Tag Archives: Daniel Bryan

dolph

Start new movement in WWE: We want Dolph!

Not every professional wrestling fan is the same. Some still watch as if it’s all real. Others insist that while some of it is obviously scripted, there is also plenty that isn’t.

And then there are those fans, like me, who know that the moves hurt, the shows are predetermined, and the performers are incredible athletes and artists. These fans also have a tendency to analyze every single aspect of a professional wrestling show until they no longer enjoy them. I am no different.

Over-analyzing ruins our enjoyment of pro wrestling. We watch every match and get offended when our favorites lose or when we think a bad decision was made. (Though, really, everybody was offended when The Undertaker lost at WrestleMania XXX.) Instead of being impressed by the performance of these amazing athletes, we put too much stock into who gets to win in a fictional fight.

Non-fans look at us and question why we care so much, but the answer isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Despite being predetermined, the amount of money earned by a wrestler is directly connected to his place on the wrestling card and whether or not he wins these fictional matches. So, when Batista returned to WWE to win the Royal Rumble match after being gone for four years, he guaranteed himself hundreds of thousands — perhaps millions — of dollars for working a WrestleMania main event most fans believed belonged to Daniel Bryan or CM Punk.

In response, the fans took over the shows, shouting at WWE for its mistakes and showing that “the WWE Universe” would not accept the injustice. Though Punk left the company, possibly in protest against the Batista decision, Bryan was rightly given the chance to headline WrestleMania and earn the money, and the moment, he deserved.

Bryan appears to be the leader of a new movement in WWE centered on incredibly talented young workers like Cesaro, the Shield, and Bray Wyatt. I want to be happy with what we are being given, especially since the last few big events have been so good. I’ve even come to consider myself a true fan of professional wrestling again.

However, there is still one person WWE is ignoring, one who deserves another chance to be treated as a top star. That is Dolph Ziggler.

Ziggler is arguably the best or second-best wrestler in WWE; only Bryan can be considered better, though there are others who are close. Every match in which Ziggler competes is an absolute show-stealer. He consistently makes bad wrestlers look great, taking his opponents’ big moves and making it look like he was hit by a Mack truck every time. Viewers believe he is about to win matches when he hits moves that have never before given him a victory simply because he is so great at getting fans invested in every hit, toss, and pin. Ziggler does it all while exuding a cockiness and swagger (not Jack) that is hard to miss. In short, Dolph Ziggler is a true star.

If being successful in professional wrestling is completely dependent on having “the look” and being able to speak well, then Ziggler should be esteemed on the same level as The Rock. Ziggler is in spectacular shape and has been for years. He’s incredibly athletic and boasts a six-pack that could make Channing Tatum jealous. He’s no slouch on the microphone either. Every single time Ziggler is given the chance to speak, he hits it out of the park.

Ziggler is technically a two-time world champion in WWE. Neither of his title reigns, however, holds any significant place in history. His first championship lasted about as long as Triple H’s entrance, and his second was spent with a debilitating concussion. Neither reign gave Ziggler an opportunity to show everyone what he was capable of, and “The Show Off” deserves that chance.

To be clear, I’m not asking for Ziggler to have another title reign anytime soon; I’d like Bryan to remain champion for as long as possible. But I do think Ziggler needs to be put back into a stronger position on the card, eventually to be seen as a credible threat to Bryan or anyone else who may be WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Ziggler is as popular as a guy without the backing of the machine can be. Just watch his Money in the Bank cash-in last year. The crowd absolutely exploded — and Ziggler was the bad guy.

So what happened? Whose Fruity Pebbles did Dolph urinate in to get the Zack Ryder treatment? For months, Ziggler has been put lower and lower on the card, having his stock completely devalued after an overdue build-up. The fans, despite being vocal in their support for him, have become used to seeing Ziggler lose. Still, WWE managed to treat him worse.

This week on Raw, Ziggler was eliminated from a battle royal by Santino Marella. Using his finisher of an eye poke with a sock puppet. And the crowd booed. Violently. At a comedic character who is usually well-loved.

People are sick of seeing Ziggler buried in favor of those without talent or without futures in professional wrestling. The “Yes! Movement” took off because the audience saw in Bryan an incredible wrestler who worked for his entire life to reach the professional peak, despite the long odds. Now it’s time for us to get behind Ziggler in the same way.

