I can't believe how awesome this is. I am not much of a Rock, Cena, HHH, or Taker fan, but dear god, Daniel Bryan makes me love wrestling again (with a fair bit of help from CM Punk on the side). It is just so great to see the best wrestler of the last decade getting his due, in spite of the writers doing anything they can to stop him. And damnit, I want that t-shirt!!!!
So what do they do with this? I mean, clearly they have SOMETHING here. Do you turn him face? I don't know if I like that because the angle with him mistreating AJ is working. Hotshot the title back to him? I don't know if I like punking out Sheamus just because of a bad booking decision. It's not his fault.
I mean having crowds hot for a guy is one thing but how do they turn this into money?
Hold on, where are the politically correct sticklers who bitch about Rock's homophobia, Eve's role in the Ryder/Cena angle, and criticize supposed hypocrisy with the Be a Star campaign? You people are out there, what do you have to say about Daniel Bryan's misogonistic attitude being played for laughs and cheers.
There were kids in that crowd! And lots of kids will see this video on Youtube!
Oh wait, that's right. Daniel Bryan Bryan's a kickass wrestler who's underappreciated by Vince/HHH/Steph. It's different.
Not only have I never told a woman to shut up, I have also never laughed at a joke poking fun at gays, minorities, or the disabled. I spent the entirety of the Rock/Cena feud clucking my tongue and writing letters to the editor.
WWE is sending a very dangerous message to its young, impressionable viewers. Did you read Bryan's facebook message from a couple weeks ago about the 10 things AF could do better? Disgusting.
I just don't understand where all my buddies are. They had my back with the repugnant 'hoeski' stuff. But with this, crickets.
If only it had been Randy Orton treating his pretend gf like shit in front of a rabid crowd. Fuck that guy, he's such a homo.
Like I said, if you can't get the difference between a face (Rock/Cena) using homophobia and misogyny and Daniel Bryan doing a tongue in cheek moment to keep being a heel then you're not going to.
Though now that you mention it, heel Orton with his "wife" accompanying him to the ring doing Savage-Liz updated would have been awesome. Especially if they stressed that his wife was the only person Orton cared about.
you need to lighten up. it's people like you making America a more boring and frustrating place. am I sensitive to the feelings of those demographics you mentioned? I sure am. However, you also need to learn how to laugh at things. Bryan's schtick is, obviously, tongue-in-cheek. Get over it or quit watching the show. It's pro-wrestling, not an episode of the Rachel Maddow Show.
I hate people like you. You're just like jackoffs who don't own a TV, and you know they don't because they NEVER shut up about the fact that they don't own a TV.
That's awesome you're so morally superior that you've NEVER laughed at a joke at a races or something "sensitve"'s expense. Glad to see you're incredibly boring.
I'll laugh at a gay joke, or a black joke, or any other kind of joke that is funny all day long. Then you know what I'll do? I'll go march for Prop 8 & the right for gay peeps to marry, just like I did.
See, you people who think that by being morally superior, by not laughing at a joke, or telling people meat is murder, you think you're actually doing something. You're not. You're just being a dry old bummer who sucks to be around and forces this world to completely suck ass. Where's people like me? I actually DO things.
I'm not responding to you or any of the other guys on here ganging up on me until my friends show up (the ones I talked about in my original post).
So hold that thought and wait for someone who isn't an internet darling to say/do something offensive and then it's on.
I just hope Vince doesn't sign this Michael Elgin guy to play a southern hick with extremely racist undertones to his character. Then I'm fucked... nobody will back me up!
Interesting you mention Austin as I was thinking that in order to get the most out of this situation they need to do a double-turn with Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, just like Hart-Austin at Wrestlemania 13. I think moving on to ADR v Sheamus is a wrong move and will result in the fans chanting 'YES' and 'DANIEL BRYAN' throughout the match at the next PPV which is where they seem to be headed.
I say make it a three-way and have Daniel Bryan win it in a controversial way (i.e. Sheamus hits White Noise on ADR and then goes to Brogue Kick Bryan only to get caught in the ropes, allowing Bryan to pin ADR for the win) followed by Bryan's over-the-top 'YES! YES! YES!' celebration. Hell have him go out to the fans and celebrate with them. Then over the next few weeks Sheamus and Bryan form a tentative alliance with each other to combat ADR and say oh Christian, but leave subtle hints at Sheamus growing jealous of Bryan. Bryan defeats ADR or Christian at the next PPV only to be viciously attacked by Sheamus leaving him injured for the next few weeks.
