Dear WWE Creative,
I know Daniel Bryan himself really pulled for this turn; however, simply put, his recent transformation from face to heel has been disappointing, on so many levels.
So weird having a complete heel Daniel Bryan vs Miz as a face who is so over right now ? #SDLive pic.twitter.com/dQsMuz4tLU
— Kim (@kimberlasskick) November 21, 2018
The Yes Movement has been applauded for years now as one of the last huge organic pushes a WWE superstar has experienced. Having said that, one only has to look at the momentum Becky Lynch has built as of late to realize that not all is lost when a superstar is allowed to run with a character.
I digress.
Daniel Bryan heel turn? Pathetic. Stupid. Let alone WWE champion. Stupid. 371 day reign and then it ends on Smackdown Live. Out of nowhere. No build. #WWE #SDLive
— . (@WrestlingOps) November 14, 2018
We as fans of Daniel Bryan have literally waited YEARS for the man to return to action and finally re-capture his coveted WWE Heavyweight Championship, and to experience a stellar reign. Sadly, after his huge win at Wrestlemania 30, Daniel Bryan suffered a trail of misfortunes, starting with the passing of his dad, which only to lead him to a road of injury recovery that would end in retirement … or so the fans thought. As a face, Daniel Bryan was robbed the opportunity to defend his WWE Championship and Intercontinental Championship (one year later) in all his post-WM glory.
Daniel Bryan won the Title, then turned heel… #SDLive pic.twitter.com/LD9sZ4uEGS
— HTC Wrestling (@HTCWrestling) November 14, 2018
When Bryan was cleared for in-ring action this past February, it was like a dream come true. Not only for Daniel himself, but his fans. His underdog story of sorts continued, and after a solid reign as SmackDown LIVE’s General Manager, including a feud that felt like it would never result in in-ring competition with the Miz; a new chapter was written in the Daniel Bryan story and it was wonderful. From his feud with Big Cass, to the Miz, to watching matches unfold between him and Jeff Hardy, Shinsuke Nakamura, Andrade “Cien” Almas, AJ Styles, and more dream bouts we never thought we’d see come to fruition, Bryan was slowly, but surely, working his way to the top of the WWE ladder, with that WWE title in his sights.
So the crowd begs for YEARS for heel turns by Cena & Reigns who were the @wwe ‘s choice as “the man”. But who do they turn? The turn Daniel Bryan who was the one the CROWD choice as their man. Weird. #TweetTheTable
— B Double Dee (@B_Double_Dee) November 21, 2018
The fans deserve to see a face DB hold that WWE World Heavyweight Championship, to knock out competitor after competitor, and while I enjoyed his battle with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series; the heel that came out in Bryan’s promo lacked luster and left a sour taste in my mouth – third person references and all.
We had no choice but to turn @WWEDanielBryan heel because you can’t be a white meat babyface and a vegan #Kayfabe
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) November 16, 2018
I get that I have to get use to seeing Bryan in this role, and it doesn’t mean I can’t remain a fan of his, but I still don’t have to like it, and I’m not sure of when I’ll actually get used to it. Heel Bryan has always been a weasel of sorts, and while this makes sense considering his size and look, it’s still annoying to have to watch. Having said that, this is probably the ultimate goal when it comes to this character if he’s going to play on team Bad Guy.
In the span of one year, WWE has managed to turn their purest babyfaces like Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Becky Lynch, Johnny Gargano & Daniel Bryan heel.
— Zack (@TheZackLethal) November 14, 2018
In the end, considering DB’s real-life story intertwined in his WWE persona’s arc, a WWE title reign should’ve been worked hand-in-hand with his old chapter; a means to an end. Alas, DB starts a new story, with gold in hand, and while many, including myself, may not approve, it is what it is.
Signed,
Me.
