{"id":79800,"date":"2020-11-30T12:06:57","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T17:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/11\/30\/daniel-bryan-all-time-greats\/"},"modified":"2021-04-08T20:52:45","modified_gmt":"2021-04-09T00:52:45","slug":"daniel-bryan-all-time-greats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/11\/30\/daniel-bryan-all-time-greats\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniel Bryan: One of the All-Time Greats"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Daniel Bryan<\/strong> is one of the all-time great professional wrestlers.\u00a0 There is a case to be made that he is <em>the<\/em> greatest professional wrestler.\u00a0 These are bold statements and you are entitled to disagree with the latter, but Bryan deserves these plaudits he is regularly greeted with.\u00a0 He certainly deserves to be in the discussions surrounding the nomination of &#8220;GOAT&#8221;.\u00a0 Let us take a look at <em>why<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>He Is a Student of the Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Perhaps more than any other, Daniel Bryan is a self-made student of the game.\u00a0 He lists the likes of <strong>Dean Malenko<\/strong>, <strong>Toshiaki Kawada<\/strong>, <strong>William Regal,<\/strong> and <strong>Mituharu Misawa<\/strong> as his early influences.\u00a0 At a time when aspiring pro-wrestlers wanted to be the next <strong>Hulk Hogan<\/strong>, <strong>The Rock, <\/strong>or <strong>Ultimate Warrior<\/strong>, Bryan wanted to be the next Misawa.\u00a0 Whilst everyone wanted to be the larger-than-life megastar, Bryan aspired to be the in-ring specialist.\u00a0 This is exactly what he&#8217;d become; as he would study international wrestling; adopting bits of Japanese puroresu here and parts of lucha libre there; with a sprinkling of British wrestling on top, thanks to William Regal and <strong>Johnny Saint<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CHIKARA Podcast-A-Go-Go 250\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lTJK30ya0AQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Daniel Bryan &#8211; then using his real name of <strong>Bryan Danielson<\/strong> &#8211; embarked on a decade of dominance on the independent circuit.\u00a0 Bryan traveled the United States and Japan (becoming the <strong>American Dragon<\/strong> in the process); he worked all over Europe; he has worked<em><strong> Triplemania XVI<\/strong> <\/em>in Mexico.\u00a0 By working all over the world, Bryan continued to study whilst on the job and kept evolving as a pro wrestler.\u00a0 The man was crowned as the &#8220;King of the Indies&#8221; for a reason and that reason was he worked them <em>all<\/em>.\u00a0 When you work on so many independent shows, you are not just doing it for the money; you are doing it because you love the business.\u00a0 Only someone as well studied as Daniel Bryan can be involved in any debate surrounding the &#8220;Greatest of All Time&#8221; moniker.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Small Man in a World of Giants<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When Daniel Bryan joined the WWE in 2009 (he had been there briefly in the early 2000s), it came with mixed reaction.\u00a0 Long-time fans of Bryan Danielson worried for the man.\u00a0 Here was Bryan, around 5&#8217;9&#8243; and barely 200 lbs, joining the company known for favoring the behemoths of the wrestling world &#8211; if you were a smaller guy, you were traditionally doomed (with only a few exceptions).\u00a0 Fans of Bryan were right to be worried.\u00a0 Additionally, non-indie viewing WWE fans didn&#8217;t see anything special in Bryan.\u00a0 They saw him as a boring, technical &#8220;vanilla midget&#8221; (thanks for the term,<strong> Kevin Nash<\/strong>) without the necessary charisma to succeed on national television.\u00a0 This is clearly what management thought, too, as <strong>Miz<\/strong> famously cut a promo asking &#8220;where&#8217;s your personality? Where&#8217;s your charisma?&#8221; on Bryan.\u00a0 The odds were firmly stacked against the newly Christened Daniel Bryan.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WWE NXT: Daniel Bryan profile\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i3aCAHg_IBM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Bryan was sent straight to<strong>\u00a0NXT<\/strong> &#8211; then in its reality show incarnation.\u00a0 You would think this would be a bad thing for Bryan but actually, it benefited him.\u00a0 Everyone knew what Bryan was capable of in the ring and the reality concept of NXT allowed Bryan to show off his wonderful personality.\u00a0 If you have ever seen a Daniel Bryan interview outside of the WWE, you will know that he is a genuine, naturally likely guy.\u00a0 His charisma is contagious and you can&#8217;t help but smile along with him.\u00a0 Therefore, Bryan on NXT surprisingly worked &#8211; and gave us the first-ever instance of a wrestler declaring &#8220;I am not the biggest fan of capitalism&#8221; on national television.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Daniel Bryan Has Done More For Smaller Wrestlers Than Anyone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Being the smaller guy in a world of giants benefited Daniel Bryan perfectly.\u00a0 Despite the big guys of the WWE looking different to any guy you&#8217;d see on the street, Bryan looking like someone you&#8217;d meet on the street made him stand out in the WWE.\u00a0 In 2020, there are plenty of smaller guys booked strongly in the WWE and outside (such as <strong>AEW<\/strong>).