The more things change, the more they stay the same. We are coming up on 1 year since Daniel Bryan did the impossible and main evented WrestleMania XXX becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Everything was right in the wrestling world for at least a brief moment. We quickly came back down to earth with an atrociously bad feud with Kane and then the serious neck/arm issues that led to DB being stripped of the title and faced with possibility of the end of his in ring career. There was still light at the end of the tunnel but I will get to that in a bit. Need to address some things first.

Despite the ‘boo’s’ Reigns is receiving now, it didn’t have to be this way. People were starting to naturally get in his corner just as they had for Bryan, Rollins, Ambrose, Ziggler, etc… he was just starting his journey in the business while others had been grinding for years. That’s why those other guys were getting bigger reactions than him, b/c people had seen the years of struggle and hard work bring them to the top ready for the biggest opportunity. I had to laugh when HHH on Austin’s podcast talked about kayfabe being dead like that was something the fans brought on. DX was built on laughing in the face of kayfabe and “shooting.” That’s what made DX so incendiary in the first couple years, what they were doing was destroying the fabric of the business and laughing about it. So for HHH to act incredulous about it was pretty fucking ridiculous. WWE goes out of its way these days to destroy the aura of kayfabe so they can create the Variety Show abomination Vince loves so much. And yet when fans start to not react the way they want, they cry that the internet and ‘whiny smart marks’ always complain and destroy kayfabe.

Destroying kayfabe could have had 2 effects; the magic is gone and wrestling dies. Or people learn the art of the business and start viewing it from a different perspective keeping it alive and well. Clearly since we are talking about it in 2015, wrestling fans chose the latter. There is a right and a wrong way of doing things despite allegiances to talent, if fans see something done the right way they will suspend disbelief and support it. If it is not done right then the suspension of disbelief is compromised and the backlash starts to build. Pre-DX/Attitude Era, people knew wrestling couldn’t be totally real but there was always that thing in the back of everyone’s mind knowing there was a chance it could be. Wrestlers put in a lot of work to build kayfabe and keep that doubt in people’s minds. Post DX/Attitude Era, that was all destroyed and people knew the exact format for how things come together. Matches, feuds, promos, events, promotions, etc…nothing was left to the imagination. That brings us to the choice fans had at the beginning of the paragraph. Now that the doubt of real or fake is completely gone, you either stop watching or learn to appreciate the art of wrestling.

Fans used to view the product with kayfabe, and then appreciated the story. Now they have to appreciate the story, then they will watch with kayfabe. That’s what DX/Attitude Era/WWE changed and there is no going back. Once people learned the art of wrestling, they figured out how to determine the pretenders from the contenders. Wrestling is not fighting, it’s wrestling. The biggest and the strongest isn’t always going to win, the best WRESTLER will win. If anything being too big or strong is a disadvantage b/c wrestling is about so much more, it’s about putting the whole package together. Fans don’t need to believe that you are the biggest and strongest; they need to believe you are the best wrestler and have earned your opportunity. I don’t mean earned as in ‘win the Royal Rumble,’ I say earned as in pay your dues. Now it doesn’t matter if the company wants a certain guy to succeed, if the fans don’t believe it they will revolt.

So we come back to Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. This is different than Batista; fans weren’t in Batista’s corner at all so it was all about Bryan. This time it’s not clear cut, DB is the favourite but Reigns has a lot of fan support too. Since the 2015 Royal Rumble I have heard some Reigns fans say things like ‘they won’t be happy unless DB is in every main event’ or ‘they beg for new blood then whine when they get it.” Kinda mind boggling to me that people still don’t get it. It isn’t about Daniel Bryan being in every main event or only wanting him to succeed, it’s about wanting his story to be properly told. There is 1 major story in WWE that everyone dreams about, winning the Royal Rumble and winning the title in the main event at WrestleMania. That’s the crown jewel. That’s what every fan waits to see, the next guy deserving of that opportunity, get it. Such a special moment seeing a person you have supported for years, that has gone through so much struggle and hard work achieve that ultimate dream. It’s what makes WrestleMania such a big deal. And that is the story Daniel Bryan fans are waiting to be told. Outside of approx 6 weeks from ‘OccupyRAW’ to WMXXX the booking of Daniel Bryan has been god-awful. He has gotten and stayed over to the level he has in spite of terrible booking, which is an achievement of itself, but won’t satisfy anyone. We want to see him achieve the ultimate WWE dream, finish this part of the story the way it was meant to. Daniel Bryan wins the Royal Rumble and then the title at WrestleMania, that’s the story people are begging to see but they just won’t do it.

