WrestleMania 28: Daniel Bryan Is Turning into the Star Diehard Fans Expected

Daniel Bryan was given a chance to succeed in WWE, something that not a lot of people would have predicted because of his look, and he has become a bigger star than most fans thought possible. 

For hardcore wrestling fans, Bryan should have been pushed to the top the second he signed with WWE. He was already established as the best American worker thanks to his time with Ring of Honor, winning numerous Wrestler of the Year awards from prestigious publications. 

But Bryan actually made the choice to go to Florida Championship Wrestling to get comfortable with the new working style he would be doing in WWE. 

In one of the funniest stories of 2010, Bryan was named one of the stars on the first season of NXT, which was for development stars who were going to get their feet wet on the WWE stage. Even better, he was coached by The Miz, who at the time was more famous for being a reality television star than a wrestler. 

Bryan was easily the best wrestler on the show, and his career was taking off. After a high-profile incident led to his brief dismissal from the company, he returned mired in various mid-card feuds that sent him nowhere. 

In 2011, Bryan won a Money In the Bank match and subsequently, the world title. It was then that his career took off. He has adopted a new heel persona that shows off how charismatic he is on the microphone, which some said could be his biggest flaw as a WWE star. 

Even if Bryan isn't getting the big main event spots that hardcore wrestling fans know he should—especially given his talent compared to most stars on the WWE roster—the fact that he is in a world title match at WrestleMania against Sheamus is a huge victory.

WWE typically frowns on "indy" wrestlers. Vince McMahon has no problem signing them, but when it comes to actually pushing them, that almost never happens because he didn't create them. 

Bryan has been an exception to that rule because of his ability to work in the ring, his microphone skills and a terrific new persona that has turned him into one of the best heels in WWE.

A lot of fans knew Bryan could do this the second he signed a WWE contract, but now the casual fans who sparingly follow WWE are getting a taste of what the best technical wrestler in the world is really capable of.  

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