I have no idea when or if you'll get around to reading this. Something I find slightly humorous is that since Summerslam maybe slightly before when they really starting going strong with this Daniel Bryan push is that all of the fanboys on the internet are VERY invested in this guy. Its almost like they're eight years old and its the eighties again.
Daniel gets a title shot and they all love and cheer it as the greatest thing ever, HHH turns on him and they all despise him, Daniel Bryan does a heel turn and joins the Wyatts and they react how five year olds would have reacted if Hogan joined the Heenan Family.
Its very funny to me to watch these proud smarks get reduced to nothing more than marks when it comes to their favorite wrestler. Also I don't remember ANYONE getting this invested in CM Punk and say what you want but CM Punk got a lot stronger of a push and never got the reactions Bryan got. Of course the last year or so he's just a guy going through the motions and seems to be in full on not giving shit mode.
Anyway its incredible that no matter how old we are and no matter how many WON newsletters we read Vince can still work them over.
Sure, but we WANT to get invested in someone. It's been a long time since someone has actually captured the imagination of the fanbase like Bryan has and made people feel personally tied to him. And thus that's the guy that should get pushed! Can you imagine if Vince had been this stubborn in 1983 and kept Bob Backlund on top for another three years while people were screaming for Hogan? Wrap your head around that -- Backlund was champion for six years and people thought that was an eternity back then. And now Cena has been the top guy for another three years on top of THAT!
Is this the third Bryan email today?
ReplyDeleteHow is Vince working them (or us) over? It's the COMPLETE OPPOSITE.
ReplyDeleteVince and company do not want to push Daniel Bryan at all. If they did, they would've done it in 2012 after he got jobbed at WrestleMania and was featured on every website imaginable for like 2 straight months.
They've been doing everything they can to make sure Bryan is not the guy and the FANS have basically said, f-that, give us Bryan. Heck, they cut the Wyatt angle short because of it.
I wrote this back in July but it still applies: http://stholeary.blogspot.com/2013/07/yes-yes-yes-daniel-bryan-has-made-me.html Daniel Bryan is the 21st century superstar, because he appeals to the kids (kayfabe underdog) and the smarts (real life underdog).
They could run Bryan as the plucky babyface champion against a string of bad guys for the next 3 years and print money. But Vince doesn't see Bryan as the face of Marine 4 or whatever.
I have to agree. I haven't been emotionally attached to wrestling in a very long time... years. Summer of Punk got me interested again, but Daniel Bryan has be hooked. I smile when he's on screen. I want to hear what he says and love watching him wrestle. I wonder if I didn't find him in ROH first, if it would have mattered to me at all. He was the reason I got hooked on ROH for a while (and Delirious was a guilty pleasure but that's besides the point).
ReplyDeleteI haven't been up in arms about anything that's happened, but count me in as a person who wants Daniel Bryan as WWE World Heavyweight Champion to close WM.
I got it with Bret at X.
I got it with Benoit at XX.
... and I want it with Bryan at XXX.
As Scott's pointed out multiple times in his reviews, there is a distinct difference between "This bad guy in an asshole. Someone please beat him up." heat, and "WHY THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE THEY DOING THIS STUPID SHIT?" heat. Bryan and Punk's storylines went off the intended rail, and thats why the fanbase gets pissed, not because Triple H/Randy Orton/the parade of people inserted into Summer of Punk as heat leeches are effective jobs at being the heel that eventually gets his.
ReplyDeleteWWE does not care about their fanbase, and the proof lies in the fact they see Bryan and Punk as an internet fad, not realizing there are plenty of fans who can't spell Meltzer and Alvarez that desperately want GOOD IN RING ACTION set up by GOOD OUT OF RING STORYTELLING.
Don't give me this shit about "Oh Punk got a year long title reign you should be thrilled." What did it lead to? NOTHING! Rock/Cena II drew less money than the previous encounter! Punk only became over for reasons that did not pertain to the booking, and could've been made into a megastar if he went over the Rock on a PPV that could've been hyped and meant something!
They did do that story, when John Cena got to pick his SummerSlam opponent and the crowd chanted Bryan for the whole last segment of Raw.
ReplyDeleteThey blew it.
Just giving the people what they want... Bryan by the barrel full.
ReplyDeleteIt's best for blog business.
... but WWE wanted that result. They milked it.