The audience in every city needs to let their voices be heard. Let WWE know that we want Dolph. When we’re told to watch an offensive segment with a little person dressed up as a bull, we need to chant for Dolph. When we’re told to accept Randy Orton versus John Cena again, we need to say no. It’s time to tell WWE that we want Dolph.

Ziggler has worked incredibly hard to get where he is. He’s as talented in the ring or on the mic as anyone else, and he obviously trains hard to keep his body in top condition. Vince McMahon has proven he can be persuaded. Cesaro’s and Bad News Barrett’s current pushes show that. Bryan and Punk are proof that being as good as you can be can actually get you somewhere in WWE. It just requires a lot more work from the fans.

We’ve proven that it can be done: Daniel Bryan is WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Now we have to do it again. For our entertainment, and because he deserves it, tell WWE at every event you attend that WE WANT DOLPH.

One final thought: If you need proof that Dolph Ziggler is incredible, check out any of his matches on WWE Network, specifically, his work with Punk and Bryan. Make sure you tell WWE that I referred you; I could use a new t-shirt.

wm

WrestleMania XXX takes its place in pop culture

70,000 screaming people fill an arena to see two men pretend to fight each other for a fictional championship. They cheer and boo and let the men in the ring know when they do something awesome. It’s a crazy concept, and impossible to explain to those who don’t consider themselves fans of professional wrestling.

But fans know that the 30th edition of the biggest event on the pro wrestling calendar, WWE’s WrestleMania, takes place tonight. The show will be held live at 7 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La.. Fans across the world can tune in via pay-per-view and, for the first time ever, on the WWE Network.

Fans of professional wrestling often find themselves infuriated by this sport that they supposedly enjoy. It evokes emotions more akin to a football game than a television show, yet it is similar to both. The fans select their guy and cheer for him unrelentingly until he pulls off the big victory or, ultimately, falls to defeat. It’s an art form, one that fans shouldn’t have to justify enjoying to non-fans, and WrestleMania is its ultimate spectacle.

WrestleMania is called the Super Bowl or World Series of professional wrestling. However, that undercuts what makes WrestleMania special. It shouldn’t need to be compared to other sporting events. It is important in its own right.

To the uninitiated, WrestleMania is the annual wrestling supercard in which the WWE brings together its biggest stars, as well as stars from other media, to compete in the biggest matches that people — at least in theory — will want to pay to see. WrestleMania is the one show each year that is supposed to be can’t-miss, and reverberates across popular culture even for people who have never seen a wrestling match.

WrestleMania was first broadcast in 1985 by WWE, then called the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), as part of the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling pop culture push of WWF owner Vince McMahon. The marketing scheme was designed to push the WWF into the mainstream. It has been stated on numerous occasions that the first WrestleMania was a huge gamble that easily could have broken the bank for McMahon. The owner of the WWF paid big money to bring in the biggest celebrities to make WrestleMania into a mainstream entertainment attraction. Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin, Liberace, and the Rockettes all appeared on that first WrestleMania in the mecca of pro wrestling, Madison Square Garden. Obviously, the gamble paid off, and McMahon’s WWF became a pop culture powerhouse.

Celebrity involvement has continued to have a huge impact on WrestleMania and has kept the Show of Shows in the public consciousness year after year. Real moments that transcend professional wrestling have occurred inside WrestleMania rings. Morton Downey Jr. was on the receiving end of a fire extinguisher, courtesy of Rowdy Roddy Piper. Mike Tyson marked down one more knockout when he threw a fist at Shawn Michaels. And Floyd Mayweather defended his undefeated streak against the seven-foot-tall Big Show.

WrestleMania also creates its own moments within the context of professional wrestling that are remembered fondly for years. Hulk Hogan drew in the power of his Hulkamaniacs and gained the strength to body slam Andre the Giant. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart fought for an hour before Shawn was able to gain victory and attain his boyhood dream of being WWF Champion. Steve Austin, refusing to quit, passed out from blood loss in an epic battle with Hart. Hogan later remembered his days as a hero and Hulkamania came back to life with thousands of screaming Hulk fans cheering him on. Ric Flair’s unbelievable career came to a sad but powerful and appropriate end when Shawn Michaels delivered his finishing blow after saying, “I’m sorry. I love you.”

