WWE: How Daniel Bryan and Christian Are Two of a Kind

So, what do you do when you have a guy whose personality is perhaps a little flat but you’re trying to find a way to get him over?  Turn him heel and make him as clueless as you can.

It’s a proven method, and is currently the one being employed by WWE in the case of Daniel Bryan.

I like Bryan, and like a lot of fans who respect the man for what he’s accomplished, and for his ability, I have been patiently awaiting the moment when the company finally decided to focus on helping him up.

The World Championship was the first step, and was a definite step in the right direction.  Though it seems like the title would be the prize at the top of the ladder instead of the midpoint, the fact is that Bryan is still on his way up.  

And, it’s all thanks to his recent heel turn that, so far, has been received with a lukewarm reception.

Many fans feel that Bryan is being made to look foolish, that he deserves more than a silly character for his push to the next level.

But, the fact is, this heel turn is the second step to making Bryan relevant, and may be more important for him than the World Title itself.

Finally, there is a reason for non Daniel Bryan fans to notice him.  Even casual fans who may have never paid any attention to him, are likely now very aware of the little guy who hid behind his girlfriend while Big Show mowed her down in a head-on collision.

At the end of the day, it does not really matter whether you like what’s happening with him; the point is that you have an opinion.  You have taken notice.  WWE’s work with him is not without merit, and with some more time, Bryan should be in a great spot to keep evolving in the company.

For me, Daniel Bryan’s situation and character are very similar to another WWE Superstar, the man who held the same World Title just last year.

Christian is another worker who is a fan favorite, and is respected for his contributions to the business. Many fans believed that he too deserved a real opportunity at the top spot, and the fact that he had not yet won “the big one” was just unacceptable.

So, Christian finally gets his chance, winning the World Championship.  He then loses it two nights later.

Right away, fans screamed “foul,” and demanded to know why Captain Charisma had been robbed of the belt that he had worked so very hard to attain.  He had paid his dues, after all.  It was supposed to be his time.

But, as it turned out, he was used only as a tool to help put over Randy Orton.  It sounds harsh, but there really is no easy way to say it.

Here’s the twist, however.  In the process of doing the job for Orton, Christian gained what he had really been working toward all along: a character who had some real teeth.

He had always been an entertaining guy.  Along with Edge, Christian was one of the funniest Superstars in WWE, as his comedic moments had provided a lot of laughs through the years.

The same could be said for his solo career, as the Captain Charisma persona was born.  He began to distance himself from Edge, who became grittier and nastier as the Rated R Superstar.

But, the Christian who became embroiled in a big-time feud with Randy Orton over the World Title was less comedian, and more desperate neurotic.

He was obsessed with not only winning the belt again, but keeping it after he did.  Then, after losing it for a second time, suddenly the focus became “one more match.”  

Christian was being presented as a devious heel who knew what buttons to push on his opponents to cause them to lose focus, allowing him to slide in for the cheap victory.

Was it a stereotypical heel tactic that perhaps was below Christian in terms of what he deserved considering his efforts for the company in the past?  Was he being made to look foolish, that he deserved more than such a contrived character?

Sounds a lot like Daniel Bryan to me.

The truth is, someone has to be the heel.  Despite what anyone says about not being fooled by the traditional good vs. evil concept in pro wrestling, no one can deny that it has always been utilized for a reason.

It works.  Simple as that.

Daniel Bryan is not the Triple H kind of heel.  Nor is he Ric Flair, or Jake Roberts.  He may never be considered one of those intense, edgy guys who fans love to hate because he’s just so cool. The same goes for Christian.

But, the variety of character that both men similarly have these days is needed.  It’s important.

And for these two men who have been around for a while and understand how the business works, the knowledge that doing what they do best will help them grow as performers, is likely not lost on either one of them.

So, this fan is going to sit back and enjoy both Daniel Bryan, and Christian.  They have earned the attention, and deserve whatever good comes their way.  

I’m also going to enjoy their first conversation when Christian comes back.  Can you imagine the goofy back and forth they will have backstage?

I’m all about that kind of foolishness.  Count me in.