Legitimate reasons not to push "over" stars?

[Uncle Sam]

Daniel Bryan was booked into a disaster match at WM to get Sheamus over, which backfired anyway because no one wanted to see Sheamus as WHC. Ever since then hes sunk back down to the midcard, which is where he belongs. Dont get me wrong, hes talented in the ring, but he hasnt been around long enough to hold a major title. WWE made the same mistake with him they made with Del Rio, they allowed someone's outside popularity affect their careers within the WWE. Dropping a word title on someone who hasnt been around for long and hasnt done anything significant to earn it is going to hurt the product down the line.

Vince's grudge against anyone who gets themselves over without WWE's help is what cut Ryder's push short. If Vince pushes him, every Joe Shmoe is going to start a web show and expect the same results. Vince wants to push a guy because he feels the person has earned it, not because the internet demands him.

Daniel Bryan hasn't relied on 'outside popularity' - he's proven he's one of the best professional wrestlers in the world; in the ring; with a microphone; even on commentary... when talking about bears. Kofi Kingston's a midcarder. R-Truth's a midcarder. Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger - midcarders. Daniel Bryan is a main eventer. Daniel Bryan is comfortably skilled enough and popular enough. Oh, and he's been with WWE three years now. John Cena won his first WWE title in under three years.

Internet people aren't ghosts. Money from people with an internet connection is the same as money from people without one. Shit, people with an internet connection probably have PayPal - you can make money from them even quicker. What Zack Ryder proved is that internet popularity can translate into real popularity: selling t-shirts, putting asses in seats, getting televisions turned on, getting everybody in Madison Square Garden to fist pump in unison. Ryder could have got over by giving handjobs in the parking lot after the shows, what does it matter? Money is money. It's just childish to stomp your feet and go, "No! No! I don't want these stacks of cash! They come from the wrong kind of people!"

 

[H33LTurn]

Daniel Bryan hasn't relied on 'outside popularity' - he's proven he's one of the best professional wrestlers in the world; in the ring; with a microphone; even on commentary... when talking about bears. Kofi Kingston's a midcarder. R-Truth's a midcarder. Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger - midcarders. Daniel Bryan is a main eventer. Daniel Bryan is comfortably skilled enough and popular enough. Oh, and he's been with WWE three years now. John Cena won his first WWE title in under three years.

I give you the fact that hes talented in the ring, but hes nothing amazing on the mic. It all comes down to, do people want to see this man as WHC? DO you really want him leading the company? I think that many dont see him as a legitimate world title contender. Being talented in the ring has nothing to do with putting asses in seats, Cena has proven that. Cena was only catapulted to the spotlight because Lesnar left, otherwise it would've taken him a while longer to win a world title. DBry is good, but hes nothing special.

 

[ThisisBDub]

The problem is - Daniel Bryan is good enough to get himself over. He learned from the best (HBK) and performed to audiences all around the world. He knows what gets himself over.

Daniel Bryan went to a wrestling school hosted by HBK, he was never trained by HBK. He was trained by William Regal but because he's not a name in WWE's eyes they had to say he was trained by Shawn thus making Daniel Bryan look more legitimate. He did go to a wrestling school hosted by HBK but thats it...WWE should say that Daniel Bryan gave Shawn money to be trained by trainers at his school.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I give you the fact that hes talented in the ring, but hes nothing amazing on the mic.

This is where you and I are going to have to disagree. I don't know what we've been doing up until this point, but we're definitely disagreeing now. Oh, yes. Daniel Bryan is easily one of the most charismatic wrestlers in WWE: he's funny, he's passionate, he even has good diction. Hell No certainly didn't get popular because of their in-ring shenanigans. Bryan might still be chased by this stigma as an "indie guy", who therefore can wrestle but can't say two words without dislocating his jaw, but it's the complete opposite of reality. You would have thought that would have gone out the window with CM Punk.

It all comes down to, do people want to see this man as WHC? DO you really want him leading the company? I think that many dont see him as a legitimate world title contender.

Here's the list of the three people currently in world title contention:

• Alberto Del Rio
• Jack Swagger
• Dolph Ziggler

Don't get me wrong, I like these three guys; I certainly like Jack Swagger a hell of a lot more than most people do. That said, this is the reaction they get when they step in the ring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnMI64kXQA8

There's nothing sacred about the world heavyweight title, particularly right now, and Daniel Bryan is tiers above the current contenders in popularity.

Being talented in the ring has nothing to do with putting asses in seats, Cena has proven that. Cena was only catapulted to the spotlight because Lesnar left, otherwise it would've taken him a while longer to win a world title. DBry is good, but hes nothing special.

When the crowd isn't littered with YES YES YES, NO NO NO and, coming this June, MAYBE MAYBE MAYBE t-shirts, and the entire capacity of MetLife Stadium isn't standing up to join in on a "Yes!" chant, I'll agree that Daniel Bryan doesn't put asses in seats. I'd talk more about how I think John Cena is very talented in the ring, but that's a whole other mess.

If Daniel Bryan is nothing special, WWE is fucked - few others compare to him in wrestling skill, in charisma and, perhaps most significantly, in popularity.