Posted in: Mr. Tito
MR. TITO STRIKES BACK - WWE Tried to BURY Daniel Bryan but ESPN/Fans Denied Them (I Was Right!)
By Mr. Tito
Jan 19, 2014 - 1:24:21 PM

FOLLOW Mr. Tito on Twitter: @titowrestling

As Monday Night RAW ended with Daniel Bryan ending his 2 week stint as a member of the Wyatt Family, my name was mentioned repeatedly throughout the LordsofPain.net / WrestlingHeadlines.com RAW results post. The commenters couldn't help themselves in reference to my 12/30/2013 Column about Daniel Bryan being BURIED by WWE Creative for joining the Wyatt Family as if the WWE planned this turn to be just 2 weeks. Heck, a columnist even tried to claim that it was just a 2 week turn in attempt to refute me...

But guess what? It turns out that I was 100% right.

News report after news report, notably from the Pro Wrestling Observer folks, show that the WWE had longer term plans for Daniel Bryan remaining with the Wyatt Family until at earliest, Elimination Chamber, with some kind of blowoff match at Wrestlemania 30. Daniel Bryan was intended to be a Wyatt flunky for MORE than 2 weeks, the insider reports now show. There was a plan to have Bryan "brainwashed" by the Wyatts until, months away from now, overcoming the family and setting up a match at Wrestlemania 30. However, it should be noted that this booking is very likely to be pro-Wyatts in the end. After all, someone backstage (Triple H) was actually serious about pushing for John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt to actually happen at Wrestlemania 30. WWE Creative is super high on Bray Wyatt and has been pushing him hard ever since, even at the expense of the most over wrestler right now.

Don't believe me? Go read the news reports: HERE or HERE.

My column simply argued that WWE Creative buried Daniel Bryan by taking him from a WWE Title feud with Randy Orton to a feud with guys who haven't celebrated their 1 year anniversary for their promotion from NXT. Fans were still chanting "YES! YES! YES", but the WWE chose to ignore them and push Randy Orton hard instead while Bryan moved on to what appears to be a midcard feud (despite big plans for Bray Wyatt). Despite Randy Orton on top consistently bringing sub-3.0 ratings and the likelihood of Survivor Series 2013 being the worst bought Survivor Series PPV of all time with his awful headlining match with Big Show... The WWE chose to keep the WWE Title away from the over Daniel Bryan and push John Cena vs. Randy Orton hard instead (AS I PREDICTED).

The "burial" is simply that WWE Creative chose to ignore the fans' cries to push Daniel Bryan to the top by opting to push someone else instead (Orton) and then use Bryan to enhance new talent.

Then, as I argued on Late Monday's Column, Daniel Bryan may have been saved by ESPN featuring the Michigan State "YES!" halftime chant on SportsCenter. As the Observer noted, WWE officials were reportedly embarrassed because they just turned Bryan into a Wyatt Family member. They probably saw the lukewarm responses by fans from live events and held emergency creative meetings. Thankfully, as you saw on Monday night, the WWE changed course and had Bryan turn quickly on Wyatt. The fan reaction was incredible and that momentum might seriously make Daniel Bryan win the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 30 (I won't take that Wrestlemania 30 bet now, Doc!).

So yeah, many of you slamming me in the LoP Comments section owes me an apology. You demanded that I admit that I was "wrong" but I patiently awaited for the Observer folks to leak out the details of WWE Backstage happenings. You may Tweet it to me at @TitoWrestling or even apologize in the comments below.

HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES, IWC??? Revenge is a dish best served cold. If you call me out and you're wrong, I'm going to stick it to you everytime.

How did I know that the WWE buried Daniel Bryan? It's simple... I KNOW the WWE Creative team and can sense their trends. I have covered them for 15 years now and know them well. From the moment I saw Randy Orton unexpectedly win the Money in the Bank 2013 "All Star" briefcase, I knew that a mega push for Orton was forthcoming. When Orton wasn't booked for a match at SummerSlam 2013, I knew something was up. Orton steals Bryan's moment at SummerSlam but that's OK... It was clever booking with Triple H turning heel and causing the title loss. One would figure that down the road, BOTH Randy Orton and Triple H would "get theirs", right? Isn't that how all babyface vs. heel booking that has worked successfully works? Then, multiple beatdowns occurred... The title screwjob with the "fast count" and then Bryan never being able to beat Orton, let alone getting revenge on Triple H for SummerSlam and being the Authority leader and puppeteer of it all. Without any revenge sought on Orton/Triple H, Daniel Bryan began to feud with NXT newcomers from earlier in the year, the Wyatt Family.