These are incredible moments hardly achieved in movies, and they take on new meaning when put into the context of the semi-real environment of professional wrestling. Those screaming fans are real. I was one of them when John Cena gained his redemption by defeating The Rock last year. It’s live theater that thrives on its audience and tells stories that are still somewhat real. Flair really was retiring. Hogan really was returning to his roots. Austin’s never-say-die attitude really was winning over fans across the country.

Anyone who doubts that professional wrestling is an art form needs only to watch any of Shawn Michaels’ 17 WrestleMania matches. They tell stories, cause your jaw to drop, and always leave you guessing. As a fan, Michaels’ matches allowed me to live vicariously through a young man trying to achieve his dream, an older man trying to prove he could still go with the best of them, and a loving man, wrestling with his idol and friend in a match played out better than any Rocky movie. Michaels’ career even ended in a most amazing story, with the Heartbreak Kid’s certitude in his abilities getting the better of him as he tried desperately to end professional wrestling’s greatest winning streak.

The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak is itself a storytelling device. The Undertaker is, on the surface, an anachronism of a very silly time in professional wrestling. When Mark Calaway first debuted as the western mortician character with zombie characteristics, the WWF was going through a living cartoon phase, with wrestlers taking on the personalities of clowns, tax collectors, repo men, and so much worse. Yet even after these characters faded into oblivion, the Undertaker remained, and he achieved legendary status.

The Undertaker has become such a fact of professional wrestling that even when he is preparing to enter the ring with a legitimate UFC champion, no one bothers to question the realism of the character. The Undertaker has, in the 23 years since his debut, become an unbeatable superhero to fans of all ages, and his WrestleMania matches thrive off of the feeling of watching an epic blockbuster movie.

Speaking of superheroes, Cena and Hogan are the epitome of the Superman character in professional wrestling. Starting at the first WrestleMania, the Hulkster was the ultimate hero to kids growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s. No matter how large the challenge, Hulkamania was able to overcome. For the past decade, Cena has thrived off of the same type of fan support, defeating the best men in the business in WrestleMania main event after main event.

It is WrestleMania that draws in new and old fans every year. The spectacle is too much to ignore. The mainstream hype is too strong to miss. The iconic battles between legendary wrestlers makes the show worth the money, and the climax of feuds brings a sense of third-act closure to the year-long movie of professional wrestling.

Whether we watch for our superheroes like Hogan, Cena, or the Undertaker, rock stars like Edge, Chris Jericho, or the Hardy Boys, or for the working class heroes struggling to achieve greatness, like Daniel Bryan, Austin, CM Punk, or Mick Foley, we can all find something appealing about the WrestleMania experience. It is the most unique spectacle in sports and entertainment.

Rumble-2014

‘Road to WrestleMania’ begins at Royal Rumble

After five months of terrible booking, we’ve finally reached that special time of year when WWE is bearable to watch. And perhaps no WWE show is more bearable than the Royal Rumble.

This year’s show is headlined by a WWE Super-Duper Extra Special Heavyweight Championship match between Randy “Bland White Guy” Orton and John “Bland White Guy” Cena in a “We Ran Out of Stipulations” match that’s sure to be as compelling as a Maven promo.

But we all know the real main event is the eponymous Royal Rumble match. Thirty wrestlers enter, only one can win. Unless it’s 1994.

This year’s Rumble match is expected to be an exciting one. Unlike previous years, there is no obvious winner, though there are some heavy favorites. So let’s take a look at the top contenders to win big this year, forecast where the win could take them, and argue what would be best for our entertainment.

Batista

Chances of Winning: Very High

Returning just in time for the Royal Rumble seems incredibly lucky, and definitely tilts the betting odds in The Animal’s favor. However, being announced ahead of time removes the virtual guarantee of victory that a surprise number 30 return holds.

Batista’s homecoming allows a plethora of interesting story lines going forward. Does The Animal take on the Beast, Brock Lesnar, at WrestleMania XXX? Or does Big Dave aim to be the new “face of the company,” either challenging Randy Orton, or turning heel and joining The Authority to replace The Viper? Any of these options allows for Batista to win the battle royal and move on to WrestleMania.

The most likely outcome from my perspective is a one-on-one dream match with Lesnar. Despite Lesnar’s claims to the number one contendership, I don’t think this match needs the WWE Championship on the line, and it would be stupid to take the belt away from a full-time star who has worked the entire year. Then again, The Rock was WWE Champion last year, so fairness is clearly not a factor in booking WrestleMania.