ReplyDelete"Its very funny to me to watch
ReplyDeletethese proud smarks get reduced to nothing more than marks when it comes
to their favorite wrestler."
Parks and Recreation is very funny to me. Also Bob's Burgers. If you like laughing as much as I do, I recommend trying one of those shows.
Watching Hillbilly Jim brutally murder homeless people is also hilarious.
ReplyDeleteBob's Burgers makes me laugh more than marks.
ReplyDeleteCount me as a guy who wants someone other than John Cena. It does not necessarily have to be Daniel Bryan. I am perfectly fine with Bryan giving us ***** matches from the bottom, middle or top of the card, wherever he is slotted in. But it's time to hitch the train to someone other than Cena, Orton, etc. Really, thanks to Vince Russo, the titles really mean squat to me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's funny to me that some guy claims that he laughs at smarks, and then is going to a message board headed by the anointed king of smarks to tell him he laughs at smarks.
I am not on the Lynch John Cena Bandwagon. He is a guy making the best out of a situation where literally the only thing he will ever get is money. He takes fan abuse, a divorce, having to occasionally deal with Nikki Bella non-sexually, frequent criticism, and a wave of condescending laughter from the mainstream press with his head held high and the dignity of a Caesar amongst the hordes. But he is misused. He is the company's #1 babyface and acts like a dick, and not in a badass anti-hero kind of way. Cena should always be a marquee guy. He earned it. But his credibility is not fragile. He has not been made inferior because Daniel Bryan kneed him into a 3 count. He can make people. So can Triple H, who has plenty of spare credibility to give to another wrestler that needs it. He didn't even put Sheamus over at WM and Sheamus was like Batista V2 to him backstage! These people did not get the hint when Steve Austin said in 2002 "Your company is a chunk of shit, fuck you, I'm out.", and they didn't get the hint when the Nexus came along, and now they aren't getting this even more gapingly obvious hint.
ReplyDeleteJust that was posted! I feel bad for Scott! Please send all future Daniel Bryan letters/questions/booing scenarios/indiegogos to find Bryans fledgling wrestling career to smarksthatcare@rspwfaq.net
ReplyDeleteI prefer watching Hillbilly Jim gently murmur to homeless people that everything will be okay. Then he square-dances with them and hires them to do odd jobs around his farm. Hillbilly Jim is a great man.
ReplyDeleteIf by odd jobs you mean sexual favors then you are correct.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused because first Daniel Bryan was my favorite wrestler. But then everyone here talked about him so match that I started to feel the backlash and get kind of tired of him. But then I got burnt out from people complaining about other people talking about Bryan too much and I wanted to see Bryan do well again. But now, with the Wyatt turn/return, I feel like we're getting unrealistic about Bryan's role in the company again and I kind of felt like maybe he needs to be taken down a peg. But I really want to like him because he's a good wrestler...
ReplyDeleteI don't know who I am anymore.
If by "sexual favors" you mean bailing some hay and then not giving anyone a saliva-lube handjob, then I think we're on the same page.
ReplyDeleteI like Bryan but I probably wouldn't put him in my top 5 current WWE wrestler or anything like that. But I recognize he needs to win the Rumble and win the title at 30 even if I rather someone like Punk did it as a fan.
ReplyDeleteWho's your top 5 current?
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to stay on top of which backlash is currently trending.
ReplyDeleteIf by "bailing some hay" you mean he hides the severed limbs of his victims, then I roger that.
ReplyDeleteIf only there was an app to help me keep track.
ReplyDeleteLesnar, Punk, Reigns, Cesaro, Big E probably.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the '95 card get major love
ReplyDeleteNah, the app would be popular for a while and we'd all talk about it, but then we'd get sick of it and there would be a backlash against the backlash app.
ReplyDeleteAny of those 5 I'd rather see win the Rumble, the title, and be the focus of Raw over Bryan. But I'm realistic, Brock is a part timer, probably too soon for Reigns and Big E and probably will never happen with Cesaro.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been watching this year, I've got to see me some Big E. He gets a surprising amount of love for a musclehead.
ReplyDeleteI actually dug the small story arc of him joining the Wyatt Family. The plug was just pulled to damn fast
ReplyDeleteBig E winning would be a flop. He is a little bit over-pushed right now as it is and I am a fan of his.
ReplyDeleteI believe they call that applash.
ReplyDeleteNot bad..
ReplyDeleteBig E? I'm not giving you shit or being a dick, but you'd rather watch a Big E match over Danielson?