\u00a0 This is largely with thanks to Daniel Bryan and <strong>CM Punk<\/strong>, for their work in the early 2010s.\u00a0 Two smaller, students of the game who managed to succeed overwhelmingly in the WWE.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Raw: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan - Champion vs. Champion Match\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UGZI_In838Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Yes, whereas <strong>Chris Benoit<\/strong> and <strong>Eddie Guerrero<\/strong>&#8216;s title-winning exploits at <em><strong>WrestleMania XX<\/strong> <\/em>are often pointed at as the shift to smaller workers but it really wasn&#8217;t.\u00a0 The likes of<strong> John Cena<\/strong>, <strong>Randy Orton<\/strong>, <strong>Batista<\/strong>,<strong> Triple H,<\/strong> etc. still dominated the second half of the decade.\u00a0 Therefore, though a uniquely memorable <em><strong>WrestleMania<\/strong><\/em> moment, it didn&#8217;t have the legacy.\u00a0 <strong>Rey Mysterio<\/strong> perhaps deserves similar credit to Bryan and Punk for surviving in the world of giants longer than anyone.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Daniel Bryan wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: WrestleMania 30\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xfFrDS2cCKA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The reason why Bryan deserves the most credit is simple: no one achieved the top prize in such spectacular fashion.\u00a0 Daniel Bryan captured the hearts of fans in a way no other before him has.\u00a0 He connected with the audience in such a unique and special way and then eventually captured the top prize in the company in the main event of <em>WrestleMania<\/em>.\u00a0 He overcame three giants &#8211; Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton &#8211; in one night to achieve it.\u00a0 It is this moment, perhaps more than any, that has led to smaller, indie workers going on to be world champions.\u00a0 <strong>Finn Balor<\/strong>,<strong> Kevin Owens<\/strong>, <strong>Kofi Kingston<\/strong>, <strong>AJ Styles,<\/strong> etc all have Daniel Bryan to thank for the WWE respecting their talents with World Championship runs.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Legacy of Daniel Bryan<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Daniel Bryan will have a lasting legacy within professional wrestling.\u00a0 He will be remembered most notably as the immensely talented ring general who became the hottest thing in wrestling because of this talent and his natural likability.\u00a0 Over time, however, he will be similarly remembered and recognized as being one of the main reasons why the big leagues of professional wrestling now lean more favorably towards smaller wrestlers.\u00a0 Rightfully, he will be remembered as someone who genuinely loved the art of professional wrestling; a true student of the game who used those who came before to hone his own craft and become the best wrestler in the world for well over a decade.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Daniel Bryan&#039;s &quot;Monster&quot; video\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rsX1ATcyQxU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Daniel Bryan has confirmed that his current run will be his last.\u00a0 Normally, it is difficult to believe these kinds of statements from wrestlers.\u00a0 Most tend to continue on long after their initial retirement plans are announced.\u00a0 However, Bryan should be taken for his word.\u00a0 He turns 40 next year; has already been forced into <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/03\/22\/the-daniel-bryan-comeback-story-two-years-later-1-2\/\" target=\"_self\">retirement through injury once before<\/a> and is now a happily married father of two.\u00a0 Bryan will never go away, however; he is still someone who lives and breathes pro-wrestling.\u00a0 His wrestling oriented mind will benefit the WWE &#8211; or anyone else, for that matter &#8211; and bring a creative vision from the perspective of someone who loves professional wrestling.\u00a0 Will Daniel Bryan be retired within two years? YES!\u00a0 Will Bryan be remembered as arguably the greatest to ever lace a pair of wrestling boots? YES!<\/p>\n<h3><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. WWE fan? Check out the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WWE Network<\/a>\u00a0to fulfill all of your WWE needs!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/boards\/index.php\" target=\"_self\">LWOS Boards<\/a>\u00a0to engage in conversation with fellow fans!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel Bryan is one of the all-time great professional wrestlers.\u00a0 There is a case to be made that he is the greatest professional wrestler.\u00a0 These are bold statements and you are entitled to disagree with the latter, but Bryan deserves these plaudits he is regularly greeted with.\u00a0 He certainly deserves to be in the discussions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2482,"featured_media":7112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,3],"tags":[678,1636,1634,56,1490,7002,61,47],"class_list":["post-79800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe-universe","tag-aaa","tag-brie-bella","tag-bryan-danielson","tag-daniel-bryan","tag-johnny-saint","tag-misuharu-misawa","tag-ring-of-honor","tag-wwe"],"modified_by":"Ben Kerr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}