Equally as likely, in keeping with the unfair nature of WWE booking, would be Batista winning the Rumble and putting Orton away in the main event of WrestleMania, proving that WWE’s long-term booking plans were never about getting anyone new over.

My hope would be for The Animal to join The Authority, replacing Orton after his failure to defeat Cena, opening the door for a WrestleMania main event of D.B. vs D.B.: WWE Champion Batista vs Royal Rumble winner Daniel Bryan.

Possible WrestleMania Opponents: Brock Lesnar (most likely), Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan

Bray Wyatt

Chances of Winning: Lowest

Bray Wyatt is perhaps the largest outside shot in this list, but he could be the Franklin Pierce of the 2014 Rumble. (Franklin Pierce was never expected to be a presidential candidate, but he earned the Democratic nomination when the party could not agree on anyone else. He then proceeded to become the 14th President of the United States.) Wyatt, who models himself as this dimension’s Galactus, has certainly devoured the world of our expectations. It’s said that Wyatt is a personal favorite of Vince McMahon, which means good things for our friendly neighborhood cult leader.

Unfortunately for older fans, the most likely opponent for Wyatt in such a scenario is The Champ himself, John Cena. Cena vs. Wyatt could undoubtedly make for an entertaining story line heading into the Show of Shows, so this is another matchup that should not be about the WWE Championship. Bray’s creepy antics and violent tendencies would make for a great foil to pro wrestling’s Superman, and there’s no doubt the match could be an interesting watch.

This seems to be a pretty strong idea for a match at WrestleMania, but again, it doesn’t need a WWE Championship attached to it to make the match compelling.

Possible WrestleMania Opponents: John Cena, Daniel Bryan, the Shield

CM Punk

Chances of Winning: High

Even entering the Rumble match at number one, CM Punk has a higher chance than most to win, but it still seems unlikely. The Straight Edge Savior’s WrestleMania spot seems set in stone: a clash with Triple H for which the foundation is already being laid. However, if the last year is any indication, feuding with The Game does not mean you will ever actually wrestle him. Alternately, Punk could be building toward a one-on-one with Randy Orton in the main event.

Punk is long overdue for the final slot on the WrestleMania card. Shafted in that respect by WWE booking for two years in a row, the Second City Saint spent 434 days as WWE Champion without getting to defend his title in the final match of the Show of Shows. To put that in perspective, The Miz, King Kong Bundy, and Bam Bam Bigelow all closed out WrestleMania at some point in their careers.

Despite this obvious injustice, WWE appears intent on booking Triple H vs. CM Punk in what should be a very colorful feud — as long as Punk is allowed to let loose. This means Punk is likely to get knocked out of the Rumble match through less-than-clean circumstances. That will allow him to move forward with the anti-authority story line that promises to birth some very good promos, at least from Punk (with Triple H only pretending he’s on the Best in the World’s level).

In the best possible scenario, CM Punk wins the WWE title in the Elimination Chamber and faces Daniel Bryan in the single greatest WrestleMania main event ever. That, however, is the craziest of dreams.

Possible WrestleMania Opponents: Triple H, Randy Orton

Roman Reigns

Chances of Winning: Low

Another outside shot whose chances in the Rumble are dependent on Vince McMahon’s whims. Remember in the early days of the ECW “brand” when Paul Heyman wanted to build his show around CM Punk, and Vince said: No, the future is in Bobby Lashley? Clearly, Vince knows his stuff. Anyway, Lashley was nowhere near ready, while Punk was already blazing trails and getting over based on in-ring performance alone. So, as expected, Vince went with the bland meathead.

Roman Reigns is no Lashley. Reigns is great. Reigns has potential. Roman Reigns, however, is perhaps the third most talented guy in The Shield. Being the third best in The Shield still makes you better than 90 percent of professional wrestlers, but it shouldn’t warrant a rushed push. Still, that’s obviously the direction WWE is deciding to go, leaving Rollins and Ambrose to either find a new partner or end the hottest gimmick WWE has introduced in a decade.

Rumor is that Roman Reigns’s push is expected to see him plow through the roster in the Royal Rumble. While the Diesel push could be fun to watch, he certainly shouldn’t win the match. The money match for The Shield is either in a six-man tag against the Wyatt’s (remember that pop when they got into a scrape?) or a triple threat among his fellow soon-to-be-former members of The Shield.