ReplyDeleteSo they go to all the trouble of taking Wade Barrett off TV for six months and repackaging him with a new gimmick... and their first idea is to send him right back to feuding with The Miz, just like he was six months ago???
ReplyDeleteDepends on the match, but I enjoy Big E more than Bryan. Bryan does great in the big epic matches but his TV matches can be too technical something.
ReplyDeleteHe is not a normal musclehead. Dude has a personality.
ReplyDeleteIt would be too soon for Big E but I don't he is being over pushed right now. He is IC champ and beating guys on TV, that is perfect for him.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the emailer. Isn't getting sucked in the main reason for watching?
ReplyDeleteThe fans dig Reigns a lot more than Big E now. Seriously, they were countiing along when he pinned Punk a few weeks back. Reigns should be a star for the next decade.
ReplyDeleteYes, tree limbs. Hillbilly Jim does side-work as an arborist.
ReplyDeleteI think Big E will be the Orton/Batista to Reigns' Cena.
ReplyDeleteHe also does side-work as a back alley abortionist.
ReplyDeleteReigns has the "Superstar Look" more so than anyone else coming up through the system.
ReplyDeleteI just hope they don't fuck it up. I think splitting him from the Shield at 30 is too soon.
ReplyDeleteI wish they hadn't run so many Bryan/Orton matches. Probably the simplest and best thing would have been if Orton had just gone over (via screw-job) in the rematch and refused to defend against Bryan again. Then they could have had Orton hold the title til 'March, booked Bryan to win the Rumble, and had the ultimate payoff with Bryan reclaiming his belt in the main event at 'Mania. That would have more than justified all the Summerslam disappointment.
ReplyDeleteBut the whole abeyance thing was fun too I guess.
Gotcha. I like Big E, just wondering when the crowd will fully start feeling him. Same thing with Reigns. I can't see them going full force with those 2 until they start getting some good singular heat
ReplyDeleteWe got it with Benoit AND Eddie at XX.
ReplyDeleteDealing with Niki non-sexually must be horrifying.
ReplyDeleteThey have to start letting Big E cut more promos and let his real personality shine through. He is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteOr How I Met Your Mother.
ReplyDeleteIf it was me, have him go on the "Diesel Run" in the Rumble only to get tossed out by his teammates. Then build tension and have him turn at Mania, where his face push begins right away.
ReplyDeleteProviding a much needed service to women whose rights to choice are impeded by misogynistic legislation which might otherwise force them to compromise their health or even endanger their lives by having the procedure done by a less competent and caring medical semi-professional.
ReplyDeleteHe uses spit and a straighten out rusty coat hanger.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell if this guy is trolling, let's have a poll shall we?
ReplyDeletehttp://poll.pollcode.com/7863635
I rather they reheat the Shield and have them take out 3 main eventers at Mania.
ReplyDeleteWe should probably vote on this first.
ReplyDeletehttp://poll.pollcode.com/6271545
They always got to give something for Miz to do because, well, it's Miz.
ReplyDeleteGood, keeping Bryan in your polls, I like it.
ReplyDeleteBryan's been my favorite wrestler for years, and I'm quite frankly ecstatic to see him get the pops he does. This is like Benoit in 2004 winning the Rumble and eventually the title, for those who were fans of him. What annoys me is that there is starting to be a backlash because he is getting too popular for some here. It's that same mentality where someone can be a huge fan of an indie band, and as soon as they become popular (without changing their sound, mind you), some people start hating them and start going for another unknown indie band.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, there was a similar situation when this young guy debuted in 2002 and was being compared to a young Sting. He was then depushed because HHH supposedly didn't see much in him, was turned heel and given a gimmick that initially was felt would kill his heat.People bitched and moaned. Instead, it got him over to the point where he was turned back into a face and pushed to the moon. If you haven't figured it out already, that man was John Cena.
Now. if we see Bryan spray-painting 'poopy' on ADR's limo in a year or two, then that proves just how cyclical wrestling really is...
Did the guy who sent the question in just discover the Internet?
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is that Daniel Bryan IS Bob Backlund! The aw-shucks, nice guy technician who is a true Man of the People. The jaded internet fans are rallying behind the guy who shakes hands and kisses babies. HEY VINCE!
