Daniel Bryan is one of the most popular WWE Superstars of his generation. The man that rose to prominence on the independent circuit achieved stardom in Vince McMahon’s company, and he did it all despite the odds being against him.
No one thought he had a chance. That includes WWE. He was too small and too eccentric. He was a vegan, a new age hippie that believed in taking care of himself and being kind to others. Bryan did not have killer instinct. More importantly, he was not a main event caliber player. Everyone, including WWE, was wrong.
But the frustration among Bryan’s fans has returned. Once again the man that was not supposed to succeed is being booked in a spot that is anything but successful. Some might say he’s being set-up to fail. Perhaps they’re right. Or perhaps there’s a very familiar bigger picture than anyone sees.
Bryan’s run as GM has been fun. There is no denying that. He’s still over with the crowd and he continues to get a bigger reaction than many of the top guys on the SmackDown roster. The WWE faithful want Bryan on TV. They’ve always wanted him on TV. But they want much more.
Unfortunately Bryan cannot give them more. Fans know his situation and they also know that the company is keeping him out of the ring. Instead of getting Daniel Bryan as a world title contender, fans are getting Daniel Bryan as a corporate lackey. This Daniel Bryan is hardly recognizable.
Bryan is playing his part. That much is obvious. He can no longer make an impact in wrestling boots, so he’s attempting to make an impact in the only way he can. He’s not terrible at it. Some might say he’s excelled when it comes to fully exploring his character. He doesn’t have to kick guys in the head to get a reaction. He can do it on the mic. What’s wrong with that?
But the problems began with the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn storyline. Fans that may not have known Bryan during his Ring of Honor days are now surely up to speed; these three go way back. Bryan’s possible favoritism toward Owens and Zayn has been called out multiple times by Shane McMahon. It just keeps happening.
Shane is the obvious babyface here. He still pops the crowd as he continues to police Zayn and Owens. Both Superstars are popular in their own right but fans enjoy them as the butt of the joke. Shane’s character is only looking out for SmackDown’s best interests. What’s the alternative? Is he supposed to just allow Kevin and Sami to run rampant on Tuesday nights?
But isn’t Daniel Bryan the obvious babyface as well? What has he done to heel out during this situation? He continues to push back against Shane, as the SmackDown Commissioner appears to be on a personal vendetta against Zayn and Owens. Is Bryan supposed to do nothing while a McMahon targets the talent? Has everyone forgotten how The Authority targeted Bryan?
KO and Zayn are obviously playing to Bryan’s sympathies. They’re using him for their own personal gain and they’re counting on his sense of fair-play to absolve them from any wrongdoing. They know Bryan’s history with the McMahon family and they’re manipulating him because they know he will take their side.
It’s a great idea for a storyline and has been from day one. However the issue here is that once again, a great WWE idea is failing in its execution. Fans are sick of the war between KO, Sami and SmackDown upper management.
Every week the war continues and every week fans are growing more frustrated. How many times can Kevin and Sami successfully dupe Daniel Bryan until the Yes man actually realizes what’s going on? How many times can Shane counter their hijinks until he realizes he’s being used as well? Why is this still going on? More importantly, what’s the payoff?
This is where the big picture possibility comes into play. If Bryan could compete, there would be no question he would face Shane at WrestleMania 34. They may be on the same side and they may have the future of SmackDown Live in mind. But they also have lingering problems which must be dealt with.
The likelihood of Bryan turning heel is slim. There’s just no reason to do it. But there’s every reason for Shane to turn on him and destroy him in the middle of the ring. What if he is working together with Zayn and Owens? What if all of this is an elaborate scheme to destroy Bryan from the inside out? Does Shane even need help to do that at all?
But Shane is a popular talent in his own right. His sister Stephanie is still the shrieking villain of Monday Night Raw and Vince can come back at any moment to unleash hell on anyone he sees fit. Does the company really need the third McMahon to once again don the black hat?
What is the payoff in this storyline? What is the end goal? WrestleMania 34 is just around the corner. The company must have a plan in mind to get all four players to a resolution in New Orleans. So what is it? As the weeks continue to tick by, fans are surely still asking that very question.
Could it be that WWE has already cleared Bryan for one more match on The Grandest Stage of Them All? Will the company assume the risk? What if Bryan gets hurt again? If WWE will not book him and Bryan is indeed not going to lace up the boots again, then what has been the point of all this?
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Maybe there is no point. Or maybe the point has yet to be realized. Either way, this entire angle feels as though it has no chance to succeed. More importantly, Daniel Bryan has no chance to succeed. Or does he?