If Reigns does shock the world and win the match, his opponent at the big show should definitely be Randy Orton. A win at the Rumble would propel Reigns into stardom and certainly give him some solid babyface support. That kind of popularity, however, would be no match for John Cena’s, who only gets booed out of the building when he is facing much cooler wrestlers than Reigns — guys like Edge, Rob Van Dam, CM Punk, and Daniel Bryan.

Possible WrestleMania Opponents: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, John Cena, the Wyatt’s

Brock Lesnar

Chances of Winning: Low

As of now, the Beast isn’t even an entrant in the Royal Rumble, but that could simply be a swerve. Brock Lesnar as a surprise number 30 would blow the roof off the building, and the likely confrontation with Batista would immediately ignite a WrestleMania feud. Lesnar could eliminate The Animal and win the Rumble, with Batista taking the belt in the Chamber, setting up the epic clash of big men on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Lesnar has long been rumored to be The Undertaker’s opponent for this installment of The Streak, but that seems to be losing favor with the fear that his rough style could hurt the aging Phenom. Another option for Lesnar at WrestleMania would be for him to win the title at Elimination Chamber, becoming The Authority’s new champion and a seemingly unbeatable force, to be conquered at WrestleMania by either his 2013 SummerSlam opponent, CM Punk, or the people’s choice, Daniel Bryan, either of which promises to be an awesome match.

The best decision may simply be to leave the Beast out of the Rumble match and book him against Batista (see above). Their clash should be about who is better and stronger, not about a championship that neither has held in years. And if Lesnar isn’t going to win, he shouldn’t be anywhere near the Rumble match.

Possible WrestleMania Opponents: Batista, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan

Chances of Winning: High

It’s very rare that the sentimental favorite for the Royal Rumble is considered an unlikely victor for the match. I list Bryan as highly likely to win because of the grassroots support for the man, and because it would be the best next step in Bryan Danielson’s long journey to being a legitimate WWE Champion. Despite this, WWE’s booking of Bryan has clearly been terrible, and it seems unlikely Vince is going to trust the man with the WrestleMania main event, despite his overwhelming popularity.

We all want Daniel Bryan to win this match. Even though I am a CM Punk fan first, I want Bryan to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. There is no better possible conclusion to the terrible Authority story line than Punk defeating Triple H, and Bryan finally obtaining the WWE Championship (again).

Unfortunately, the question of who his WrestleMania opponent would be is very tricky. WWE can’t possibly sell Orton vs. Bryan as the main event of another pay-per-view (is that word anachronistic now?), and while John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan II would be huge, it’s doubtful that anyone in WWE would allow Bryan to beat Cena twice. No one gets that kind of honor. Cena vs. Bryan also lacks the payoff for the god-awful Authority story line, unless — and this is highly unlikely and ill-advised — Cena turns heel and joins the McMahons.

Recent rumors have indicated Bryan is a possible challenger to The Streak this year. The chances of that pairing almost make all of the terrible booking of the past year acceptable. Is there any other man in or out of WWE who would give The Deadman such a good match? And with his never-say-die character, Bryan could get an amazing rub and look unbelievable in his inevitable defeat.

Daniel Bryan manages to be simultaneously the best choice and the least likely to win the Rumble match, which makes judging his odds difficult. I stand by my ranking of Bryan as highly likely to win, despite my better judgment saying it won’t happen.

Possible WrestleMania Opponents: The Undertaker, Randy Orton, John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar, Bray Wyatt

The Odds

Superstar
Odds
Batista
2:1
Daniel Bryan
3:1
CM Punk
5:1
Roman Reigns
10:1
Brock Lesnar
15:1
Bray Wyatt
25:1

 

Ultimately, Batista is the odds-on favorite to win the Rumble match. However, Daniel Bryan has forged an amazing connection with fans around the world who want to see him succeed more than anything. The question is whether or not Vince McMahon is willing to accept this fact and give the people what they want. Knowing the McMahon track record, this seems highly unlikely, but we can always hope.

After all, WWE thrives on hope. We hope for our heroes to vanquish the dragons and defeat their own demons. We hope the hard worker will get his time in the sun. We hope Triple H won’t cut a 30-minute promo, running down the entire roster. And we hope to see John Cena win against the monsters like Khali and lose to the workers like Bryan and Punk. We hope. And, every once in a while, WWE lets us believe.

Let’s hope Sunday, January 26, is one of those times.