Then a tournament is made for the World Championship. Either Sheamus can win it or ADR, so when Bryan returns he has to beat Sheamus for the title or having to beat him before he can challenge for the title. Just because Bryan is getting super over doesn't mean they should treat to a long title reign as I think Bryan chasing the title will make for better television and also he can continue to promise that when he wins the title back he can hold the biggest 'YES! YES! YES!' celebration complete with cheerleaders and confetti.
The only part of this I'm not sure is where to go with A.J. The trouble with Bryan mistreating her is that it's too entertaining and A.J.'s character has been established as bit of a wet blanket which doesn't encourage too much sympathy for her. Either turn her with Sheamus or keep on going with the angle as it is very entertaining and hold off a heel turn for her in the future.
The cool thing is that if they do want to turn him face again, this angle with AJ allows them to repeat one of their best moments ever: the Savage/Liz reconciliation at WM7. Milk it a little longer, get a lot of sympathy on AJ, and then once she stands up to him, have him find a way to make up for it. Could be great.
No worries, I did lay it out there like that to purposely get a reaction. I was just hoping to catch some of the same people I was mocking, not a bunch of guys I actually agreed with.
I don't know if it can be anywhere close to that old angle. People loved Liz/Macho Man together, they were the perfect couple and they wanted them to get back together in the end. AJ loves Daniel Bryan, and the feeling is mutual, but nobody really cares that much about wanting them to be together. It's just hilarious how badly Danielson treats her, it's so over the top that the crowd eats it up.
True but there's a chance that this could catch on with other places as there's a lot more wrestling fans that tune in to Raw during and after Wrestlemania. In fact I'm sure I read ages ago that the Raw after Wrestlemania is the most important one of the year but don't quote me on that. Also wrestling fans can be quite sheepish in that respect (and I'm honest enough to admit I am too) and I remember watching the crowd chant 'YOU SUCK' in time with Kurt Angle's entrance at Royal Rumble 2002 and soon every arena was chanting it. There were a lot of arenas around the country chanting Daniel Bryan back when he was fired for choking Justin Roberts and back then his only exposure was loosing on NXT. It'll be interesting to see whether smarky places like Philadelphia, Toronto or even MSG catch on to the 'YES!' chants. They could be the new 'WHAT!' although those chants did get irritating after a while.
I actually agree with you on this. I wish they'd find a way to do this in a smarter manner. They have professional writers. They can get heat on him, utilizing her, without blurring the domestic violence lines.
However, "overbearing guy bullies timid woman" has been one of the easiest heat magnets since before Savage/Elizabeth, so I doubt it goes away.
If anything, ten years ago, Bubba Ray Dudley would have put AJ through a table, and the crowd would have cheered. We've probably evolved past that. Small victories.
There is a clear way that they can turn Bryan face and keep his current relationship with AJ basically as is. Just make it clear that they are both sex-positive folks that incorporate BDSM play into their relationship and that they enjoy lightly playing that out at work.
Hey, Fifty Shades of Grey is selling like crazy so maybe they'll bring in a crowd of middle-aged women.
You think the WWE target audience is still people who think borderline-DV and jokes about fags are funny? There's a difference between "a young male crowd" and "a young ignorant male crowd."
Sorry, folks. I'm with Jabber on this, although the Bryan/AJ stuff in this video certainly isn't the most egragious example one could come up with. I laughed too.
The problem is that Bryan/AJ have been together, what, a few weeks? A couple months at best? The Savage-Liz relationship grew and evolved over YEARS. From Savage being a huge d-bag to her to seeing the light, to the growing jealousy to the separation to the reconciliation. 1985-1991. It was something that needed that time to develop, grow and evolve.
You're NEVER going to repeat that, because no one has the patience to let it grow.
I really hope this wave of popularity Bryan's got in the past few days isn't an anomaly since the WM/RAW crowd was made up of a lot of smark fans. Because if it's genuine, he is going to become a mega-star whether WWE wants him to be one or not. Hell, Jeff Hardy rode the fans' support to a world title a couple years back and he doesn't have the overall skill-set of Bryan.
I recently read that they were thinking of putting the Bella twin that he's dating with him in real life instead of AJ but I seriously hope not. They've got something special with Bryan and AJ that they have to continue on with.
Every era needs a torchbearer and close #2 star. Hogan and Savage, Bret and Shawn, Stone Cold and Rock, Cena and Batista.
As for Cena, he's now showing how Hogan's career arc would have gone after WM VI if Warrior was a better draw, or after WMVIII minus the steroids and ego-mania. Or, how Bret's career arc would have gone after eventually turning face if there had been no Montreal. Or how Austin's career are could have gone if he didn't have retire after WMXIX. It's very pleasant actually to see a torchbearer whose era is over receive a graceful transition into legend status. That's a huge testimony to John Cena (the man) as a professional.
