What's Up With Daniel Bryan?

[ActionJackson]

Mr. Money in the Bank isn't doing too well after winning the briefcase, after winning the MITB match, he has gone on to lose to Wade Barrett and Sin Cara. Is the WWE regretting their decision to have Bryan win the briefcase, or are they setting him up to lose it in the near future?

 

[#hamler]

I don't know what they have in store for Daniel Bryan. I thought the WWE would try to build him up to be a contender for the World Title, but sadly that isn't the case here. I'm thinking they're trying to make him look incredibly weak just to make it more unexpected when he does cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. However, that's been proven to fail in the past (Jack Swagger). Maybe they're trying to turn him into a heel or something. I don't really know. He needs to do something fast before everyone completely forgets who he is which won't help him win the World Title.

 

[frostbite2819]

Nah everybody remember it is losing streaks that have jump-started some hall of fame caliber careers..
i remember Jericho going on an epic losing streak in WCW and that is what made him a star.
be patient with this folks, wwe knows what they are doing, and although there is a solid 50-50 chance i will eat my words, but i just believe they are working a long-term, slow-build story arc for bryan, i still see him cashing in at mania, and win or lose he will likely put on a show-stealing effort that should make him a star.

 

[keehlnate]

Before, I was actually thinking that Daniel Bryan should lose some matches for him to cooldown a bit since he won that money in the bank. But I didn't expect that he will be on a losing streak for quite some time. He even lost cleanly to the fake Sin Cara

But he can regain his status anytime, since he has that briefcase.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

Typical WWE to push someone, then depush them. Hopefully, all this losing will lead to an eventual heel turn. That way, when he finally cashes in MITB, he'll actually win a championship. As it stands now, he's being booked too weak to win a title at WM. At this rate, he may be the first to lose when cashing in his briefcase. Sad, since he could be a huge star for WWE and could break out if given a chance...

 

[PunkNation26]

Bryan definitly has personality. He could do worked shoots like Punk does and get massively over. However, he was doomed the minute he set foot in WWE. For one, they won't let him use his actual name, Bryan Danielson, which prevents him from being who he is in a way.

His only hope on the mic is to turn heel against Little Jimmy and do worked shoot promos.

 

[arcticfox04]

He has the MITB he's fine. They're just throwing him on the back burner till the Royal Rumble. I'm sure he's getting prepared for the World Title shot @ WM. Even if all else fails they can always have his trainer Shawn Michaels at ringside for that extra pop.

He's the Matt Hardy of 2011 for the WWE except he has the MITB. He can give anyone a good believable match. Why push him when he can enhance and simply cash in and make that Mid to Main Event jump.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

He's the Matt Hardy of 2011

Err.. Matt Hardy probably doesn't want to be the Matt Hardy of 2011. So, is this a compliment or an insult?


Considering DB is the ONLY mid-carder with something already promised to him come Wrestlemania time, I don't see what is the big rush. He is doing what his is best at: putting on matches. There are much more important clogs in the machine at this time. Just because no one expects him to win once he cashes in because of a inherit cynicism among his fans; doesn't mean that the WWE has forgotten about that ugly blue thing he carries around.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

A potential heel turn is possible. During all of his matches, there's constant chatter between the commentators, especially Cole & Booker, about Bryan keeping his word and cashing in his MITB case at WrestleMania. Bryan has been on something of a losing streak and I just have a feeling that it's intentional not as a de-push but to be used to build Bryan up as a character at some point. He showed a lot of aggression and intensity in his match on SD! last week against the false Sin Cara. It's generally something we haven't see from Bryan.

With the losses, it's perfectly feesible that Bryan could be "frustrated" and decides to just crank it up several notches. It could lead to a heel turn.

Generally speaking, however, I'm not overly concerned to be honest. There's still a lot of time to WrestleMania and it's not like they're jobbing Bryan out to Heath Slater or Jinder Mahal or Percy Watson over on Superstars. He still has the MITB briefcase and all it'll take is for him to get a couple of big wins over some high profile guys and this "losing streak" will be be very quickly forgotten.

 

[davidimondi]

I was actually expecting Bryan to turn heel after he lost to Sin Cara that night on Smackdown instead of Sin Cara. Have him snap on Sin Cara and completely go off, beating the hell out of him. Then have him grab the mic and basically go off on how he's too nice and nice guys finish last. Have him talk about how he's been on a losing streak ever since he won MITB and that's going to end because it's no more Mr. Nice Guy and you're going to see a new Daniel Bryan, whether you like it or not. Then you can turn him into the typical heel opportunist with the briefcase and cash in before Mania.

 

[Gaz]

My worry is not just Bryan losing clean frequently. It's that he is being used to job in another story line in which he is not the main focused for the moment. I think he eventual needs to turn heel for his match at mania, assuming he does not cash in before. However as he is not going to amaze anyone with his mic skills i think it's important he is relevant for this heel turn. maybe challenging for a mid card title or as part of a tag team that splits?

