WWE: The Two Sides of a Possible Daniel Bryan vs. Charlie Sheen Match

So, Charlie Sheen versus Daniel Bryan.  How are we all feeling about this one?

Alright, enough of the cursing.  I don’t work blue, okay?

Last week on the 1,000th episode of Monday Night Raw, fans were treated to some of the coolest moments that we have seen in years.  The DX reunion, featuring the return of the New Age Outlaws and X-Pac.  Lita’s match against Heath Slater, as the WWE Legends came down to the ring.  The Brothers of Destruction, Kane and The Undertaker, standing tall like they used to.  The Rock, coming face to face with WWE Champion CM Punk, in a foreshadowing of what is to come.

And Charlie Sheen, in extreme close-up via satellite, making goofy jokes at the expense of Daniel Bryan.  Didn’t see that one coming, right?

Since that night, the buzz has been alive and well online that this little “confrontation” could actually lead to a match between Sheen and Bryan, possibly at SummerSlam.

Now, as is often the case with  topics that I as a WWE Featured Columnist choose to tackle, I will say that, right from the start, I see two sides of this story.  Let’s start with the most obvious one first, shall we?

Daniel Bryan versus Charlie Sheen is ridiculous.  The whole idea is insane, and for Vince McMahon to even consider this a possibility only goes to show that, once again, he is much too wrapped up in gaudy sensationalism to really care about the integrity of his product.

It’s an embarrassment for wrestling fans, and it will be a disaster for WWE.  Way to go, Vince. Thanks for nothing.

Okay.  Now, we’ve gotten all of that out of the way.  Feel better?  Time to look at the other side of the equation.

WWE is an entertainment company.  Period.  We as pro wrestling fans like to believe that it’s all still about the matches and the in-ring art form that many of us grew up watching and still watch to this day, because we just love the business so much.  

And we would be wrong.

Don’t misunderstand me here—I am not suggesting that the wrestling is no longer important.  Of course not.  The real drama of the company begins in the ring, and it remains the focus of at least 90 percent of what they do.

But the other 10 percent? Well, that’s where Charlie Sheen comes into play.

Here’s the thing.  With a guy like Sheen, you have know that whatever he’s involved in—especially in the last several months—it receives attention from every news source, from every gossip column, from every entertainment website in the country, and all over the world.  

Let’s be honest. This guy can’t throw a cigarette butt out of his car window without causing a controversy and making the news.

When you have a celebrity who dominates the public eye the way he does, the only natural next step is an appearance in WWE.  It’s similar to the Super Bowl-winning quarterback smiling into the camera saying “I’m going to Disney World!”  We just expect it now.

Or, have we forgotten about Mike Tyson?

Tyson was no saint when he stepped into WWE.  His actions in and out of the boxing ring kept him at the center of scandal and on the front page of every tabloid.  And, while he never worked a match, his presence alone was enough to make even the most casual fan sit up and take notice.  

He brought the attention from many who perhaps had never watched any WWE programming up to that point, and his time in the company is still being talked about to this day.

This will be no different for Sheen, who is perhaps the most controversial, most self-destructive Hollywood personality of his generation.  No, he’s not an athlete, so if he were to face off against Bryan, it will surely be after many workouts in a WWE ring.

Of course, he could always go the route of special guest referee, a role that would keep him out of harm's way for the most part, except for the inevitable moment in which he would have to put Daniel in his place and get a nice pop from the crowd.

And what about Daniel Bryan in this drama?  Are we to believe that he is sitting back, upset at the notion of perhaps wrestling Charlie Sheen?  Does he share the opinion of many fans, who feel that he deserves more, that he’s too good to be wasted in such a position?

Seriously?

Bryan came up earning his stripes the hard way, wrestling in front of 30 people in small towns that you’ve never heard of, making enough for gas money to get himself to the next town, if he was lucky.  

He kept working hard to get to the spot that he is currently enjoying, and now that he’s here, I find it extremely hard to believe that he would have a problem getting into a WWE ring with one of the most famous men in Hollywood.  Not to mention that this match would take place following weeks of publicity in which his name and face are shown in every media outlet in existence.

Despite how much we as fans care about the sport of professional wrestling, and no matter how many times we protest moves like this, the cold truth is that many times, we take this stuff way too seriously.

And, trust me, for a lifelong fan and WWE Featured Columnist, that is not an easy thing to admit.

But, there are moments when we need to step back, take a deep breath and understand what we’re looking at.  This is not Triple H versus Shawn Michaels.  This is not Ric Flair versus Ricky Steamboat.

This is one match, at one pay-per-view, for the sake of entertainment.  Nothing more.

And, it has not even been booked yet.

However, if it is, I have to say that I will be watching.  Not just because I’m a fan, but because I have to see what Sheen will do and how the match will look.  Chances are, I will not be alone in that regard, as the rest of the world will be watching as well.

And, really, that’s the point.