WM 27 will be looked at as Cena's counterpart to Hogan's WM8, a sort of culmination of a torch-bearer's career arc before transitioning to legend status. Money in the Bank 2011 will be looked at as Punk's WM13, with his coming out party as the new torchbearer.
Anyone else think that maybe the booking for Show/Rhodes and Sheamus/Bryan got switched sometime before the day of the show? Because an eighteen-second loss would have fit far better with the whole "embarrassing WM moment" theme they had going for the former and made little sense for the latter. There's a time to do that finish with the "cowardly heel" champion, and Bryan was nowhere near that point.
Because of what happened to Ryder, I can't believe I have to be slightly worried that this kind of reaction (and the one we gave him at WM) will backfire and cause Bryan to be de-pushed in someway. Sure, Bryan has exceeded Ryder already as far as overall push; but remember MSG going nuts for the guy? Remember Cena actually trying to get Ryder pushed? Remember when he produced a regular youtube show?
Anyways, I'm kinda letting my cynicism get in the way a bit. I'm hoping they move him into the Sheamus-ADR feud and maybe they can have a 3-way at Extreme Rulz~!.
For everyone loving the reactions to Bryan, I agree that it's awesome, but for those hoping Vince does something with this, I've got two words for ya...
To paraphrase a British saying: they could fuck up a piss-up in a brewery. Thing is, firstly, Bryan is a MUCH better wrestler than Ryder, and people - including those in the back - know that. Secondly, if the YES! thing gets annoying then all the better; he's a heel. Thirdly, you've got to take what you can get with the WWE - if you keep expecting greatness you'll be disappointed.
What's wrong with us? We keep coming back like the subjects of domestic abuse. No wonder we like D-Bry!
I'll be honest, the opening match debacle on Sunday really soured me on Wrestlemania. It sounds hyperbolic, but it ruined the majority of the show for me. So to see the crowd at Raw react like this is heartening. Hopefully Bryan realises that no matter how badly he's booked by the 'E, people are always going to recognise his talent.
Daniel Bryan was getting booed. Hard. Hell, I was booing him at home (I don't understand.....that dress looked so much better on the mannequin). That was the fun of it: I enjoyed booing him because he was being so clearly and over-the-top douchey. People were just into the heel character.
Once Wrestlemania happened, though, Bryan gained so much sympathy as a performer that he started getting cheered *because* he's been such a fun heel character. That moment with Bryan and AJ any other night would've drawn boos just as it has every other night. The fourth wall was dropped though during that exchange, and so he was cheered for being such an effective heel. It's entirely different than the examples you name.
That finish worked PERFECTLY for that feud. Bryan was a guy who lucked into the title, pinning an unconscious Big Show. Then he constantly tries to weasel his way out of title matches, usually exploiting his naive gf (whom he doesn't even really love) to get his way. Then, in the big match his exploitation of her feelings backfires and the undeserving fluke champion has gotten his comeuppance.
You can make the argument that this isn't an appropriate finish for a ppv (I disagree, you do it if you know the rest of the card will deliver and it's the 4th most important match... but I understand the argument), but not that it doesn't fit the character or the feud. He'd been champ for over 3 months. In today's environment with 2 shows per week and a ppv every month, it was enough time.
Wow... Good on Sheamus playing the heel in this one. What a fun crowd. I really hope this all continues. Anyone else wonder whether the degree of AJ's meek character - she is so over the top! - is also contributing to the response? Both her and Bryan are playing such stereotypes, in such a silly way, that people are just having fun with it...
You're completely mislabelling Bryan's character. Bryan's been lucky, yes, but he's also supposed to be a great wrestler. Hell, both of his PPV title defenses were completely clean wins. And as Punk has established, if you win Money in the Bank, then you earned whatever you can get from cashing it in.
If you wanted a match that actually fit the feud, a simple idea would've been to have Bryan keep getting lucky break after lucky break to not lose the match....only he's still not able to beat Sheamus, even with all the luck in the world, because it's Sheamus's night.
That makes total sense. World Heavyweight titles should not be lost in 18 seconds under almost any circumstances. That's the kind of shit you use the IC title for. And as you say, "Cody Rhodes getting punched" is nowhere near as embarrassing as losing in 18 seconds.
Rock/Austin. Austin was Mr. Attitude. He was the first to make the anti-hero work. All the top babyfaces except Foley became anti-heroes after Austin. Rock took Austin's template and adapted it for his character.
In fact, I thought they had moved Bryan towards more of a cerebral heel sprinkled with some luck and chickenshit qualities. It did start out as luck; but that morphed, plus he has the wrestling skills that is widely acknowledged.
Even if you think the finish is the correct one, there's no excuse for the match to be short - except so they can claim some sort of record. You could do a similar finish after ten minutes and that way Sheamus has earned the victory and fans of Bryan don't feel like he's been screwed. Added bonus: Sheamus doesn't get roundly booed in his moment of glory Monday night.
