It would seem the WWE is possibly heading towards Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler would most likely be the guy turning heel in that feud. No title is likely to be involved. Is this a great match for Daniel Bryan, a guy many feel should be involved in something big for Wrestlemania? I feel like this is a consolation prize. Not for Bryan or Ziggler. For the fans. These two guys put on what was likely the best match of the year in 2010. In terms of wrestling, these two can steal the show at Wrestlemania this year, even though both should be involved in better. Those fans so upset by what happened last week would likely be slightly appeased by a great match like this. At least, that might be the WWE's logic. I have seen other fans bring up this argument. I think it makes sense.
Of course, there is still plenty of time to change things. Fans are anticipating that something will be changed with Triple H's big announcement. Just a little while ago, people were talking about Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus for Wrestlemania. Fan reactions helped to alter things last year. It might happen again.
What should Daniel Bryan get for this year's Wrestlemania? Wrestlemania is a PPV where the WWE tries to develop big matches. And if they cannot put you in a big match in terms of hype, they toss you into a multi-man match. That's not for Daniel Bryan. If you cannot be in the World title match, there are still options for you. You have a lot of legends getting involved at Wrestlemania. Celebrities sometimes get involved. I don't think a celebrity angle would be right for Bryan. In the case of John Cena, the centerpiece, you have even seen him face a well-developed upper-midcarder at Wrestlemania just last year. There are options.
Should Daniel Bryan be forced into the title match for the second year in a row? I don't think so. It would just get redundant. I know it was not their intention to tell that kind of story last year, but they did end up telling it. Will we have the "Yes Movement 2.0" this year? I would really not want that. It's annoying. Should you blame the fans for being so hot about Bryan or the WWE for mistreating him? The answer is obvious. The WWE put themselves in this situation.
There are two options I like for Daniel Bryan outside of inserting him into the WWE title match or a straightforward feud with Dolph Ziggler. First, think about the option of facing a well-developed upper-midcarder. This year, that is Rusev. He seems to be on the path of being fed to Cena. Let's say that does not happen and Rusev survives this feud with his undefeated streak and even the United States title. Even John Cena could not stop him. Who can? How about Daniel Bryan? It would be great to see someone else hand Rusev his first legitimate defeat outside of John Cena. You can say the United States title is beneath Daniel Bryan, but it definitely is beneath John Cena. It could be a nice Wrestlemania moment. You also have Bray Wyatt still protected, and he has had issues with Daniel Bryan. Bryan beating him at Wrestlemania is also an option, but I like the Rusev feud better. Just seems like Daniel Bryan can accomplish more there.
The other option involves giving Daniel Bryan the opponent he wants. He wants to face Brock Lesnar. It is a shame that almost all of Lesnar's singles matches since returning have been against guys that were around during his first WWE run. And too many of them have involved John Cena. For the sake of giving Daniel Bryan his dream opponent and creating a fresh match for Wrestlemania that fans would definitely like, how about putting these two together? It would be a non-title match. How do you get the title off Lesnar? You do have a guy floating around with a briefcase that guarantees him a title match whenever he wants. Have Rollins cash in. Rollins vs. Reigns at Wrestlemania for the title. Some fans are already worrying about the match quality of a Reigns/Lesnar Wrestlemania match. I think Rollins/Reigns would be better. And the fact that they have that history together makes this match even better. There will be a natural story there. You can even toss in Ambrose. Is this match worthy of main-eventing Wrestlemania? Probably not. Then again, Reigns/Lesnar will have obvious issues, if they decide to force that. It will just have to be one of those years where the title match does not end Wrestlemania. Whatever Sting and Triple H do can headline Wrestlemania. Back to Daniel Bryan and Brock Lesnar. I really think this is the best option for him and everyone involved.
Time to revisit an old question. Should Daniel Bryan be pushed as the new centerpiece of the men's division? Should he be that guy they want to consistently push in title matters and top storylines more than any other one individual? Should he be in John Cena's position?
The arguments against him might be his injury history and the fact that he is over 30. John Cena also has an injury history and is a few years older than Daniel Bryan. Just push him in that position for a few years or until fans legitimately get sick of him. While he is the top guy, you can groom Roman Reigns properly or give someone else a fair chance to earn that spot when Daniel Bryan's time at the top is done. 33 isn't that old. A superstar or diva in their 30s can still be pushed as a centerpiece for some time. 40 and over, that is when you should be moved to an HBK-like role and not even consider starting to develop someone like that as the centerpiece.
You can also bring up whether he can draw. Being over does not necessarily mean you can draw an audience. And a centerpiece of the entire company should be a draw. I don't think he ever got a fair shot to prove he can draw. His big push in 2013 started against football season. They depushed him a few months later. The whole situation to get him the push back was messy and annoying. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned some fans off. He got injured soon after that. Since his return, he has not been pushed hard. You are not exactly drawing well now with Cena, so giving someone else a legitimate shot would make sense. And I don't think Roman Reigns is the guy to do what Cena cannot.
Some fans get angry or bored when certain wrestlers get pushed too much. With Daniel Bryan, fans are getting upset because the guy is not being pushed enough. He had his year last year. He had won a lot even before that. And the fans still want more. This is the guy you should want to push as centerpiece. There is no other full-timer in that company that is connecting that strongly with fans. The WWE probably wishes Cena had that kind of connection with the fans. What's that? You want more Cena? Absolutely! Thing is, it isn't Cena that is getting that kind of reaction. It is Daniel Bryan. Those fans do not want to settle for moments. They want him to be pushed as a true A+ player. The WWE might as well give it a legitimate try.
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