The Compliment Sandwich: Daniel Bryan

[Dave]

So, this is the latest in my series of threads that encourage people to really look at a subject matter and get to grips on what they really think about something. The way it works is very simple. You state something that you like about the subject matter. It could be something as simple as how they look or how much they make you enjoy something. After that, you simply state something that you do not like about the subject matter. Again, it could be anything. After that, you, simply round it off with something positive.

Simple as that

Next to come under the spotlight of The Compliment Sandwich is Daniel Bryan, a man who calls himself the American Dragon. A man who has prided himself on his journey to the WWE and the resultant journey within the organisation. A man who, many believe brings more to the WWE than flippy moves. He comes under the periscope right now!

Daniel Bryan, as a wrestler, is probably the most talented Champion since Mr Perfect an Bret Hart and that is the long and short of it. I should clarify that though, he is a fantastic wrestler but there is more to being a professional wrestler than just having a great array of moves that you can call on. However, if the WWE judged talent on who can pull off the most intelligent matches and who has the most wrestling talent, Daniel Bryan would be headlining WrestleMania this year and every other year in the future. He really has something special in his repertoire and it pleases me that he is now getting the opportunity to show what he has on the big stage. Not only is supremely talented in the ring, he has had the fans behind him for his entire WWE run with very little effort whatsoever.

Speaking of no effort whatsoever, his charisma is completely underwhelming and that is the big negative with Daniel Bryan. Since his début with the WWE, I have yet to see him do a promo that I have cared about. The closest he came to pulling it off was a promo with the Miz on NXT. However, it was the Miz that was doing all of the heavy lifting, so to speak. He was the one that was getting the fans involved with the promo and he was the one that was entertaining us. One would have thought that Daniel Bryan would have taken some lessons from superstars like The Miz, who have managed to make a better career for himself through his stick work. In all honesty, I think it was the biggest reason that The Miz was paired with Bryan in NXT but he hasn't been able to capitalize on that and remains less charismatic than a damp carrot.

That being said, he knows how to entertain the fans when he gets in the ring. No one will call him boring when they see him perform and that is a tremendous strength. As soon as he was finished with the Nexus and actually got down to wrestling matches, he managed to show us how talented he was. He has made a great United States Champion and it comes as no surprise that he has held it for so long. He deserves to be mentioned amongst the names of United States Champions that have gone before him and he is becoming a credible champion without having to do much talking. It is quite incredible.

 

[CleverName51]

Daniel Bryan is quite honestly one of the best in ring performers in the game today

Daniel's personality leaves a lot to be desired in terms of being able to carry an entertaining interview and be charismatic

DB's vegan lifestyle and all could be used to make him a good PG role model for the kiddies.

 

[Xemmy]

In my opinion, Daniel Bryan is Chris Beniot Reborn. He has all the wrestling talent needed to be a World Heavyweight Champion. He's brought a crediblity back to the United States Championship- I actually WANT to see United States Title Matches again. He never has a boring match, and his gimmick and entrance music bring something that's not quite unique, but something that the other guys don't do. He's the blue collar guy. A fighting champion that comes off as an average Joe, not a "superstar".

But Daniel Bryan's fueds have been lack luster. He can cut a promo when he tries, especially when he's angry- but he never talks. And we haven't seen one out of him in awhile. Whether it's due to lack of actual mic skills, or lack of realistic opponents- either could be argued, but his fueds and storylines have been dreadful since coming back with the exception of the fued with Miz.

However, Bryan still worth watching because despite having only one good fued, he's still had dozens of great matches. Aside from being the best "wrestler" in the WWE right now, he's also got a great underdog look even though when he's in the ring, it comes off as believable if he wins in a squash match. It's a little strange to explain, but he just has "it". Looking at how impressive and exciting his matches are, he may very well go down in history as one of the greatest United States Champions of all time.

 

[Iversen]

Daniel Bryan is the guy that if the WWE decided to go back to focusing on pure wrestling ability they could build a company around.

As has been said his personality/promo skills leaves a bit to be desired and he's currently feuding with the Bellas...

However a decent length match with Bryan in it can not fail to be enjoyable because not only is he one of the best wrestlers in the world he's also one of the best in ring psychologists and he makes his matches more entertaining that 99% of people can purely by his movement in the ring.