Well yeah, it's not gonna be on the same scale. But then again, for a good portion of the people watching, they wouldn't remember the original Savage/Liz angle anyway. Something that only spans a few months would seem like an eternity compared to the storyline turnover these days. Either way they can still copy the format to turn Bryan face, even if it doesn't have the same punch that Savage/Liz at WM7 did.
BTW, they've been an on-screen item since I think October or November. Close to 6 months.
I can't stop watching this. Who would have thought that the post Wrestlemania RAW wouldn't be about Cena, or Orton, or Punk, or Rock, or BROCK...it would be all about...Daniel Bryan.
Hopefully the crowd will be at least half as excited for the tapings tonight.
I know you're being tongue-in-cheek but there are a few points to be made: 1) Bryan was also being tongue-in-cheek and staying in character. 2) Bryan's character is a heel. I have no problem with heels doing shitty things because they're heels, the point is that they'll get their comeuppance. Rock and Cena were supposed to be the FACES and that's what made it so shitty. I was pissed when CM Punk pulled the whole, "Hey Berto, stop being so Mexican ya Mexican!" 3) I actually think that Orton (much as I loathe him) would have been the perfect candidate for a Savage-Liz type of pairing. Bring in his wife or the actress who played his wife or the other actress who played his wife and have her be the only person or thing that he cares about and you have a pretty great gimmick.
I was at the takings tonight, and I'd say it was probably 3/4's as excited as last night. Though with this show being taped, we'll see if they do anything to lessen the crowd reaction to him throughout his segment.
Based on the takings tonight, they acknowledged the chants but Bryan's character didn't have any radical change in direction. I don't want to give too much away, but you can check out the spoilers I sent to the observer site (CHEAP PLUG!) for more. I'm not sure how they'll catch on in the coming weeks... and I'm also not sure how much of tonight's crowd were people that were in Miami for the weekend and made the drive to Orlando to finish off their vacation, or if this was a fresh group of fans to see the show. If it was mostly a fresh group, then I give the YES! stuff a chance to catch on long term. But we saw the WWE mess up two ready-made shots at money in the last two years (Nexus, Summer of Punk) so I don't have too much faith they'll be on board with Bryan.
Just got to love it.
ReplyDeleteSeriously. If they can't figure out how to build of this momentum, they should just turn the lights off and close up shop.
ReplyDeleteI've been awaiting a YES! YES! YES! shirt for some time now.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan needs to ride this wave to permanent main-eventer status.
In one night, YES! replaced WHAT, BOO/YEA, and WHOO!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how awesome this is. I am not much of a Rock, Cena, HHH, or Taker fan, but dear god, Daniel Bryan makes me love wrestling again (with a fair bit of help from CM Punk on the side). It is just so great to see the best wrestler of the last decade getting his due, in spite of the writers doing anything they can to stop him. And damnit, I want that t-shirt!!!!
ReplyDeleteYES! The bit with AJ was great. The whole thing was great.
ReplyDeleteI'll be saving this for whenever any idiot out there says that only the "IWC" cares about Bryan.
ReplyDeleteWow. This has truly been something epic.
ReplyDeleteThis is how people THINK Austin 3:16 happened, Austin 3:16 wasn't ANYTHING like this.
I ordered my Barbershop Window T-Shirt with "YES! YES! YES!" on it. Might have to get the WWE one too.
ReplyDeleteSo what do they do with this? I mean, clearly they have SOMETHING here. Do you turn him face? I don't know if I like that because the angle with him mistreating AJ is working. Hotshot the title back to him? I don't know if I like punking out Sheamus just because of a bad booking decision. It's not his fault.
ReplyDeleteI mean having crowds hot for a guy is one thing but how do they turn this into money?
I was gonna comment but I think this is more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteYES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
Hold on, where are the politically correct sticklers who bitch about Rock's homophobia, Eve's role in the Ryder/Cena angle, and criticize supposed hypocrisy with the Be a Star campaign? You people are out there, what do you have to say about Daniel Bryan's misogonistic attitude being played for laughs and cheers.
ReplyDeleteThere were kids in that crowd! And lots of kids will see this video on Youtube!
Oh wait, that's right. Daniel Bryan Bryan's a kickass wrestler who's underappreciated by Vince/HHH/Steph. It's different.
Actually, if they're going to turn Bryan face it does make me uncomfortable. But I appreciated Bryan not totally breaking character.
DeletePlus, Bryan isn't supposed to be a face, Rock and Cena were.
You honestly able to say that you've never told a woman to shut up? Unlikely, man.
