10 Reasons Daniel Bryan Is Disrespected on WWE Smackdown

After winning money in the bank it seemed like Daniel Bryan had turned the corner with the WWE.

Considering that he is going to have a match for the title next WrestleMania, he probably has.

However, it seems like the WWE is willing to be lazy and not push him until then.  Since everyone already knows he is going to have that title match he doesn't need to earn it or look dominant leading up to his match.

And this has led to him being completely misused on SmackDown.

Starting with...

He Is Not Given Enough Good Lines

Part of this is Byran's fault.  He is not charismatic on the mic and it leads to him not getting the best material. But Bret Hart wasn't good on the mic either and yet he got better promo material than Bryan.

Even with a lack of energy on the mic they could still help the SmackDown Money in the Bank winner look a little better and have an easier time connecting with the crowd. Instead he is getting into arguments about whether Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart is the best wrestler ever.

There has to be something better than that for him and his storyline.

He Has Not Really Been Given a Feud

This is almost a continuation of the last slide.

When someone is put into a match because they are having an argument with another wrestler about who was better, Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart, then creative is stretching.

There are different scenarios that could be played out and yet they haven't been. A simple storyline would be that another wrestler is angry that Bryan won the MITB briefcase and didn't feel like he should have won it. Said wrestler could feel like it should have been his opportunity and wanted to beat Bryan down to prove that it was a fluke. They sort of did this with Wade Barrett, but let it go nowhere.

Now it seems like Bryan has nothing.

He Is Not Always Given a Decent Amount of Airtime

This has to do with both promos and matches.

Bryan just isn't given enough time on SmackDown to really get stuck in fans minds. Considering that he won MITB and might just become a future champion, that is a problem.

Without having him get a significant amount of time on TV no one is going to believe that he can win a world title or that he should. Unless he starts getting real airtime and starts getting a run he is not going to make much of a splash at WrestleMania.

Without it, even if he wins the title, it won't mean anything.

His WWE.com Exclusive Content Gives Us More Character

Fans get a better idea of who Daniel Bryan is from watching just two exclusive WWE.com interviews than they do from watching RAW.

It gives off the feel that he is a no nonsense, by the book competitor.

It makes it feel like he can't stand cheaters and those that show weakness.

It makes Daniel Bryan feel three dimensional.

And yet fans don't really see this side of him on SmackDown. Instead, fans see the same boring vignettes and uninspired promos.

When the exclusive content on a website is better than the stuff that is seen on an international level it's not a good sign.

He Has No Real Theme Music

Bryan's music does fit him perfectly. With that said it still doesn't feel like his theme music. It could be applied to several other wrestlers and fit just as well.

The WWE could come up with some kind of music made for him.  They have decades of experience at doing it and yet they aren't using it to help Bryan.

Great theme music can change how a wrestler is perceived. Almost every fan knows that shattering glass is for Steve Austin. Girls screaming means Shawn Michaels. The same thing could happen for Daniel Bryan. But it hasn't.

He Is Not Given Enough Time for His Wrestling Matches

Normally this wouldn't be worth mentioning, but for Bryan it is.

Bryan is a lot like Bret Hart.  He isn't the best at cutting promos, but with his skill in the ring he doesn't need to be.

He should be putting on wrestling clinics and showing fans that he is the best in the world inside that ring.  If he could do that then he could end up with a reputation like Chris Benoit or Bret Hart—that of a wrestler who is exceptionally talented if not a little charismatically lacking.

Instead he is only given a few minutes to show his skills which leaves wrestling purists wanting more.

He Is Allowed to Keep His Untrimmed Beard

The comments about not shaving his beard come at the end of the interview.

The wrestlers in the WWE should have different appearances to help give everyone a unique look.

With that said, they do need to appear on TV every week. The fact that no one on the SmackDown team has told Bryan that he needs to shave his beard, or at the very least trim it, is a travesty.

It is possible that the WWE is allowing Bryan to do his thing and keep himself looking however he wants, but they have also been strict with former superstars in the past.  

Considering that, it seems like they are dropping the ball when it comes to Bryan's beard.

He Doesn't Have Commentating That Highlights the Wrestling Happening in the Ring

The WWE has focused its announcers on being "storytellers."

However Bryan's stories aren't as compelling as his matches. The only reason the commentating in this match is reasonable is that Wade Barrett is talking. Even with that, he still didn't add anything relevant to the commentating.

The worst part is at the end of the match when Bryan sinks in the guillotine choke and no one announces what it is. It is a basic wrestling maneuver and no one, including the two wrestlers who were doing commentary actually referred to it at such.

It's almost impossible to get over Bryan's ability to wrestle with the crowd if the focus of the commentary isn't on the wrestling.

He Has Not Been Allowed to Show His Love of Wrestling

Bryan obviously loves wrestling, whether it be in MMA or pro wrestling.

The fact that this hasn't been focused on more in his WWE appearances is a shame because it is obviously his passion.

Some wrestlers just have certain things they enjoy and for Bryan that is the technical side of wrestling. It doesn't mean that he has to lose the ability to tell a story, or not have a feud with another wrestler.

It just means that he can also include a little more technical wrestling in the WWE which could add a little more variety to the show.

And some education.

He Is Subjected to Michael Cole

The single worst thing that Daniel Bryan is subjected to every Friday night is without a doubt Michael Cole.

Commentators might be heels, but Cole continues to bury Bryan at every chance he gets even when it doesn't make sense.  It's fine to have a heel that doesn't care for certain wrestlers, but Cole's insults don't even make sense half the time.

How is calling Daniel Bryan, who is stronger and a better athlete than Cole, a "nerd" insulting to the wrestler?  It doesn't really make sense.

All it does is make it harder to listen to the commentary on his matches and take any Daniel Bryan matches seriously.

If SmackDown and the WWE want Bryan to grow then Cole doesn't need to necessarily start enumerating Bryan's skills, but pull back on the derogatory insults.

Especially the ones that don't add anything.