 

[Remix]

He's a phenominal wrestler

He is not a star. To elaborate, he does not look like a world champion nor is his look marketable, he is not good enough on the mic to build up interest in a feud and since he's not Benoit he's not good enough in the ring to overcome that.

There's really nothing I can say that isn't just hammering home "he's a good wrestler" so I'll call him a garanteed MOTN whenever he's given time to perform.

 

[rowingisgood11]

This guy probably is my favorite wrestlers right now. He puts on shows in every match he is involved in and he does just about everything in the ring. He is a submission artist, awesome technical wrestler, and does some high flying moves like his suicide dive last week through the ropes in his tag team match.

But he does lack a voice. When he speaks he sounds a bit uncertain about what to say and sounds to fake. Luckily, this is something that can simply be fixed and with his skill set, I wouldn't care about his mic skills and as long he puts on matches like he has been doing.

 

[Coco]

He's the most exciting worker in the entire WWE today with no exceptions. He has adapted very well to working on television and is a guaranteed MOTN when given the time to do his thing.

Most people will never be willing to look past his size, his non-WWE look, and his non-WWE mic skills. He is very marketable and has what he needs to be a star, but people's hang ups on small guys who don't talk like The Rock will hurt him more than is fair.

If given the chance, he's got the opportunity to become one of the most versatile, unique acts the WWE has ever had. If management realizes what they have here, we're in for some serious entertainment and will have our new Shawn Michaels-esque "Showstopper." As either a heel or a face, Bryan would be able to do more damage at the top of the card than most WWE fans realize.

 

[Slack]

Ok let me try this.

He's a great in ring performer. When he's in the ring, like many said there aren't many that can touch him.

He's boring out of the ring. When he's in a feud, the opponent has to lead and make the feud interesting.

And this is going to sound like it's countering the 2nd point, but I find him to be entertaining out of the wrestling element of his game, but only when he's with Derek Bateman. Yes call me crazy, but I like the segments that those two do. Kind of reminds me of the Snow/Blackman stuff. When those two are together, I laugh because it's like the odd couple.

 

[Burnout]

Daniel Bryan. Where do I start. He's fantastic in the ring. Exceptional even. He's technical, he's quick, he's a submission master, his kicks are up there with the best and he's not afraid to fly. He makes matches work, like his matches with Ziggler awhile back. Easily, either matches stole the show. At that point, I knew, DB is going to be a huge star for the future. Given the time, he will always provide a masterpiece inside the squared circle, and will not dissapoint. His mic skills, I actually find them enjoyable, at times he sounds unsure, but once he's given that bit more time, he'll speak like a star. He has an ability to get the crowd going insane for a match, which very few people have, and he may not get huge pops on his entrance, by the time he's given a few minutes in the ring, the whole crowd is cheering him on.

He's abit small, Vince likes his big guys, and I'm sure there'll be times where DB is shoved under the rug to make way for a big guy. There's not a huge amount of guys that can really bring out the best in Bryan, so for the best fueds, he's going to need someone like Punk or Ziggler to go at it with.

I personally think he has a great look, he looks like an underdog, and I really like that about him. His attire is nice, and is a big improvment on the plain purple.

 

[Lucha-Libre is wrestling]

I like Daniel Bryan, he is great in the ring and I see a lot of Chris Benoit in him and some William Regal. As a face Daniel Bryan looks nerdy and weak out of the ring and on the mic. I think he can be a great heel, he show flashes of a heel attitude during his feud with Michael Cole on NXT and also when Nexus debuted.

 

[Pro Wrestling is FAKE]

Well yes, DBD is an excellent wrestler.. But i don't think we have to compare him with Benoit right now..

From da mo CB entered WWE[f], he had da look of a murderer on his face [No pun intended].. He looked like he could knock your teeth down your throat or crack your skull if you pissed him off.. And he had ripped musculature to boast his face-set..

Now look at DBD.. He's much more minuscule.. My nephew saw him on TV and said that "HE IS A CHAMP?? WHOM DID HE BEAT?? HORNSWOGGLE??" True, da guy is a genius when it comes to in ring activity but he doesnt have the aggression attached to it..