ReplyDeleteUh, likely.
ReplyDeleteNot only have I never told a woman to shut up, I have also never laughed at a joke poking fun at gays, minorities, or the disabled. I spent the entirety of the Rock/Cena feud clucking my tongue and writing letters to the editor.
WWE is sending a very dangerous message to its young, impressionable viewers. Did you read Bryan's facebook message from a couple weeks ago about the 10 things AF could do better? Disgusting.
I just don't understand where all my buddies are. They had my back with the repugnant 'hoeski' stuff. But with this, crickets.
If only it had been Randy Orton treating his pretend gf like shit in front of a rabid crowd. Fuck that guy, he's such a homo.
Oops.
Like I said, if you can't get the difference between a face (Rock/Cena) using homophobia and misogyny and Daniel Bryan doing a tongue in cheek moment to keep being a heel then you're not going to.
DeleteThough now that you mention it, heel Orton with his "wife" accompanying him to the ring doing Savage-Liz updated would have been awesome. Especially if they stressed that his wife was the only person Orton cared about.
WOW... Daniel Bryan is Obi Wan Kenobi to the WWE's Vader.
ReplyDeleteYou're not exactly the WWE target audience, dude.
ReplyDeleteyou need to lighten up. it's people like you making America a more boring and frustrating place. am I sensitive to the feelings of those demographics you mentioned? I sure am. However, you also need to learn how to laugh at things. Bryan's schtick is, obviously, tongue-in-cheek. Get over it or quit watching the show. It's pro-wrestling, not an episode of the Rachel Maddow Show.
ReplyDeleteI hate people like you. You're just like jackoffs who don't own a TV, and you know they don't because they NEVER shut up about the fact that they don't own a TV.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome you're so morally superior that you've NEVER laughed at a joke at a races or something "sensitve"'s expense. Glad to see you're incredibly boring.
I'll laugh at a gay joke, or a black joke, or any other kind of joke that is funny all day long. Then you know what I'll do? I'll go march for Prop 8 & the right for gay peeps to marry, just like I did.
See, you people who think that by being morally superior, by not laughing at a joke, or telling people meat is murder, you think you're actually doing something. You're not. You're just being a dry old bummer who sucks to be around and forces this world to completely suck ass. Where's people like me? I actually DO things.
I'm not responding to you or any of the other guys on here ganging up on me until my friends show up (the ones I talked about in my original post).
ReplyDeleteSo hold that thought and wait for someone who isn't an internet darling to say/do something offensive and then it's on.
I just hope Vince doesn't sign this Michael Elgin guy to play a southern hick with extremely racist undertones to his character. Then I'm fucked... nobody will back me up!
I think you missed the joke...
ReplyDeleteThe unabridged version:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMBZJtUOi94
It was classy of the crowd to wait for the show to go off the air before doing the "F--- you Cena" chant.
Interesting you mention Austin as I was thinking that in order to get the most out of this situation they need to do a double-turn with Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, just like Hart-Austin at Wrestlemania 13. I think moving on to ADR v Sheamus is a wrong move and will result in the fans chanting 'YES' and 'DANIEL BRYAN' throughout the match at the next PPV which is where they seem to be headed.
ReplyDeleteI say make it a three-way and have Daniel Bryan win it in a controversial way (i.e. Sheamus hits White Noise on ADR and then goes to Brogue Kick Bryan only to get caught in the ropes, allowing Bryan to pin ADR for the win) followed by Bryan's over-the-top 'YES! YES! YES!' celebration. Hell have him go out to the fans and celebrate with them. Then over the next few weeks Sheamus and Bryan form a tentative alliance with each other to combat ADR and say oh Christian, but leave subtle hints at Sheamus growing jealous of Bryan. Bryan defeats ADR or Christian at the next PPV only to be viciously attacked by Sheamus leaving him injured for the next few weeks.
Then a tournament is made for the World Championship. Either Sheamus can win it or ADR, so when Bryan returns he has to beat Sheamus for the title or having to beat him before he can challenge for the title. Just because Bryan is getting super over doesn't mean they should treat to a long title reign as I think Bryan chasing the title will make for better television and also he can continue to promise that when he wins the title back he can hold the biggest 'YES! YES! YES!' celebration complete with cheerleaders and confetti.
The only part of this I'm not sure is where to go with A.J. The trouble with Bryan mistreating her is that it's too entertaining and A.J.'s character has been established as bit of a wet blanket which doesn't encourage too much sympathy for her. Either turn her with Sheamus or keep on going with the angle as it is very entertaining and hold off a heel turn for her in the future.
you = troll.