It's easy to see the trends of Vince McMahon (loves the hosses, guys who resemble him in character, or WWE made men in developmental territories) or Triple H (loves his friends or anyone who kisses his ass)... I've been writing as Mr. Tito since October 1998... At the very least, assume that I've picked up on something?

WWE has done this before with attempting to deny wrestlers who were crazy over... Not just on changing courses, but denying fans the babyface wrestler of their choosing. Look no further than Stone Cold Steve Austin. As Vince McMahon has stated in several interviews, he admits that he didn't at first "get" why Steve Austin was so popular. He thought that "Austin 3:16" was just a fad that would soon go away after King of the Ring 1996 but by Survivor Series 1996 that year, he couldn't deny it any longer. Austin was portrayed as a heel but he was beginning to get strong babyface cheers. The traditional babyface Bret Hart was getting boos instead and Vince fully bought into Stone Cold with the famous Wrestlemania 13 double switch. Vince McMahon then gave into what the fans wanted, Steve Austin, and that move (among others) actually saved his company and helped beat the then #1 company at the time, World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

What if Vince McMahon tried to bury Steve Austin during 1997 as he tried with Daniel Bryan during 2013? Better yet during 1998, what if Steve Austin finally wins his first WWE Title at Wrestlemania 14 only to have the Money in the Bank winner to steal his thunder? How would that have worked for Steve Austin's growth as a babyface during 1998? Think about it... That would have ruined Austin!

So yeah, I'm fully giving into the Daniel Bryan = "Next" Stone Cold Steve Austin that many in the Internet Wrestling Community were calling for after witnessing Daniel Bryan's awesome match at SummerSlam. If you, the IWC, want the great Mr. Tito to ADMIT THAT HE'S WRONG, then where I'm wrong is how BIG or insanely over Daniel Bryan could actually become. The "YES!" chant is catching on and it's not just a chant, but it's major support and love for Daniel Bryan. He's OVER, baby... I've only see explosive crowds like that for Steve Austin and the Rock during their primes along with Brock Lesnar's 2012 return. The mere fact that the "YES!" chant is spreading throughout the mainstream culture is exactly what "Austin 3:16" did during 1996-1999. Difference between Austin and Daniel Bryan is that WWE Creative didn't put up such ridiculous roadblocks for Steve Austin.

Good God, look what the WWE Management has done to Daniel Bryan:

-FIRED from the WWE during June 2010 for choking a ringside announcer with a tie during the Nexus attack.

-Destroyed by Sheamus at Wrestlemania 28 in 18 seconds to lose the World Heavyweight Championship.

-Ridiculous love triangle angle with AJ Lee (including the Wedding where AJ Lee became RAW General Manager!), while also being shoved into a comedy act with Dr. Shelby and Kane. Bryan actually got "Team Hell No" over and saved the WWE Tag Team division.

-Pinned repeatedly by newcomers the Shield during late 2012/early 2013. Always the fall guy for those matches.

-WWE's choice of pushing Randy Orton over Daniel Bryan from SummerSlam 2013 and onward. Never getting revenge on Triple H, either.

-Joining the Wyatt Family and long term plans were in place to keep him there through Elimination Chamber/Wrestlemania 30.

Yet, Daniel Bryan has overcome each of those scenarios and remains OVER. The guy is truly talented. He is easily the most talented in-ring wrestler in the WWE today. Hate to compare him to the guy, but so was Chris Benoit during 2004 and I've seen many Bryan/Benoit comparisons of late. But the difference is that Bryan actually has a) charisma and b) a personality. The guy is a complete package as a performer and a character and SHOULD be the stuff that Creative Teams dream of. Yet, Daniel Bryan's height and his resume of working the independent scene (and not a WWE made man) is what causes Vince McMahon to discriminate against him.

It's almost like the Wrestling Gods are trying to smite Vince McMahon right now, though... Daniel Bryan suffered a major concussion during the Cage Match against Bray Wyatt. Bryan reportedly blacked out while he was sitting at the top of the cage with the "YES!" chants and actually can't remember the match. This could put a serious hamper on Bryan if the WWE's rewritten plans that could have given Bryan true revenge over Bray Wyatt or actually winning the 2014 Royal Rumble. Bryan might require the night off for long term safety precautions. I was watching an interview with former WWE talent, MVP, in which he recalled that Chris Benoit would have blackouts in the ring and forget what moves were coming next. Given what happened to Benoit (not the murders, but serious brain damage), the WWE has to take extreme caution to how repeat concussions can cause serious long-term damage. Dolph Ziggler might have serious issues returning to the ring as well. Two very bad concussions in the past year for him.