ReplyDeleteShit yeah. He's the reason I began watching again; his series with Tyler Black in ROH during the brief period it was on HDNet got me back into wrestling after the Snitsky/Kane/Lita miscarriage angle turned me off of wrestling for a while (we lost our first baby the day after the angle started), and I started watching WWE again when DBry went there.
ReplyDeleteAnd his patients have never even walked away from his table with so much as an infection. Don't question the ways of country folk, just marvel at their results.
ReplyDeleteNo, just Scotts blo
ReplyDeleteKinda hard to notice an infection when your kidney, liver, intestines, and big toe are missing.
ReplyDeleteI hate to yell at an opinion, but a piss break midget match is worthy of a spot over the best match of 2003, and one of the best matches in Royal Rumble history (Benoit/Angle from '03). Sorry, I'm all for controversial picks and trying to find different matches to recognize instead of the usual, but come on.
ReplyDelete"Snitsky/Kane/Lita miscarriage angle turned me off of wrestling for a while (we lost our first baby the day after the angle started),"
ReplyDeleteOuch. That has to be the worst coincidence of all time.
There's no, no (no!) on that there poll!
ReplyDelete"Punk only became over for reasons that did not pertain to the booking"
ReplyDeleteNo. The biggest reason Punk's so over is because he was allowed to say a bunch of stuff about the company/higher-ups in a "shoot", and then was booked to go over the biggest full-time star in the industry at the next two PPVs. Punk owes a lot of his success to his booking and his character.
"WWE does not care about their fanbase, and the proof lies in the fact they see Bryan and Punk as an internet fad"
Bryan, maybe. Punk, no. He's been one of the strongest-booked guys on the roster (with good reason) for a couple of years now.
He did get a push in 2012.
ReplyDeleteJeff Hardy vs Orton is underrated.
ReplyDeleteStory: Jeff finally gets his big match and is clicking on all cylinders but makes one high risk mistake and the RKO allows Orton to still retain despite being out-performed all match.
Edge vs Rey from the same pay per view, though the msg crowd fucks with the face / heel dynamic, is still better than the Minis match.
And, I won't repeat what's been said, but, Angle/Benoit.
Nonetheless I really enjoyed the tone of the article and would read more stuff from you. And I respect anyone who defends their opinions, which you do a great job of. So, great read!
It wasn't his fault.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, the universe can be a monster.
Reigns is god awful on mic, hes going to need a mouth piece unless they give him mire time for promos.
ReplyDeleteYes, that Hillbilly is also a wiz with organ and appendage donations!
ReplyDeleteWhy would they take the hint from a guy who said "your company is a piece of shit fuck you" when he was more interested in going home and beating his wife and crying about how mis used he was the minute he was asked to put someone over. Even if it was on tv with no build up. Its not like that loss was going to hurt his credibility.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the PG era there is no better choice to inherit John Cena's mantle of family friendly #1 face.
ReplyDeleteFun fact...I'm typing on my phone and my spell check keeps wanting to suggest Xanax instead of Cena
If "Not giving a shit" Punk can generate a match like the Lesnar one, or his Mitb performance, or his Undertaker match, then he can coast all he wants.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, even hardcore fans like getting invested in something, such a sharp observation.
By wiz you mean thief and by donations you mean selling on the black market right?
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't his credibility, it was about him losing money because it wasn't on PPV.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love most about Scott's responses is him trying to deny or somehow justify his inner mark. It's *pro wrestling* Scott. It's okay to be a mark, it's okay to be worked. =)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had a bad feeling when it aired. The week he kicked the baby in the crowd, we lost our second.
ReplyDeleteHere's a lighter bit of irony...when my daughter was born, Dana had some complications and ended up having a c-section. Afterwards, with Jaymie safe and sound with the other newborns, Dana was resting comfortably in the hospital. Turned on the TV...and RAW was on. CM Punk was wrestling...Gene Snitski. Except this time he had a new look and gimmick, so it was okay. Also, Cody Rhodes debuted that night, so I'll always have a soft spot for him.
Browsing wrestling matches on the dot com to look for something to watch and I read this description "Bret Hart vs Goldberg vs Sid vs Scott Hall Ladder Match for the US title -Nitro"
ReplyDeletewat
Subscribe to his Twitter - you'll see why he gets so much love. Dude is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteHe's not as quick as a cat anymore, but he probably still does this and does that.
ReplyDelete...eh.