ReplyDeleteThe cool thing is that if they do want to turn him face again, this angle with AJ allows them to repeat one of their best moments ever: the Savage/Liz reconciliation at WM7. Milk it a little longer, get a lot of sympathy on AJ, and then once she stands up to him, have him find a way to make up for it. Could be great.
ReplyDeleteAh, my apologies then.
ReplyDeleteIf this truly replaces "What!" I will personally mail Daniel Bryan a check.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, and that's exactly what the brass is thinking right now.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, I did lay it out there like that to purposely get a reaction. I was just hoping to catch some of the same people I was mocking, not a bunch of guys I actually agreed with.
ReplyDeleteI'm on your side.
Daniel Bryan probably tells men to shut up too, so he's just being egalitarian. He's not just a vegan... he's a feminist!
ReplyDeleteThey don't do anything yet, it's one city, it may catch on but its no reason to turn him face. Bryan sucked as a face, I want him to stay heel.
ReplyDeleteIt was two nights and one city!!!! They don't need to change anything based on two nights and one city.
ReplyDeleteAnd then it will become annoying as fuck just like "what" did.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it can be anywhere close to that old angle. People loved Liz/Macho Man together, they were the perfect couple and they wanted them to get back together in the end. AJ loves Daniel Bryan, and the feeling is mutual, but nobody really cares that much about wanting them to be together. It's just hilarious how badly Danielson treats her, it's so over the top that the crowd eats it up.
ReplyDeleteTrue but there's a chance that this could catch on with other places as there's a lot more wrestling fans that tune in to Raw during and after Wrestlemania. In fact I'm sure I read ages ago that the Raw after Wrestlemania is the most important one of the year but don't quote me on that. Also wrestling fans can be quite sheepish in that respect (and I'm honest enough to admit I am too) and I remember watching the crowd chant 'YOU SUCK' in time with Kurt Angle's entrance at Royal Rumble 2002 and soon every arena was chanting it. There were a lot of arenas around the country chanting Daniel Bryan back when he was fired for choking Justin Roberts and back then his only exposure was loosing on NXT. It'll be interesting to see whether smarky places like Philadelphia, Toronto or even MSG catch on to the 'YES!' chants. They could be the new 'WHAT!' although those chants did get irritating after a while.
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with you on this. I wish they'd find a way to do this in a smarter manner. They have professional writers. They can get heat on him, utilizing her, without blurring the domestic violence lines.
ReplyDeleteHowever, "overbearing guy bullies timid woman" has been one of the easiest heat magnets since before Savage/Elizabeth, so I doubt it goes away.
If anything, ten years ago, Bubba Ray Dudley would have put AJ through a table, and the crowd would have cheered. We've probably evolved past that. Small victories.
Also....
ReplyDeleteYES! YES! YES!
There is a clear way that they can turn Bryan face and keep his current relationship with AJ basically as is. Just make it clear that they are both sex-positive folks that incorporate BDSM play into their relationship and that they enjoy lightly playing that out at work.
ReplyDeleteHey, Fifty Shades of Grey is selling like crazy so maybe they'll bring in a crowd of middle-aged women.
They better have the T-Shirt made before WWE starts traveling to dead zones like Nassau Coliseum for future Raws.
ReplyDeleteYou know Vince was probably in the back hearing those "Yes!" chants and seeing dollar signs in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteYou think the WWE target audience is still people who think borderline-DV and jokes about fags are funny? There's a difference between "a young male crowd" and "a young ignorant male crowd."
ReplyDeleteSorry, folks. I'm with Jabber on this, although the Bryan/AJ stuff in this video certainly isn't the most egragious example one could come up with. I laughed too.
Oh well. :)
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that Bryan/AJ have been together, what, a few weeks? A couple months at best? The Savage-Liz relationship grew and evolved over YEARS. From Savage being a huge d-bag to her to seeing the light, to the growing jealousy to the separation to the reconciliation. 1985-1991. It was something that needed that time to develop, grow and evolve.
ReplyDeleteYou're NEVER going to repeat that, because no one has the patience to let it grow.
I really hope this wave of popularity Bryan's got in the past few days isn't an anomaly since the WM/RAW crowd was made up of a lot of smark fans. Because if it's genuine, he is going to become a mega-star whether WWE wants him to be one or not. Hell, Jeff Hardy rode the fans' support to a world title a couple years back and he doesn't have the overall skill-set of Bryan.
ReplyDeleteI recently read that they were thinking of putting the Bella twin that he's dating with him in real life instead of AJ but I seriously hope not. They've got something special with Bryan and AJ that they have to continue on with.
We just saw a Rock to Punk's Stone Cold emerge.
ReplyDeleteEvery era needs a torchbearer and close #2 star. Hogan and Savage, Bret and Shawn, Stone Cold and Rock, Cena and Batista.