But let me warn you folks in the drive-by Internet Wrestling Community (IWC)... Be wary of the WWE Creative team towards Daniel Bryan despite their recent change of heart. I am forecasting that WWE Management will have a major hard-on for the Ohio Valley Wrestling "Class of 2002" now that Batista has returned to give the WWE 4 members in Batista, Randy Orton, John Cena, and Brock Lesnar. Before you get your hopes up of a lengthy Bryan title reign, he has those 4 alpha males to deal with and WWE management is high on all 4 of them. Better prepare yourselves for disappointment if you fully believe that the WWE is going to push Bryan like Stone Cold. Vince McMahon's believe that "size matters" could come into play if he sees the smaller Daniel Bryan standing next to Batista or Brock Lesnar.

For example, as much as Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan could impress, Vince McMahon would see Bryan standing next to Lesnar and think twice about Bryan ever getting a chance to defeat him. Instead of pushing that Daniel Bryan's kicking strikes is an equalizer to ANY wrestler much larger in size to him, Bryan will just put them over. I still don't like Bryan's odds over the Ohio Valley Wrestling "Class of 2002". Too many World Championships among them and the WWE is paying them HUGE salaries now, probably moreso than they are paying Bryan. Just saying... I see it coming. Given my track record on Bryan, you'll have to trust me...

For now, the WWE listened to the fans. They CHANGED COURSE on an embarrassing Wyatt Family storyline that could have destroyed their TOP babyface. Yes, I called him that... While John Cena remains a top draw with the kiddies in terms of merchandise moved and houseshow tickets, Cena has been unable to grow the WWE since 2005. In particular, the WWE has lost the older teens to MMA and many adult fans have just walked away. The WWE needs to push other stars to get that audience back and allow WWE wrestling to become the talk among high school kids and actual water cooler discussions in workplaces again. When they lost the Rock and Steve Austin, it was no longer "hip" or "cool" to brag about being a wrestling fan. The PG rating has just reinforced it the WWE's brand as pushing kid friendly stars like John Cena while Randy Orton just can't get over with any group of fans.

I believe that with the WWE Network coming up, WWE Management thought better than to piss off its large fanbase of potential WWE.com customers.

I have a great idea, by the way... Why not have Brie Bella become Daniel Bryan's full time valet? You could not only embrace their real life relationship and any heel could use any attacks or kidnappings of her for heat, but it would help enhance her career. Just let her be a positive cheerleader for Bryan and push the idea that she's improving in the ring because of being with Daniel Bryan. Embrace it... Put her in hot outfits at ringside and the WWE will sell lots of posters and calendars.

And if Daniel Bryan continues to get crazy over... THAT'S WHEN YOU TURN JOHN CENA HEEL!

Bryan could be "the one" who justifies Cena (finally) turning to the darkside. Hell, he could have his own Bella valet. Money, money, money... Just to show you how serious of a draw that Bryan could be becoming, WWE actually offered REFUNDS at a houseshow in Indiana on Saturday night. John Cena's absence is the only person who has commanded refunds in the past! WOW! Don't forget that several Cable Companies offered refunds to any disappointed viewers of the Night of Champions 2013 Pay Per View when Bryan's title victory was reversed during the following night on RAW.

But the WWE Creative Team HAS to have faith in Daniel Bryan, let him beat big names 100% clean, and listen to the fans cheering for him loudly. Imagine if the WWE gives into the Undertaker's personal request to wrestle Daniel Bryan and the Undertaker puts him over? Holy cow...

In terms of calling that Daniel Bryan was "buried", I was right... We, the fans and ESPN, have helped to overrule the arrogant WWE Creative Team and the stubborn Vince McMahon.

Always remember what just happened... Anytime that you think something in Pro Wrestling is bad, you HAVE to shit all over it. Fans collectively have to demand what they want and take it to other forms of entertainment, just as the Michigan State fans did. Anytime fans take wrestling stuff to other avenues, WWE management listens.

Never forget that you are all PAYING CUSTOMERS and that the WWE needs you to survive. Don't eat their bullshit with a spoon and stick it to them when you believe something is wrong or if your favorite wrestler is getting screwed. WWE tried to make Bryan a Wyatt Family member and you denied them and forced their hand in 2 weeks. Think about that... Long term plans were flushed down the toilet and big plans for Bray Wyatt for 2014 are probably put on hold. That's POWER, baby!

Comments and debates are welcome on Twitter. Bring it on. @titowrestling



SO JUST CHILL TILL THE NEXT EPISODE!

MR. TITO COLUMN ARCHIVES on LordsofPain.net/WrestlingHeadlines.com

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @titowrestling