ReplyDelete'Its very funny to me to watch these proud smarks get reduced to nothing more than marks'
ReplyDeleteto whoever sent the e-mail, this makes you come across like an idiot
bobs burgers ftw
ReplyDeletei knew a girl who was a dead ringer for tina. she was around 30 or so when i knew her, yet tina's whole 13 yr-old demeanor was actually a large part of the similarity.
Bet you a dollar it's Kevin Nash.
ReplyDeleteOr Punk. I see a lot of one in the other.
ReplyDeleteI would pay WAY more than 9.99 for the network if one of the shows was Nash and Punk doing commentary for classic matches.
ReplyDelete1. People have hated HHH for years on the internet. His hatred didn't just start because of him turning on Bryan. It's been going on ever since his infamous 2002-04 run where he was constantly putting on cookie-cutter main event matches and cutting 20 minute never-ending, cookie-cutter soliloquies, and, despite the fact that many people stopped watching wrestling due to this, they kept pushing him to the moon.
ReplyDelete2. A lot of people now hate HHH in a "get off my TV or I'm going to change the channel" type of way. When this entire angle happened, people were opportunistic that it would make Bryan an extremely sympathetic, underdog superstar. Instead, the Authority angle has been ALL about HHH. Even his specially chosen prototype has taken a back seat to HHH's narcissism .
3. There one major problem with your "Vince McMahon has us in the palms of his hands" conjecture. People have been up in arms about Daniel Bryan, exactly what you want in this type of story line, because him getting his retribution after being treated like a dog would be that much sweeter. But the ship is sailing fast on that, to the point where it appears like they aren't even going to pull the trigger on it. The ultimate redemption would be Bryan winning the title at Mania. And unless WWE is swerving all of the dirtsheets, that doesn't seem to be in their plans.
4. I hate the word smark because it's stereotyped way too much. In a lot of people's mind, smarks think everything in wrestling sucks and are completely narrow-minded. In reality, that's just not the case at all.
Aside from Goldberg, HBK, and the Benoit run from 20 to SummerSlam, HHH basically had that title from the moment it started until 21 in 2005. That is fucking insane.
ReplyDelete"We open with an in memory of George Scott graphic. Always nice to see."
ReplyDeleteDid he owe you money?!
I dig Bryan as much as the next mark, but don't really feel he's the future of the WWE. Although I'm biased as I hate his homeless guy look. But god bless him, all the success he can get. I just think we're hitching our wagon to the wrong horse personally. Not stirring argument, not disliking Bryan... just being realistic.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching a lot of OSW Review on YouTube, I've now got a lot of appreciation for Rubbish Robbie Garbage. The angle was good but the match was dire.
ReplyDeleteHe said Angle / Benoit though, not Jericho. He's as mad as a sack full of squirrels for thinking so, but different match.
ReplyDeleteWhy is someone offering a dissenting opinion automatically mean he's a troll?
ReplyDeleteAgreed. We all knew the endgame, but we were too impatient to get there. Then we complain that they aren't telling long compelling stories.
ReplyDeleteNot only that but If it's the one I'm thinking of, Nash was the special guest referee...in a ladder match.
ReplyDeleteI mean, in 2006, sure.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the US title. 4 main eventers and you have them fighting over a secondary title.
ReplyDeleteA bit condescending, I thought the whole point of wrestling was to invest in what you are watching. I spent a lot of time watching Game of Thrones wanting someone to bash Joffery's face in.......
ReplyDelete******Spoilers******
.....only to have them pull a swerve at the wedding and bury most of the babyfaces.
How many times did they do that in the Attitude Era. Have some big money match that could have main evented a pay per view. Not every big match can be on a pay per view
ReplyDeleteI thought by Wiz he meant the Oz remake that sold on the black market.
ReplyDeleteProps for including the Jumping Bomb Angels v. Glamour Girls match. JBA don't get enough love.
ReplyDeleteHe's been in "not giving a shit" mode since he turned babyface several months ago. Or maybe he's just terrible at it, and so natural as a heel that it seems like he's not trying.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it insane?
ReplyDelete"Also I don't remember ANYONE getting this invested in CM Punk"
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is "lol."
CM Punk invented the "USE HIM RIGHT VINCE WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH" internet whining.
I didn't think I could be more of a Barrett mark but then he trolls an entire Miz match.
ReplyDeleteThe guy ran Raw into the ground on top for that period.