As for Cena, he's now showing how Hogan's career arc would have gone after WM VI if Warrior was a better draw, or after WMVIII minus the steroids and ego-mania. Or, how Bret's career arc would have gone after eventually turning face if there had been no Montreal. Or how Austin's career are could have gone if he didn't have retire after WMXIX. It's very pleasant actually to see a torchbearer whose era is over receive a graceful transition into legend status. That's a huge testimony to John Cena (the man) as a professional.
WM 27 will be looked at as Cena's counterpart to Hogan's WM8, a sort of culmination of a torch-bearer's career arc before transitioning to legend status. Money in the Bank 2011 will be looked at as Punk's WM13, with his coming out party as the new torchbearer.
Anyone else think that maybe the booking for Show/Rhodes and Sheamus/Bryan got switched sometime before the day of the show? Because an eighteen-second loss would have fit far better with the whole "embarrassing WM moment" theme they had going for the former and made little sense for the latter. There's a time to do that finish with the "cowardly heel" champion, and Bryan was nowhere near that point.
ReplyDeleteBecause of what happened to Ryder, I can't believe I have to be slightly worried that this kind of reaction (and the one we gave him at WM) will backfire and cause Bryan to be de-pushed in someway. Sure, Bryan has exceeded Ryder already as far as overall push; but remember MSG going nuts for the guy? Remember Cena actually trying to get Ryder pushed? Remember when he produced a regular youtube show?
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I'm kinda letting my cynicism get in the way a bit. I'm hoping they move him into the Sheamus-ADR feud and maybe they can have a 3-way at Extreme Rulz~!.
For everyone loving the reactions to Bryan, I agree that it's awesome, but for those hoping Vince does something with this, I've got two words for ya...
ReplyDeleteZach Ryder
To paraphrase a British saying: they could fuck up a piss-up in a brewery. Thing is, firstly, Bryan is a MUCH better wrestler than Ryder, and people - including those in the back - know that. Secondly, if the YES! thing gets annoying then all the better; he's a heel. Thirdly, you've got to take what you can get with the WWE - if you keep expecting greatness you'll be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with us? We keep coming back like the subjects of domestic abuse. No wonder we like D-Bry!
I'll be honest, the opening match debacle on Sunday really soured me on Wrestlemania. It sounds hyperbolic, but it ruined the majority of the show for me. So to see the crowd at Raw react like this is heartening. Hopefully Bryan realises that no matter how badly he's booked by the 'E, people are always going to recognise his talent.
ReplyDeleteSo? If they're not going to listen to the crowd they drew for *Wrestlemania weekend*, then precisely what crowd are they supposed to listen to?
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan was getting booed. Hard. Hell, I was booing him at home (I don't understand.....that dress looked so much better on the mannequin). That was the fun of it: I enjoyed booing him because he was being so clearly and over-the-top douchey. People were just into the heel character.
ReplyDeleteOnce Wrestlemania happened, though, Bryan gained so much sympathy as a performer that he started getting cheered *because* he's been such a fun heel character. That moment with Bryan and AJ any other night would've drawn boos just as it has every other night. The fourth wall was dropped though during that exchange, and so he was cheered for being such an effective heel. It's entirely different than the examples you name.
How fortitous that all these people brought "YES!" posters to the arena on the off-chance that Rock would say it in his promo :P
ReplyDeleteuuuuhhhh no
ReplyDeleteThat finish worked PERFECTLY for that feud. Bryan was a guy who lucked into the title, pinning an unconscious Big Show. Then he constantly tries to weasel his way out of title matches, usually exploiting his naive gf (whom he doesn't even really love) to get his way. Then, in the big match his exploitation of her feelings backfires and the undeserving fluke champion has gotten his comeuppance.
ReplyDeleteYou can make the argument that this isn't an appropriate finish for a ppv (I disagree, you do it if you know the rest of the card will deliver and it's the 4th most important match... but I understand the argument), but not that it doesn't fit the character or the feud. He'd been champ for over 3 months. In today's environment with 2 shows per week and a ppv every month, it was enough time.
I love this guy... y'know in a totally heterosexual non gay way. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
ReplyDelete.... but is it Austin/Rock or Rock/Austin, what is the pecking order?
ReplyDeleteWow... Good on Sheamus playing the heel in this one. What a fun crowd. I really hope this all continues. Anyone else wonder whether the degree of AJ's meek character - she is so over the top! - is also contributing to the response? Both her and Bryan are playing such stereotypes, in such a silly way, that people are just having fun with it...