This isn’t just about wanting your favorite to win, not telling Daniel Bryan’s story properly is a slap in the face to fans that have invested their time and money into WWE knowing it isn’t real. WWE sold the Rumble to Mania dream for so long that they did this to themselves. If they had just given him the 2014 Rumble victory he earned, that part of the story would have been finished and none of this backlash for Reigns would be happening. But they didn’t and with his injury it calmed the waters. But anyone with a brain could see they still had a window of opportunity to finish the story right. DB comes back from injury to reclaim his title, beats the odds to win the Rumble and heads into an epic David vs. Goliath match at WrestleMania. Once again the perfect story falls into their lap and they fuck it up. Could DB beat Lesnar in a real fight, probably not but could he beat him in a wrestling match? You’re damn right he could. Fans believe Daniel Bryan to be 1 of, if not the best wrestler in the world. They have been with him since his days on the Indies and seen his struggle. They have seen WWE treat him like shit and try to kill him off. Yet they stay strong, because the story is worth it. Daniel Bryan is worth it. It isn’t about whom the office wants anymore, that died with kayfabe. Fans need to know the wrestler is good enough and has earned his shot. They need to buy in to the story and want to see it culminate at the highest peak. That’s why the backlash is happening. Daniel Bryan’s story is not properly finished and Roman Reigns has only just begun.

The reason you support a guy is so that he can reach the highest level, that’s what wrestling is built on. Investing in your favorites and enjoying the amazing spectacle that wrestling can be. WWE is sending a ‘we don’t give a fuck about what you want’ message so what’s the point in buying in. It isn’t organic; you’re not watching the natural progression of things. It’s like reading a book and being forced to use the authors imagination, not your own. Vince owns the company so he can do whatever he wants and wrestling is subjective but bottom line, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Doesn’t matter what company it is or who owns it, the points on the map don’t change, wrestling has a formula for success. Fans can see it clear as day now and if what they see doesn’t sync up, something needs to change. I know the ‘if you haven’t been in the biz you don’t know shit’ people will try and argue but wrestling is an art and if you study it properly you can learn crucial details that lead you to knowing just as much as someone working in the business. I don’t mean physically wrestling, I mean knowing the details and about what makes something work or not. So many fans eat, breathe, sleep the wrestling business and have become very wise about it. Blessing and a curse for WWE as that gives them a loyal fan base that can help sell the product but also creates problems when what they want to do doesn’t go with what is right in the fans mind.

Roman Reigns time was coming but now was not right. He hasn’t even been wrestling 5 years. He isn’t that great in the ring yet, struggles very hard with promos and has not developed his in ring game (psychology,expressions,etc) much. Relies on his 3 moves of doom and can only have good matches with guys that can carry him. Spent a couple years in developmental, was forced into the Shield, protected as the bad ass then by getting to keep the gear/music. He got the “fuck Batista we want DB” pop at the 2014 Royal Rumble which Vince must have misinterpreted as ‘OMG they luv hem.’ Built up strong the next year and then wins the Royal Rumble that fans believed Daniel Bryan deserved. He needed 1 more year to hone his craft and then would’ve had his own built in story the fans could get behind. Should’ve had him be last eliminated again by DB, that way it has been 2 consecutive Rumbles he was last eliminated and you could build the whole year around, can he finally get over the hump or will it be 3 years in a row as the runner up. That gives him some adversity and struggle, fans will invest in that. People watched guys like DB struggle for years outside WWE but Roman isn’t walking that same path so they should have used WWE time to sell that. DB finishes his story and we have nothing but horizon in front of us ready for the next awesome story, which would’ve been Roman Reigns. He finally wins the Rumble, gets his big moment in front of what could be the biggest WrestleMania crowd ever and becomes the star the office obviously wants him to be. It’s not rocket science, if you know what to look for its right there.