ReplyDeleteThe US title was practically a main eventer belt the second half of 1999, between Hart, Sid, Goldberg. I think they wanted to get the David Flair stink off of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't even understand this question. IT LED TO THE LONGEST TITLE REIGN IN OVER A DECADE.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention Austin had said numerous times he was at fault in that situation.
ReplyDeleteThat's because "Yes" is so much easier to chant in unison than what Punk had.
ReplyDeleteAnybody know if the New Age Outlaws are supposed to be back full-time, or is this a short-term thing? Obviously they're still in good enough shape to wrestle, but at their age I'm more worried about injuries (and recovery time) than conditioning.
ReplyDeleteIf WWE felt they needed an Authority presence in the tag team division, they could have gone another direction (Ryback/Axel, or a new team of Sandow/Otunga, or utilize NXT's roster) instead of reaching back into the '90s. Or maybe this is just a quick nostalgia run before the NAO get inducted in the Hall of Fame at WM30.
I agree. He's credible enough to be a top guy but acting like he's gonna cause some sort of boom period or carry us into some new era (other than possibly the New Generation 2.0) is delusional. Of course, you have to be careful of your criticism of Bryan as the Daniel Bryan Army is strong and will have your head on a pike if you dare to do anything but suggest that Bryan is the next Hogan.
ReplyDeleteIt has been far too long since there has been a breakout babyface with a huge organic crowd reaction at the perfect time to do the classic WWF/WWE "Rumble winner to Wrestlemania main event title win" booking template. That story is WWE's most consistently entertaining and effective at star-making. It's what made HBK and Steve Austin. It hasnt been done since Batista... NINE years ago. The stage is set and the time is right for DBryan to be the next guy to get that push. These opportunities don't come around all the time. That's why this feels so important to me.
ReplyDeleteBad Influence has been high on my list of TNA alums I'd like to see in WWE, but you're right; WWE likely wouldn't just let them do their thing and be funny while putting on good matches. They'd re-name them something like "Frankie Kalhoun & Johnny D" and give them a slimy-sports-agent gimmick.
ReplyDeleteYour first comparison is totally off the mark. The backlash against Bryan isn't even aimed at him and it certainly has nothing to do with his popularity. It's because of incessantly whining superfans who hoist pitchforks every time he isn't winning every main event of every show. It's this entitled bratty attitude that's causing the backlash. I would guess guess most people who are part of the backlash are at the very least appreciative of Bryan. We're just sick of the tears.
ReplyDeleteMinus those three reigns he held the title for 2 years, no one got over during that period. I mean take your pick as to why it's insane.
ReplyDeleteHow tall is Bryan?
ReplyDeleteBig E makes this weird grunting noise when he wrestles, kinda sounds like a squealing pig. Am I the only one to notice?
ReplyDeleteI don't completely disagree but I rolled my eyes through parts of this.
ReplyDeleteEh. He's got a distinct look, he's a better role model than a roid monster like Batista, he's not only willing but GOOD at PR stuff like the Make a Wish appearances, he's the least likely guy to turn up dead in a hotel room with a bottle of pills on the nightstand...
ReplyDeleteHe'd be fine as the face of the company. People who think he's the next Stone Cold are out of their minds (and that's not a knock on Bryan; nobody is the "next" Stone Cold because that character came along at the right time with the right storyline with pop culture in the right place as to capture lightning in a bottle), but as champion?
If Sheamus can be champ, Bryan can.
I don't think he "doesn't give a shit."
ReplyDeleteI think he's now figuring out why so many wrestlers end up hooked on painkillers.
No doubt. But, as Foley has said, when he mentioned to Punk that maybe he didn't have to go full speed in the ring all the time, Punk told him "That's why i'm here." You can tell the guy is beat up these days though.
ReplyDeleteBrian is no hogan.
ReplyDeleteAnything negative said about CM Punk was cause for a mutiny or accusations of "trolling". I'm just pissed the IWC doesn't feel this way about Ric Flair anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you need to be objective about what you want to see WWE do? Theres nothing objective about it, it's entertainment.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be long, so I'll apologize up front.