Just throwing an idea out there but if Vince does not trust him to challenge for a world title at mania is it possible he could cash in for a match for a mid card title in a very personal feud ?

 

[XXJJ]

Whats up with Daniel Bryan? He is boring and bland with no gimmick. 90% of the WWE crowds dont give a shit about him. He seemed more over when he was actually fired.

He has a long way too go before you can buy into him as a credible champion.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

Whats up with Daniel Bryan? He is boring and bland with no gimmick. 90% of the WWE crowds dont give a shit about him. He seemed more over when he was actually fired.

He has a long way too go before you can buy into him as a credible champion.

I have to completely disagree with your logic here. Daniel Bryan is only boring b/c WWE never lets him talk on the mic, so it's difficult to establish a gimmick being buried. He clearly is one of the most talented in ring workers WWE has currently. Fans sometimes put too much emphasis on a character having a gimmick. Did Chris Benoit have a gimmick? No, but he didn't need one to get over since he was the best damn wrestler in WWE. Or what about Dean Malenko or Eddie Guerrero? For years in WCW they didn't have gimmicks, but their matches spoke for themselves.

Plus, you're judging the guy for WWE not having the common sense to push a talented in ring work. And if you saw the few times he actually has talked on the mic, he's been charismatic and very intelligable. Better than most guys who attempt to talk decently on the mic.

Of course, the real test for him being able to adapt and make a name for himself will be once he becomes champ. Either that or when he turns heel. Then, we'll see if he can carry himself on the mic. I personally think he can, it's only a matter of being given an opportunity.

 

[XXJJ]

I have to completely disagree with your logic here. Daniel Bryan is only boring b/c WWE never lets him talk on the mic, so it's difficult to establish a gimmick being buried. He clearly is one of the most talented in ring workers WWE has currently. Fans sometimes put too much emphasis on a character having a gimmick. Did Chris Benoit have a gimmick? No, but he didn't need one to get over since he was the best damn wrestler in WWE. Or what about Dean Malenko or Eddie Guerrero? For years in WCW they didn't have gimmicks, but their matches spoke for themselves.

Plus, you're judging the guy for WWE not having the common sense to push a talented in ring work. And if you saw the few times he actually has talked on the mic, he's been charismatic and very intelligable. Better than most guys who attempt to talk decently on the mic.

Of course, the real test for him being able to adapt and make a name for himself will be once he becomes champ. Either that or when he turns heel. Then, we'll see if he can carry himself on the mic. I personally think he can, it's only a matter of being given an opportunity.

I think since he went to SD they have been giving him time to talk. He doesn't have good mic skills. He is not a promo guy at all. The more he talks the more it hurts him. Unless he is shooting on Michael Cole.

It took Benoit a very long time to become WHC. Benoit had shit mic skills but he had more charisma than DB. His wolverine gimmick and just the intensity that he wrestled with eventually got him over, but it took a long time.

Dean Malenko is a very good comparison to Daniel Bryan. Malenko was never a WHC.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

I think since he went to SD they have been giving him time to talk. He doesn't have good mic skills. He is not a promo guy at all. The more he talks the more it hurts him. Unless he is shooting on Michael Cole.

It took Benoit a very long time to become WHC. Benoit had shit mic skills but he had more charisma than DB. His wolverine gimmick and just the intensity that he wrestled with eventually got him over, but it took a long time.

Dean Malenko is a very good comparison to Daniel Bryan. Malenko was never a WHC.

Actually, I've only seen DB get a couple times on the mic since his move to SD. Two times speaking on the mic is hardly getting the chance to shine or improve. The time his promo was shooting on Cole and talking about all his sacrifice was good to me, considering he rarely gets mic time. All I'm saying is I believe if he were given time to evolve, he could improve vastly on the mic.

Benoit was never a good mic guy, but it wasn't necessary. He didn't have to be the most charismatic guy, since his intensity and great matches did all the talking for him. And so far, DB has been able to put on good matches in both the mid card, and in the few matches he's had with bigger stars. So, in a similar manner, I think it's only a matter of time before Daniel Bryan is pushed just b/c he's such a talented in ring worker.

Malenko may be a more accurate comparison, but Malenko never was able to adapt on the mic. DB may be able to do that, if WWE gives him more than an occasional 5 minute speech every few months. It's kinda unfair to say DB will never be a promo guy this early in his WWE career. But much in the same way Malenko didn't have to rely on mic skills to have great matches, if DB never improved, his in ring work speaks for itself...

 

[IT Factor]

I like Daniel Bryan and think he can do wonders as a main eventer on Smackdown. Yeah, he's limited on the mic. So what? Past champs have been limited either with mic skills or in the ring. One out of two isn't bad. At least putting Bryan into the WHC picture would freshen things up and limit doing the same old feud over and over. I'm optimistic that DB will end up being a great main eventer. But, WWE's track record on pushing new stars and sticking with them isn't that great.

