier to fire him?

 

[Poop Master Flex]

That's what Cole is doing; except he's using reverse psychology in Danielson's case. To an internet smark, who'll watch and cheer for Danielson based on what he did in the Indy's, they'll turn their hatred to any heels that might feud with him. To a casual fan, Cole's actions create sympathy for Bryan, who comes across as a determined underdog.

Michael Cole is a heel sympathizer; it's his job to uncharacteristically agree with what the heels do, while belittling the faces... not just Bryan Danielson.

I understand what you are saying, but the thing is Cole is already hated by internet smarks, not only that your internet smarks are going to cheer for Bryan anyways, so in that sense there is really no need for Cole to constantly berate Bryan, the smarks are going to act that way anyways.

In regards to Cole being a heel sympathizer, while I do agree its his job to agree with what the heels do and to belittle the faces, there's a difference between belittling the face and saying he has no place in a wrestling ring. You can say Cole is a heel sympathizer, but outside of the Miz he doesn't really do that, its like he is a face for everyone else except Daniel Bryan because of the Miz, also I feel there is a difference between what your regular Heel commentator does to what Cole does. Cole is the only person I've ever heard that constantly berates the guy, even when he's not on camera (I watched Summerslam and RAW, he hasn't shut up about Bryan since he's been back, like non-stop berating). Not only that Cole is the only heel commentator that acts like the guy has no business in a WWE ring, and that's the part that I don't like, its OK for Cole to make fun of Danielsons persona and lifestyle (that's what a heel commentator should do) but saying he is an unworthy competitor is a completely different animal because when you do that you bury the guy to the casual fan instead of putting him over, internet smarks shouldn't be an issue because they'll cheer for Bryan anyways.