ReplyDeleteI cannot speak for anyone but myself, but this is why I'm invested in Daniel Bryan: I'm a lifelong wrestling fan. I can't say my first memories are of wrestling, but there are some early ones from late 1989 (going on four years old). I was a WWF/E fan, but I tracked down WCW tapes, and the older NWA shows. I bought the wrestling figures, the magazines, the video games. I started slipping away from my fandom around 1993, and didn't come back fully until I happened across WCW Worldwide or some other B-Show in 1996, shocked to see Bobby Heenan ripping the head off of a Hulk Hogan standee and Tony Schiavone AGREEING with him. Then I caught the very next match and saw a style I'd never seen before, and was hooked again.
It was Chris Benoit.
Through Benoit, I became a fan all over again. I tracked down his Japanese era matches, his time in ECW (becoming a fan of that promotion as well). I followed the early months of the nWo and ordered WCW shows, and fell back into the WWF just as Steve Austin was taking off. During the Attitude Era, my friends and I were wrestling in our backyard, then in high school started running little spot shows in the local armory. We created websites about it; it was really a passion. When Benoit, Eddie and the rest jumped to the WWF in 2000, it was the zenith of my fandom. It was entertaining in a casual way, and I respected the art form. I very nearly beat my best friend in 2003 for giving me shit when Benoit lost to Angle at the Rumble, despite knowing it was coming ahead of time. From the '04 Rumble to WrestleMania XX, I was constantly giving that shit back to him. It was fun, and we all had fun.
When the stuff with Benoit went down in 2007, it was a shock to the system really; someone you've followed and enjoyed watching for more than a decade ends his life as a monster. It affected me more in retrospect because I was coming off an eleven-month period where my father, mother and last grandparent had all died unexpectedly, the latter two just three weeks beforehand. Without the real emotional investment in a performer, I kept going for a little while longer, but there was a definite cloud over everything. Then Flair went away, our hometown guy; Jericho stopped performing full-time, and Shawn Michaels retired. These old favorites left, and nothing new came along.
That's why I'm such a Daniel Bryan fan at heart, and a CM Punk fan as well. CM Punk came along at a period when I had almost quit watching altogether, and kind of resuscitated my love for wrestling. When his push got so direly fucked up, it kind of soured me again, but I found Daniel Bryan. Bryan's style mesmerized me as much as Benoit's had; same style, same size, same career handicaps against him, yet it was obvious he was a great guy behind the scenes. We've seen how he's handled himself in interviews, in Make-a-Wish appearances. You can feel somehow that he's a good guy, that it bleeds through no matter what he's doing. He's likeable, he's fucking great in the ring.
The reason I'm a Daniel Bryan fan is because Daniel Bryan reinvigorated a passion for pro wrestling in my life that was all-but-gone. It's a passion that has helped me make friends for twenty-plus years now, and have inspired some great memories. I don't shy away from admitting wrestling fandom (perhaps during the necrophilia stuff), and I don't shy away from admitting that I'm a Daniel Bryan mark of the first order. Will the world end if Daniel Bryan doesn't win the World Title at WrestleMania? Hell no; fandom doesn't pay my mortgage or keep my wife from getting pissed off to high Hell. But damn does it feel good as a fan to see YOUR GUY succeed. As Bryan goes, so too does my fandom go, and it's something that I'd rather not lose out on.
Could you imagine what the WWE could produce on a weekly basis if it took advantage of its full roster potential? If there was just one bonafide wrestling nerd with some stroke on creative... or if Vince decided to focus on his new World Tiddlywinks League and leave some old school hand in the back in charge? With the young talent ready to go in NXT and a mid/upper card core loaded with guys that can go, you could be set for YEARS.
ReplyDeleteThe hilarious thing is that Bryan is perhaps the closest thing to a wet dream Vince can have for a superstar: physically fit, willing to do whatever is asked of him, an appealing face to both kids AND teens/adults, a captivating heel, someone that genuinely connects with fans and can create catchphrases out of simple prepositions that go mainstream. He's a good guy, and he looks like a star when he's not going for his Duck Dynasty motif with the hair and beard. All that he lacks is five inches and forty pounds of bulk, so you can see why Vince doesn't see $$$.
ReplyDeleteIs that you, Meekin?
ReplyDeleteYOU don't feel like he's the future of the company.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, Daniel Bryan is the most popular wrestler going.
I have recently become convinced that Meekin is about 5 different posters on here.
ReplyDeleteI don't get your point. There are certain movies I like, Dodgeball and zoolander for example, that I objectively know aernt oscar winning movies.
ReplyDeleteSame shit with wrestling. It's like the Daniel bryan is being buried narrative that happened 5 times since summer slam. Sure, I want him to win get a run with the title, but objectively I know he was being buried.