I would say push him like Indies [The fans used to chant "YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR FUCKING HEAD KNOCKED OFF" at his opponents].. Allow him to destroy his opponents and you could have a mini Wolverwine gracing your ring...

 

[LSN80]

There's nobody Id rather see open a PPV on the WWE roster. I don't care if it's the Rock at Wrestlemania, id rather see Bryan and an opponent he can carry to a 4 star match open the show. Bryan's been in the ring with every type from the mat based wrestler(Ziggler) to the ground and pound wrestler(DiBiase), to the old veteran(Regal), and has made each of them look like gold, and given me a sense of satisfaction that so far, my money has been well worth it.

Unfortunately, wrestling ability alone isn't the only thing that truly carries a superstar within WWE. Nothing about Daniel Bryan outside of his wrestling ability stands out and screams "it" factor, which makes it hard for me to picture him rising above the mid-card. He doesn't have the facial features, the body-type, the natural charisma, or the flair that most successful wrestlers have. Even his t-shirt screams bland, which is what he appears to be in many ways outside of the ring.

That's not to say Bryan can't talk, and doesn't have a good personality or decent mic skills. He demonstrated that he can talk during his war with Michael Cole on NXT, later on with the Miz, and finally with Dolph Ziggler to set up their match at Bragging Rights. Bryan showed intensity, personality, and likeability, three important factors when it comes to carrying oneself in a promo. Although I stated earlier that I was skeptical that he would ever become a World Champion, it's moments like these that I just mentioned that leave me with hope that one day, he just might be.

 

[CelticCorey]

He has done a terrific job bringing prestige and credibility back to the U.S. Title. He has looked terrific in defeat and has won most of his matches since becoming U.S. Champ more than not. The matches he puts on are amazing.

I'm going to say that it's not his fault; but WWE's. I know a lot of people may think it's wrong to put blame on the company and not the wrestler; but look at the promo he cut on CZW. Was that promo scripted? I can't say it was or wasn't; but if my life depended on it, I would say it wasn't. You see where I am going with this? Stop scripting promos WWE. It stunts character development and I think we could have better promo cutters if guys could fron the heart.


I could see a title reign for Daniel Bryan. What about his size? It isn't a hinderance for Mysterio. Would I go to a wrestling show to see this guy? Yes. Would I pay money for his merchandise? Yes. He may not draw others; but he could draw me.

 

[Alastor]

He is one of the best in the ring in the WWE right now. He is able to make even the shortest of matches exciting to watch and longer matches seem way too short. His ability to bring out the best in his opponents is praise worthy.

His mannerism outside the ringsis awkward and will be the next 'ultimate underdog' but unlike Mysterio, his gimmick is being extra aggressive in the ring which doesn't suit the underdog tag very well. He just doesn't connect with the majority of the causal fans outside of the ring, no catchy music, no catchphrases (wwe) and no identity yet.

Benoit was deem as not being able to connect with the audience outside the ring but eventually made it to the top and had a great year at the top as well. With his history with the Miz and the Miz being seen as part of the future of the company, Bryan could yet play a major role iin the main event of the WWE in the future.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Compliment

As everyone else has said, his wrestling ability. There is not much more I can add than what has already been stated, but I will just say that as a pure WRESTLER, there are few- if any better in the business. Bryan is a technical master, perhaps only Kurt Angle can rival him.

Criticism

His complete lack of charisma. He looks bland, has an unimpressive physique, and does not have the traditional WWE look of a star. If anything will hold him back, it will be this. I know he does his talking in the ring, but he does need to work on this if he is to become a major-league star.

Compliment

He has been able to adapt his style to fit in with the requirements of the WWE. Some of his ROH matches were bloody wars, with brutal elbows to the head and some other things which would not be suitable in the WWE. However, Bryan has enough ability to alter his moveset to meet the requirements of Vince McMahon, and therefore has become ain important member of the roster

 

[Sparky]

I like db, He puts on some very good matches, he would have to be one of the best wrestlers on raw.

His gimmick isn't just doing it for me, It's the one thing holding him back at the moment. "geeky wrestler" I just fail to see it.

He is giving a reason for people to compete for the belt, and he is starting to put some prestige back into it. people was saying having some Main eventers competing over the title would be the best way to make it a credible belt, but I think DB is doing perfect as long as he gets into a decent fued every now and then...