But none of that happened and Reigns is being force fed to the fans. Nothing they are doing right now is helping anyone, just killing them. Reigns is now looked at as a coddled office golden boy hand picked to succeed. Daniel Bryan looks like a pathetic loser constantly declaring he will win and then getting beat clean. DB has such crazy fan support that there is a backlash starting towards him b/c people think it’s too much and fans won’t be happy unless he wins everything ever. Reigns isn’t getting over like he should b/c they have started to create a DB fans vs. RR fans dynamic and looking at the 2 and their journeys, it’s not hard to see why it’s pretty one-sided battle. Had they just waited and done things the right way they would have 2 strong stars in DB and RR but now both guys are losing ground.

I think I may have the answer to why this is going on. The job of a wrestling company is to present a product, see what/who people react to and then go with it. Vince is trying to do it by presenting a product he likes and not caring about fans reactions. He is a control freak; he doesn’t want fans to have control so he doesn’t listen to them. He knows their loyalty will keep them around and they will eventually find some way to enjoy what he presents b/c who wants to sit around and be miserable all the time. Vince is a smart fuck and knows how people tick, he’ll wait them out and gamble on the fact that they love wrestling and won’t want a world without it so they have to support. There was a time I got a sick feeling thinking about WWE without Vince but at this point I just hope it can survive him. Vince and his massive ego think he makes the rules in wrestling. Wrong. The rules were always out there, Vince was just smart enough to figure them out. But with kayfabe dead, millions of wrestling fans know the rules now and expect WWE to abide by them. Vince might want the face of his company to be a muscled up freak but if they don’t fit within the rules, then it will fail. No matter who you want as the face of your company, you have to do things the right way with them. The goal is to build up a wrestler so they can get over huge and make the company money. Daniel Bryan got himself over huge but the company won’t give him a real shot to make them any money. That’s why it’s so frustrating, Daniel Bryan already has the hard part done, he is over not just with wrestling fans but starting to get into mainstream too. Half the work is done but they want to throw it all away and start over with someone else. Like I say it’s a slap in the face to the entire wrestling business.

And now they are actually trying to use Bryan’s popularity to help elevate other things instead of focusing on building him up. They surprise us all saying DB is healthy, cuts great promos about winning the Rumble, then loses clean to Wyatt 6 days before and gets tossed out early like a chump. Obviously they knew DB would bring eyes to the Rumble and just used him to sell the show. If he is gonna bring eyes why not build him up and see just how many he can bring? Then they use him to deflect heat off Reigns making Bryan look like a dick trying to get Reigns Mania match, cuts promos about how he will win and then gets beat clean. Obviously they just want to use Bryan’s popularity to help establish Reigns which is an absolute joke. So now Reigns has his main event and DB will be relegated to some bullshit match in midcard hell. Watching WMXXX and how great of a job they did making DB look like a star, all wasted and forgotten about putting us right back to square 1. All that time supporting DB on this journey from WM28 to now means nothing, he had 6 weeks of great booking out of 3+ years and is being pushed aside. That 6 week push probably had more to do with giving CM Punk the middle finger than trying to capitalize on Daniel Bryan, which is why it died right after Mania. I wish we could see how over DB could be if he were booked like a top guy but he has never even come close to that. 6 weeks of good booking, everything else was so bad I’m surprised DB got to where he did.

I honestly couldn’t care less about watching WrestleMania. I’m not just gonna accept Roman Reigns b/c that’s what they are going to do. What they have done to Daniel Bryan is not right and I will fight for what is right to the end. Until they finish this story properly I’m going down with the Daniel Bryan ship and I won’t accept anything else. If DB wasn’t over that would be a different story, but he is and that’s what makes standing up for DB the right thing to do. I don’t want him to main event every PPV and always win, hell my plan would’ve been to have DB lose to RR at WM 32, I just want this fucking story finished the right way. I could never stop watching wrestling but this slap in the face makes me want to stop watching current WWE. Sucks that NXT is on the network since I want to support them and all they care about is subs so they have me but the current product is what fuels the ship and they are running out of gas. Not saying that they couldn’t make things entertaining off of this current direction but it isn’t right and def not a best case scenario plan. I’m certainly not gonna buy into it ‘just because.’ I guess I’ll just have to find entertainment elsewhere and wait for something great to bring me back.

My main goal with this piece is to give people a better idea of the support Daniel Bryan gets and why Reigns is getting boo’d. Bottom line, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things in wrestling whether anyone likes it or not, and this path we are on definitely ain’t right.