The way I put the Bryan booking is picture Punk beating Cena at MITB, Del Rio's cash in is successful, then he feuds with Del Rio for 3 months, never getting the title back. Nash/Trips stuff sucked but it could have been worse.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell if this is brilliant back-and-forth, or just two regulars attempting to unashamedly get their post totals up. Either way, bravo.
ReplyDeleteYeah this is second email that has said this this week and it's ridiculous. There was nothing BUT championing of Punk for YEARS on here. To the point that if you disagreed in any way you would be labelled a troll.
ReplyDeleteeven more strange, the word itself is just a short version of "smart marks". so OF COURSE everyone here to a certain extent is still a "mark".
ReplyDelete"They've been doing everything they can to make sure Bryan is not the guy [...]"
ReplyDeletethat's really not true. if the WWE REALLY didn't want him to be a star, he wouldn't have headlined SummerSlam and beat their biggest star clean.
Reigns performance in his last Survivor Series match already mirrored the one of Diesel in 1994 so I guess there's a good chance of it happening.
ReplyDeletehas any top face jobbed more often than Cena?
ReplyDeleteyes, you could argue that those matches are mostly meaningless (prime reason: in todays WWE, wins and losses don't really matter anymore) but still he puts over pretty much anybody.
and I might be drinking WWEs kool aid here, but the fact that hardly anyone (former employees included) ever says a bad word about that guy is interesting because it's totally different to pretty much every other "top guy" ever.
exactly. even if it is pretty clear that it wasn't "planned" all along, his whole WWE run pretty much feels like one huge story arc to me.
ReplyDeleteso what? no one else is and was.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great post.
ReplyDeleteAfter Chan and a few others, I can't tell who is trying to have a solid argument and who is trolling for some reason.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the internet. It's a bit greasy sometimes, but there's lots to read.
ReplyDeleteBest answer ever.
ReplyDeleteI don't really get your point either. OP said it's stupid that some smarks are getting pulled into the Daniel Bryan narrative and having fan reactions like marks. But isn't that why we watch this stuff in the first place? I know the only reason I tune in is to chase that sweet mark-out high.
ReplyDeleteI think that getting riled up over their booking to the point that you can feel the anger coming off of the computer screen makes one more of a mark than someone who still thinks it's real.
ReplyDeleteExactly. The reason why we analyzing and discussing is because we want them to book the product so, that we can get behind the wrestler and cheer for them and so that we can actually care about them.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of someone calling others out on being boring/terrible, but Wade Barrett isn't exactly the voice of the masses. When Austin did it to Lance Storm way back when, it was someone the fans still looked at as someone who mattered, and his trolling of Storm was way over the top, and honestly, uncalled for since it would never lead to a match, and Storm was so off the charts at the time it made no sense. Barrett, an annoying heel no one really pays attention to, trolling Miz just to screw with him, is slightly less awful, but at the same time, it's understandable to hate the segment because it's probably not "best for business" to point out someone's short-comings, truthful or fabricated.
ReplyDeleteHulk hogan was
ReplyDeleteI think we're just interpreting the OP differently. I also watch just to chase that mark out moment.
ReplyDeleteI was really going for me personally... my favorite guy at the time winning in the biggest moment of the year, but yeah, Eddie was cool too. Brock may have been #1 for me if he didn't botch that SSP.
ReplyDeleteWe just need Bryan to lead us to a new Generation.
ReplyDeleteImagine Wrestlemania X headlined by Hulk Hogan, King Kong Bundy, Paul Orndorff, Bob Orton and Roddy Piper.
Or Wrestlemania XX with Kevin Nash instead of Chris Benoit...
Working with dull as dish-water Curtis Axel, Ryback, and the Wyatt slugs isn't going to generate classic matches from anyone. Even at best, you might reach a maximum 3-stars with anyone of those, with the best workers in the company.
ReplyDeleteDownvote there from someone who hates women and or the Japanese. For shame.
ReplyDeleteIf Khali/Fandango is your MTOY you need to see a neurologist. That's not stupidity (OK, it is...), that's a sign of a serious brain problem that probably needs to be checked out.
ReplyDeleteIs that the Edge/Rey match where Vicki saved Edge and took the 619?
ReplyDeleteYes sir.
ReplyDeletePretty sure its pretty short term.
ReplyDelete