WWE: Daniel Bryan; the Most Underappreciated Wrestler on the Roster

Recently I attended a SmackDown taping in Houston and as Daniel Bryan’s music came on, an electric excitement rushed through me.  I was finally going to get to see the American Dragon perform live. 

I wiggled in my chair with tense anticipation.  As he came out, the crowd barely offered a murmur.

Titus O'Neil got a bigger pop that night. 

It baffled me that fans cared more about Big Show (who they later cheered ferociously) than arguably one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. 

Seeing that he isn't on WWE television nearly enough and hasn't been featured on recent pay-per-views, one has to wonder what WWE's opinion is of Bryan.

They thought enough of him to have him win the Money in the Bank match, but besides a tepid mini-feud with Sin Cara and a brief encounter with Mark Henry, he hasn't been given a stage on which to do what he does best. 

While I'd prefer to see Bryan, Punk, Ziggler and Morrison maintain main event status for many years to come, I know we're destined for Randy Orton and John Cena winning and losing the belts until they retire. 

Why don't we and WWE hold Bryan in higher regard?

Of course some of his lack of push is due to him not being flashy or especially charming.  His mic skills are underrated though.

His NXT promo won't have anyone mistaking him for Jake Roberts, but it was powerful and well-executed.

Given time to develop, we may see him become much more than just serviceable on the mic. 

It’s the work that he does in the ring that has garnered him the fans he has though.  Wrestling Observer Newsletter has awarded him Best Technical Wrestler a record six times.  Surely that has to mean something when deciding the WWE hierarchy.

Bryan is not one-dimensional either.

Besides his well-documented technical skills, he’s also one of the better high-flyers in the company and few would argue against him being the best submission wrestler the company has. 

His submission holds are boldly creative and look legitimately painful.

With all that skill, why aren’t more fans clamoring to see more of him?  Why isn’t the WWE brain trust making Bryan a pillar of the franchise?

If it’s because they think his persona is boring, that can be changed.  Would the Rock have had anywhere near the success that he had if he’d stayed as Rocky Maivia, the nice guy and class act?

It's possible that Daniel Bryan is destined to be the Dynamite Kid of our generation.  Dynamite was hailed by many a wrestler as their favorite guy to work with.  Hardcore fans followed him loyally.

Yet he never struck a nerve with the crowd. 

Some guys just don't stick.  Fans' tastes are inexplicable and unpredictable.   

I'm hoping that his career path mirrors Chris Benoit's career than Dynamite's.  Of course Benoit's life and career ended in unthinkable tragedy, but before that he was given main event bouts and held the World Heavyweight Championship. 

Benoit and Bryan's skills are comparable both in the ring and out.  In fact, Bryan will probably grow into a better mic worker. 

Is WWE in agreement with me and just waiting until he cashes his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania to move things along?  Are they just going to bury him until then?

I just don't think they realize the depth of his talents.  And they won't ever properly value him. 

Will fans continue to be underwhelmed by Bryan?  Will WWE let him sit on the bench until it's too late?

While I'm sure Bryan loves the steady checks from WWE, I'm sure he misses being given a true chance to shine.  We may see him grow tired of treading water here and head back to Ring of Honor. 

Here's hoping it doesn't come to that.