Burials/Squashes

DM_7

Daniel Bryan was not buried on NXT.

He was the only guy introduced on NXT with a storyline.

The storyline involved Bryan, His Pro the Miz and Cole.

Bryan had his first match against the World Heavyweight Champion.

Over the next few weeks Cole talked **** about Bryan. The Miz kept running him down, attacking him, trying to get him into matches he had little chance of winning.

Post elimination from NXT, Bryan stood up for himself by smacking the head off Cole and beating up Miz, then beating Miz live on RAW before throwing him straight into Cole.

Considering Bryan beat Cole up I am surprised anyone is surprised by Cole continuing to say bad things about him.

The Cole, Miz, Danielson Angle was designed to get Danielson Over with fans who knew nothing about him. The Stroyline would have worked only it got side stepped when WWE came up with a bigger storyline for him, The Nexus.

We all know what happened then, but I am certain the Nexus angle with Danielson as a part of it would have helped him no end.

Then In August he got a great return at Summerslam before getting thrown back into a feud with The Miz.

From September to March he was the US Champion.

Then in April he got a Draft to Smackdown.

For a guy only in WWE for 13 of the last 15 months he has done pretty well.

jaykhunter

I completely agree with everything except the last line, sure Bryan was the star of NXT S1.

DM-ICE wrote: »

From September to March he was the US Champion. Then in April he got a Draft to Smackdown. For a guy only in WWE for 13 of the last 15 months he has done pretty well.

From being featured prominently on NXT S1, then the unfortunate tie business de-railed him for a bit, he won the US title pretty sharpish from Miz, and he had WWE.com's joint MOTY with Ziggler at Bragging Rights. His last PPV match in WWE was curtain-jerking with DiBiase at Survivor Series over FIVE MONTHS ago!! (The Rumble doesn't count because everyone's in it)

It's great that Danielson had the US title (unfortunately, a title that means absolutely nothing) for so long but he was not featured in the slightest. Even facing 2-time former WWE champion Sheamus, he could only get a dark match at Mania, and not at all at Extreme Rules.

I wouldn't class WWE as burying Danielson, they just have absolutely nothing for him and don't want to push him.

flahavaj

I think people have been spoiled by how well Bryan did initially in his WWE run. Tbh him getting the secondary titles and the focus on him during NXT far exceeded any expecattions I had of him as a long-time fan of his. I thought he'd be left on Superstars, or jobbing in three minute squashes to Khali to be perfectly honest, considering his size and unremarkable look.

He's still exceeding my expectations to be getting decent length TV matches every week. If he settles into his current niche of getting nice longsih matches as a talent that makes people look good he'll carve out a nice little career for himself. People expecting a guy like him to be constantly given prominent feuds and storylines are being widly optimistic IMHO. He's probably seen by management as a Dean Malenko or Jamie Noble kind of talent, and in hat light he's getting far more exposure than those guys ever did really.

thebostoncrab

It makes perfect sense for Cole to run down Daniel post their feud, he still doesn't like the guy, who should he praise him?

I doubt any fan watching will agree with Cole anyway. Yes some fans here yes that Bryan is abit of a dork, but that has been something he goes by in the WWE, not just Cole. But every time he comes out he gets praised for his skills as a wrestler, even from Cole. In no way shape or form is Bryan getting buried every week.

I agree with Flah, we were spoiled by how much Bryan was featured in his first run. Alot of it was a case of right place right time. If he was kept in the midcard and not given as much lime light, I wonder would we be having this discussion? What am I saying,of course we would, because if a talented wrestler is on the midcard people will scream that he isn't being used correctly.

One thing I have noticed in my 20+ years in watching wrestling is that the cream will always rise to the top in the WWE. Give Bryan time. Edge wasn't headling PPVs the first year of his career, either did The Rock, or Stone Cold. Hell not even John Cena! Bryans WWE career has just begun, so enjoy the matches he puts on now and don't get caught up with if he wins or looses, because his time will come.

GTR63

At the moment Bryan is going nowhere but as long as they don't job him to Cole he ain't buried.Actually watched a old rumble last nite Miz was eliminated by Hornswoggle,amazing that Miz was main eventing just 3 years later...could of done without seeing Piper & Snuka trading blows.Piper was bare chested which wasn't a smart move.

jaykhunter

flah and thebostoncrab wrote:

we were spoiled by how much Bryan was featured in his first run.

This truth makes me sad - we get "spoiled" by good booking instead of the usual boring Cena/Orton tripe. Like that we expect mediocrity and jump with joy at something half-decent. Fúck's sake! Combine this with feuds that never end (they just peter out) No wonder wrestling is in the toilet.

Sirsok

GTR63 wrote: »

At the moment Bryan is going nowhere but as long as they don't job him to Cole he ain't buried.Actually watched a old rumble last nite Miz was eliminated by Hornswoggle,amazing that Miz was main eventing just 3 years later...could of done without seeing Piper & Snuka trading blows.Piper was bare chested which wasn't a smart move.

Exactly and got a lapdance from big dick johnson...and now is arguably one of the biggest stars they got...wwe could bury someone many times and then in the space o 6 months turn them into a viable title contender i believe.......tv audiences have short attention spans.....Great Khali was rappin with snoop and doin kisscams and now they seem to wanna turn him serious again. People can come back from a burial if WWE wanna do it.....i heard on a site before that they bury certain people just to test their character and desire before they wanna push them?

jaykhunter

Something I was thinking about today.

Of course it doesn't affect our mentality and how we view Daniel Bryan (Cole's constant tongue-lashing), but it does negatively impact the casual fan's/marks opinions of a wrestler. WWE do a very good job of beating home little phrases and nuances until it bores into people's head; so when you think of certain people or things, it comes to mind straight away.

So what do the casuals think immediately when they think of a particular wrestler?

Del Rio : My destiny; mexican aristocrat; expensive cars; wink
Orton : Viper; punt; heel but face; RKO outta nowhere
Miz : Awesome. Must-see champion.
now....

Bryan : Nerd. Dork. No personality. Virgin/vegan.


Some of this is promo work, some booking, most by commentary. The commentators play a pivotal role in getting a character over, and in this sense, they've really buried Daniel Bryan. They've highlighted his biggest weakness (his personality) and completely denigrated the fact that he's one of the best wrestlers on the planet.

Just imagine if JR/King started burying Chris Benoit this hard when he came to the WWF in 2000.

Anyway, just food for thought

drayme

Smackdown spoiler

5. Daniel Bryan beat Chavo Guerrero. A five minute match. Sin Cara came out and hit a huracanrana on Chavo after the match. It looked like they were setting up Sin Cara vs. Chavo for Over The Limit.

:P