ReplyDeleteYou're completely mislabelling Bryan's character. Bryan's been lucky, yes, but he's also supposed to be a great wrestler. Hell, both of his PPV title defenses were completely clean wins. And as Punk has established, if you win Money in the Bank, then you earned whatever you can get from cashing it in.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted a match that actually fit the feud, a simple idea would've been to have Bryan keep getting lucky break after lucky break to not lose the match....only he's still not able to beat Sheamus, even with all the luck in the world, because it's Sheamus's night.
That makes total sense. World Heavyweight titles should not be lost in 18 seconds under almost any circumstances. That's the kind of shit you use the IC title for. And as you say, "Cody Rhodes getting punched" is nowhere near as embarrassing as losing in 18 seconds.
ReplyDeleteRock/Austin. Austin was Mr. Attitude. He was the first to make the anti-hero work. All the top babyfaces except Foley became anti-heroes after Austin. Rock took Austin's template and adapted it for his character.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I thought they had moved Bryan towards more of a cerebral heel sprinkled with some luck and chickenshit qualities. It did start out as luck; but that morphed, plus he has the wrestling skills that is widely acknowledged.
Even if you think the finish is the correct one, there's no excuse for the match to be short - except so they can claim some sort of record. You could do a similar finish after ten minutes and that way Sheamus has earned the victory and fans of Bryan don't feel like he's been screwed. Added bonus: Sheamus doesn't get roundly booed in his moment of glory Monday night.
ReplyDeleteI thought Vader was the WWE's Vader.
ReplyDeletedammit.
ReplyDeleteWOW...that is some crazy Austin-98 shit...only louder.
ReplyDeleteWell yeah, it's not gonna be on the same scale. But then again, for a good portion of the people watching, they wouldn't remember the original Savage/Liz angle anyway. Something that only spans a few months would seem like an eternity compared to the storyline turnover these days. Either way they can still copy the format to turn Bryan face, even if it doesn't have the same punch that Savage/Liz at WM7 did.
ReplyDeleteBTW, they've been an on-screen item since I think October or November. Close to 6 months.
Kinda hinging things on there being a big portion of the audience that are Dan Savage fans to pull that twist off, I'd think. If only.
ReplyDeleteI can't stop watching this. Who would have thought that the post Wrestlemania RAW wouldn't be about Cena, or Orton, or Punk, or Rock, or BROCK...it would be all about...Daniel Bryan.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the crowd will be at least half as excited for the tapings tonight.
So apparently the progenitor of WHAT liked what he saw on Raw:
ReplyDelete"Thats a good thing! YES!RT @DarrenLloyd81: @steveaustinBSR. Watched raw. All yes yes yes and no what? what? what?"
I know you're being tongue-in-cheek but there are a few points to be made:
ReplyDelete1) Bryan was also being tongue-in-cheek and staying in character.
2) Bryan's character is a heel. I have no problem with heels doing shitty things because they're heels, the point is that they'll get their comeuppance. Rock and Cena were supposed to be the FACES and that's what made it so shitty. I was pissed when CM Punk pulled the whole, "Hey Berto, stop being so Mexican ya Mexican!"
3) I actually think that Orton (much as I loathe him) would have been the perfect candidate for a Savage-Liz type of pairing. Bring in his wife or the actress who played his wife or the other actress who played his wife and have her be the only person or thing that he cares about and you have a pretty great gimmick.
SPOILER...
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan and AJ are splitsville.
YES! YES! YES!!! Exact same feeling watching the show here.
ReplyDeleteThe
ReplyDeleteI was at the takings tonight, and I'd say it was probably 3/4's as excited as last night. Though with this show being taped, we'll see if they do anything to lessen the crowd reaction to him throughout his segment.
ReplyDeleteWow really? I read the spoilers and it didn't say that all. Huge mistake if it's true.
ReplyDeleteThat would make sense for any company in the world... but not for Vince McMahon!
ReplyDeleteBased on the takings tonight, they acknowledged the chants but Bryan's character didn't have any radical change in direction. I don't want to give too much away, but you can check out the spoilers I sent to the observer site (CHEAP PLUG!) for more. I'm not sure how they'll catch on in the coming weeks... and I'm also not sure how much of tonight's crowd were people that were in Miami for the weekend and made the drive to Orlando to finish off their vacation, or if this was a fresh group of fans to see the show. If it was mostly a fresh group, then I give the YES! stuff a chance to catch on long term. But we saw the WWE mess up two ready-made shots at money in the last two years (Nexus, Summer of Punk) so I don't have too much faith they'll be on board with Bryan.
ReplyDeleteWrestleMania 29 - Brock vs. Bryan? I say YES! YES! YES!
ReplyDeleteThis is perhaps the most amusing comment to me to ever appear on this blog. Fantastic. Yes! Yes!
ReplyDeleteYes!
Jesus, has it been that long? Shows you how much I've been paying attention to the Blue brand.
ReplyDelete