Daniel Bryan is winning me over.
In reality, D. Bry is a hard-working pro wrestler that climbed the ladder "the right way". He was described by many as one of the bests in the world and as a result, WWE took notice and gave him a shot. It didn't stop there.
Vince McMahon didn't have to strap Bryan with the World Heavyweight Championship, yet he did. It makes me question reports of Vince and Hunter disliking Daniel Bryan and Stephanie being his only fan. I would imagine that if Vince felt strongly against Bryan, for any reason, it wouldn't matter a lick what his daughter thinks. Then again, it is only Smackdown and their version of the world title.
I'm not saying the reports don't have at least some truth to them, but from the outside looking in, it appears like Daniel Bryan is getting a decent chance to succeed at a high level in Vince's company. And from what I can tell, Bryan is making the most of it. The transition from underdog babyface to cocky, smug heel has gone very well and he seems to be more comfortable playing the part. Most importantly, fans actually seem to care now.
I was never a huge Daniel Bryan fan. Then again, great "wrestling" only matters so much to me. Great personality and storytelling are the qualities most important to me as a fan. A well-wrestled match doesn't mean anything if I don't care about the two wrestling or the story that got them there. For the longest time, Daniel Bryan couldn't SELL me on anything he was doing. And the fact that he had so many people singing his praises at every turn, I think, made me resent him even more.
I'm coming around. Daniel Bryan has proven to me that he has the potential. However, he can't be given full credit. It wasn't until he started turning heel that I became invested at all. Creative putting him in the right situations, followed up by him delivering in those situations, is why I can now see a more promising future for DB when I couldn't before.
The question I have now is not whether Daniel Bryan is capable. He is, in the right circumstances. My concern is the timing of everything going forward. This Sunday marks the beginning of the "Road to WrestleMania". It's no secret that Vince wants most of his 'Mania plans laid out well in advance. Especially when it comes to the main event matches on the card.
Is Daniel Bryan included in those plans? Should he be?
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
