WWE TLC 2011: The Curious Case of Daniel Bryan

Sunday night marked a joyous occasion for internet wrestling fans across the globe.

At the conclusion of the TLC pay-per-view event, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan held the two most prestigious championships in the largest professional wrestling company in the universe.Two long-time indie wrestling stars had risen to the top of the business, closing out 2011 on a high note.

While Punk's reign as WWE Champion is no surprise, Daniel Bryan's World Heavyweight Championship victory was a huge shock to many, and a moment fans are likely to look back at with great fondness.

The question, however, is whether or not Bryan's win was the right decision or if he will fall the way of someone like Jack Swagger, who was given the World Title far too early and continues to suffer because of it.

Heading into the December 18 show, Daniel Bryan's momentum had slowed considerably from what it had been earlier in the month. After an exciting, heated steel cage match against Mark Henry on the live holiday edition of Smackdown, Bryan was knocked back down the card and suffered several losses, including a decisive one to Alberto Del Rio on a recent edition of Raw.

But there he was Sunday night, celebrating a World Heavyweight Championship win with the fans in Baltimore cheering his unexpected victory. The reaction was one that any wrestler cashing in Money in the Bank would want to have. Can he sustain that reaction, however?

Let us not pretend that Bryan has been the recipient of a major push that has crowds across the country erupting for his entrance. The crowd has been, at times, lukewarm.

Part of that is the creative team's fault, the other part is Bryan's lack of natural charisma. Whatever the case, the Ring of Honor alum always managed to win fans over with his in-ring abilities, especially since he was smaller than most of his competition.

As 2011 comes to a close, there are several unanswered questions surrounding Bryan's title win. Perhaps the most important however was whether or not Bryan is ready to fill such a significant role on WWE television. One would have to question his ability to carry his end of any promos, and whether or not he will be able to connect with the fanbase, which he has struggled with in the past.

Considering the waffling nature of the "WWE Universe," one has to wonder if the fans will turn on Bryan now that he is no longer in the underdog role he filled so well. And finally, can Bryan get by strictly based on his wrestling skills, like Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit before him, or will he be another missed opportunity?

Just 24 hours removed from the moment, it is hard to develop an answer to any of the questions above without simply speculating. And that is part of the fun of this entire experiment.

As a fan, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to sit back and watch a story develop, not knowing exactly what direction it will take or how the performances will evolve (or devolve) over that time.

Whether the title reign is ultimately deemed a success or failure is irrelevant at this point. What is important is that Daniel Bryan's championship win has created an excitement amongst fans and is a noticeable change from the typical status quo WWE often trots out on their shows.

As the Road to Wrestlemania approaches, Daniel Bryan and the WWE appear set on giving fans a memorable ride.