 

[ActionJackson]

Benoit was never a good mic guy, but it wasn't necessary. He didn't have to be the most charismatic guy, since his intensity and great matches did all the talking for him.

This makes me hope that the WWE makes Bryan a fierce, "I'm going to win by making you tap," character. This makes sense, DB is trying to take the Zack Ryder approach to building a fan base, however, a tap out win over some heel such as Mark Henry or Christian would hopefully put him into top tier status.

 

[Isaac Kaye]

I was starting to think they had lost faith in him quite frankly. That was until the announce team mentioned his losing streak on SD last Friday, which is usually a sign they aren't just jobbing him out for the sake of it. It seems like a strange way to build his credibility, but as some people have said, this has worked in the past.

It's quite some time til Mania, so if that is actually when they're planning to have him cash in, they have plenty of time to build him up again. I sincerely doubt he will enter any title match however where he isn't the overwhelming underdog.

Bryan's problem is that his heat has gone completely out of the window in recent weeks, mainly due to him losing all the time, but he still struggles to gain much heat whatsoever, and he ring entrance remains distinctly uninspriring. I'd love to see more intensity and connection with the crowd. He is a babyface for christs sake!

He's lost in the shuffle at the moment, and it obvious that there's quite a few guys they hold in higher regard at the moment. I'm keen to see where they go from here, I really am.

 

[PPVRVD]

Daniel Bryan is so under utilized. The guy is so talented. He brings a lot to the table, and they could really hit the ball out of the park with him. So what is going on? They don't see him as a contender? what the hell? Another talent will go to waste if something is not done. The Miz sucks and he got the title. How can a guy who sucks and is mediocre at best get a shot, then you have a guy who has been in the business and is way more talented than the Miz, yet he is being kept down.

Okay, it is fair to say most of the people are sick of John Cena. Take him out of the title picture for awhile. Give other talents a chance. Put Daniel Bryan in there and let him run with the ball. The problem is WWE is not letting the talent be the talent and they are only giving the ball to certain people. To the biggest ***kissers in the locker room. Some of those ***kissers don't even belong in the title picture.

 

[Pedigree1]

Its really a shame they dont recongnize the talent this man has!! He definitely could wrestle circles around 90% of the roster i say give him a chance let him run with the ball!! See what happens but i dont think vinnie mac and the staff are too high on him so hence the reason why he is where hes at

 

[TheKliq4Life]

http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/frustrated-bryan-fires-back

See, this is what Bryan needs: more mic time/intensity! It was interesting watching him respond about his losing streak.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

This makes me hope that the WWE makes Bryan a fierce, "I'm going to win by making you tap," character. This makes sense, DB is trying to take the Zack Ryder approach to building a fan base, however, a tap out win over some heel such as Mark Henry or Christian would hopefully put him into top tier status.

That would be a refreshing way for WWE to use him, since he already had the submission demo on Youtube a while back. But again, instead of using that to their advantage, they had Michael Cole mock it as usual.

With DB's studying of submissions, it would be nice to see WWE push him as one of the most deadliest submission wrestlers of all time. Assuming that WWE could stop Cole burying him long enough to get him over.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." is the saying, however, no matter how skilled the wrestler, no one will come close to ZR status, not even Cena, I shall dare say. DB, granted he's come through in pinches, Summerslam 2010, but internet fame can be very fleeting. I dare say that he may be suffering from getting TOO comfortable. He did seem to be damn near impenetrable leading up to his win at MITB 2011. Then making such an exclamation of when he was going to cash it in gave me flashbacks to when Kennedy won, and then no more then a few days later, he lost it to Edge. I almost wonder if he had to have pissed someone off backstage or made some assumptions that just because you have MITB briefcase that you are set. In actuality, nothing is really guaranteed, even though I dislike Mysterio, he had the belt for a total of 2 hours on one RAW episode to drop it to Cena. Then you have DelRio who drops it after a month!! I mean there's no guarantee when you have a belt/contract for a title. Besides, in my humble opinion, it should've been either Barrett or Rhodes to win that SD MITB. Just saying.

 

[Wicked Valentine]

From what i've heard around the web WWE might be setting him up for a heel turn. which i guess makes sense but i really don't like how they're doing it. Making him lose continually makes him look really really weak no matter what he won or how.

Unless he gets some sort of a winning steak after he turns heel (which does sound like a good idea to me) i don't see the point of burying him like this.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

I never liked WWE's fascination with having someone on a losing streak as a way of explaining a heel turn. If a character loses on a consistent basis and is buried like DB, then his credibility goes way down. Thus making it almost impossible for them to fully recover. Remember MVP? They buried him for the better part of a year and he eventually got nowhere(other than asking for a release). The point being is either get behind DB or stop wasting TV time. Since he won the MITB briefcase for SD this year, clearly someone high up sees something special in him. Why bother with burying him, then turning him? Kinda seems backwards and not a very sound strategy IMO.