enviousdominous
Behold my diction
Daniel Bryan's improbable journey to the main event of WrestleMania is granted, very carefully, to his die-hard fan base.
Being in the right place in the right time as a means of realizing your dreams involves taking a huge risk by breaking out of your shell and venturing into unknown territory. "YES" is a book that recognizes the unique and highly unlikely journey that one man had to take to be that one in a million lightweight contender to earn a spot in the main event of Vince McMahon's biggest show of the year.
Daniel Bryan's book was very enjoyable for a mark like me to read, in that it took me down a familiar path as I've been following him since his ROH days. For those with a vested interest in what life is like for a performer who depends on independent bookings to afford life's necessities, this book presents that struggle in an amusing way while taking every opportunity to explain Daniel Bryan's humble nature.
There are no chapters filled with angst toward another performer, this book isn't an excuse to vent frustration and demonize anyone else. While most of us (including me) relish that kind of gossip, this book will instead respect your intelligence and expect you to recognize that some of us keep our minds on the good things in life while recognizing the bad things in life as learning experiences for how we could have behaved differently to prevent them.
Curiously absent is Daniel Bryan's run as a coach during NXT season 3, though I'm sure that we all pretty much know why the WWE wouldn't want that in a book that's likely to be a best seller.
Every chapter is prefaced with a mini-chapter describing the chaos and adventure of preparing for and participating in WrestleMania 30. When reading about Daniel's setbacks and moments of disappointment, it's nice to be reminded that we are reading about the life of someone who would eventually become a perennial WWE fan favorite.
My favorite part of this book is the Epilogue, which I was honestly reluctant to read because that's usually the least interesting part of a book. Daniel describes the coming down of having just lived every prospective pro-wrestler's wildest dream, and relaxing into his honeymoon. I'm sure most of you can guess what, in the last few paragraphs of that section, really grabbed me by the throat. It was special because it reflected on the journey as one that was real, in realizing something entirely fictional.
In the final sentence of the epilogue, it struck a chord with me. Daniel Bryan is a fake name, of a performer who plays in a fake sport, who earned fake championships by fake beating his fake opponents. In the final sentence, which I expect some of you to look up on your own or already be aware of, it resonated with me that everything fake about Daniel Bryan wouldn't exist if Bryan Danielson had ever compromised who he is and what he believes.
I encourage everyone to enjoy or suffer through "YES". Love it, hate it or show complete indifference toward it. I believe that directly or indirectly, you'll be a better fan for it.
Being in the right place in the right time as a means of realizing your dreams involves taking a huge risk by breaking out of your shell and venturing into unknown territory. "YES" is a book that recognizes the unique and highly unlikely journey that one man had to take to be that one in a million lightweight contender to earn a spot in the main event of Vince McMahon's biggest show of the year.
Daniel Bryan's book was very enjoyable for a mark like me to read, in that it took me down a familiar path as I've been following him since his ROH days. For those with a vested interest in what life is like for a performer who depends on independent bookings to afford life's necessities, this book presents that struggle in an amusing way while taking every opportunity to explain Daniel Bryan's humble nature.
There are no chapters filled with angst toward another performer, this book isn't an excuse to vent frustration and demonize anyone else. While most of us (including me) relish that kind of gossip, this book will instead respect your intelligence and expect you to recognize that some of us keep our minds on the good things in life while recognizing the bad things in life as learning experiences for how we could have behaved differently to prevent them.
Curiously absent is Daniel Bryan's run as a coach during NXT season 3, though I'm sure that we all pretty much know why the WWE wouldn't want that in a book that's likely to be a best seller.
Every chapter is prefaced with a mini-chapter describing the chaos and adventure of preparing for and participating in WrestleMania 30. When reading about Daniel's setbacks and moments of disappointment, it's nice to be reminded that we are reading about the life of someone who would eventually become a perennial WWE fan favorite.
My favorite part of this book is the Epilogue, which I was honestly reluctant to read because that's usually the least interesting part of a book. Daniel describes the coming down of having just lived every prospective pro-wrestler's wildest dream, and relaxing into his honeymoon. I'm sure most of you can guess what, in the last few paragraphs of that section, really grabbed me by the throat. It was special because it reflected on the journey as one that was real, in realizing something entirely fictional.
In the final sentence of the epilogue, it struck a chord with me. Daniel Bryan is a fake name, of a performer who plays in a fake sport, who earned fake championships by fake beating his fake opponents. In the final sentence, which I expect some of you to look up on your own or already be aware of, it resonated with me that everything fake about Daniel Bryan wouldn't exist if Bryan Danielson had ever compromised who he is and what he believes.
I encourage everyone to enjoy or suffer through "YES". Love it, hate it or show complete indifference toward it. I believe that directly or indirectly, you'll be a better fan for it.
