Does WWE have something "Special" with Kaval/Danielson?

[XL]

I was considering this whilst watching Kaval's debut on SmackDown! this week.

With Kaval you have a small guy with a huge net following. Now, we know that the IWC amounts to a very small % of the total audience so that following counts for pretty much nothing.

However, he is innovative and his offense can be brutal. Watching his match with Drew it seemed that some of the audience was buying into him (given that they probably have no idea who he is) and his offense.

I made a connection between Kaval and Mysterio in terms of how Rey was/is seen as innovative and I wondered how much his inring work counted for how over he is (or is it just the mask?). Can Kaval get himself over with his ringwork alone? Or does WWE need to back him with a gimmick/storyline?

The same question could be asked about Daniel Bryan/Danielson. Another small guy, with an internet following and "different" offense. WWE seem pretty big on him since his return following his return.

Do you think WWE has anything special with these two?
If so, does WWE appreciate what they have with these "Internet Darlings"?
Will they capitalise on it?

[Londoner]

Kaval yes, not so convinced Danielson will do much yet. I felt Kaval was more like RVD than mysterio.

[BizarroKing]

Well Danielson might be the US champion come NOC but we shall see that in time.

Kaval I'm sure they will do something big with him...it all depends on who they will put him against.

[Next Big Thing]

They have something special with both of those guys, but booking and politics will probably fuck it up.

[EDWARD]

Considering that Danielson made such an impact in that short amount of time, and Kaval seemed to be pretty over with crowd on SmackDown, it would be dumb if WWE didn't do something with those two.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

It's going to depend how they book both. If they tone down there indy style, they're less likely to get over. They're not the "larger than life" superstars, like Undertaker, Cena, Orton, Sheamus, etc. Instead, much like Bourne, they're unique, and have awesome moves.

The bigger problem is Danielson, as even if they let him do a lot of his stuff, the fans may not by into submission wrestling. Yeah, you hear the "You tapped out" chants for submissions, and people will pop for moves like the LeBell Lock and the STF, but are the fans really going to enjoy it if Danielson does 5 or 6 submissions a match ,even if they do look brutal?

I also wonder if they'll let him do his diving headbutt, or if that would make him too much like Benoit.

Now if they let Danielson do his head stomp/ head kicked in finish, he'd definitely get over...

[Londoner]

I think kaval could be a 'larger than life' superstar easily.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I think kaval could be a 'larger than life' superstar easily.

Not in terms of size though. In terms of moves, which is what I'm getting at. People will watch what he can do and be amazed. r

[Lock Jaw]

Kaval I have been impressed by.

Daniel Bryan I was impressed by at Summerslam, but since then I have been less than impressed. Really hope they don't put the US title on him at the PPV.

[DLVH84]

Low Ki vs. Rey Mysterio, Jr. - Book it

[Next Big Thing]

I just have a feeling Kaval will end up being fed to McIntyre and Del Rio since they're apparently the chosen ones on Smackdown.

[Lock Jaw]

McIntyre's push seems to be faltering a bit of late.

[Nicky Fives]

I see Kaval 'making it' before Danielson.....

[EDWARD]

I'm with Lock Jaw's earlier post. If they put the title on Danielson at the PPV, it would seem like too much of a cliche, but I would still like to see big things from him.

[BizarroKing]

I would rather have Daniel Bryan be US Champ because The Miz has barely defended the belt with his second reign. Bryan can then hang around in the mid-upper card for a while, defend the belt, and see what he does with it.

[teamXtremist]

danielson will be their next benoit

kaval their new mysterio

[Lock Jaw]

I think people are overestimating these two big time.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I would rather have Daniel Bryan be US Champ because The Miz has barely defended the belt with his second reign. Bryan can then hang around in the mid-upper card for a while, defend the belt, and see what he does with it.

One important thing to remember about Daniel Bryan if they put him in the mid card as US champ is that he can make people look really good. Bryan, much like Jericho, can make people look amazing while still beating them, unlike some people on the WWE's roster.

[Londoner]

I think people are overestimating these two big time.

I think you're underestimating them big time.

[Mr. C]

I would've had Kaval debut as Low Ki on NXT and mentored by Luke Gallows (since CM Punk was a pro on the previous season), planting the seeds for a Punk/Ki feud on SmackDown. The storyline sees Ki only associated with the Straight Edge Society due to Gallows being his mentor on NXT, but he remains face. Have Gallows try to talk Ki into joining the SES, make Ki accompany the SES to the ring on SmackDown, etc. Even have Ki wear an SES shirt and point out that he's straight edge, but it's made clear that Ki isn't a member and only associates with them on TV due to his pairing with Gallows on NXT.

Anyway, Ki wins NXT Season 2 and appears on SmackDown the following Friday night. He cuts a promo and thanks the fans for voting for him on NXT, only to be interrupted by the SES. Punk tells Ki that they've been waiting long enough and it's time for Ki to make a decision: is he with them or not? Ki brings up how he's straight edge and respects Punk, but doesn't want to be like him. From there, Punk and Ki begin a feud that ends at Survivor Series.

[Wolfpack423]

Danielson is one of the best things about WWE right now. One of the best feuds is him vs. The Miz. The Miz NEEDS to lose the championship. I don't think Miz should be US champ right now as WWE should have him just focus on the MITB case, plus Miz has done absolutely nothing with the title. I can't even recall a match of his as US Champion I liked.

[Fox]

Rumors of a Kaval/Mysterio program leading up to WrestleMania 27 have been circulating for a long time. While rumors shoudl always be taken with a grain of salt, the very fact that the idea is out there suggests that the WWE thinks highly of the indy veteran and have big things in store for him. His victory on NXT 2 furthers the idea that the WWE are behind Kaval, and will be for the long run.

Danielson is clearly getting a push in the WWE. From his return at Summerslam, being the last guy in there with Cena, and now his feud with The Miz, the WWE obviously likes the guy and want to make him one of their big stars.

I think that using guys like Kaval and Danielson in spotlighted positions is a wise decision by the WWE. Someone asked earlier if the WWE fans are going to buy into Danielson using 6-7 submissions per match, and I think that they will. Not only are his submissions absolutely crisp, clean and violent, but with the recent explosion in the MMA world, they will be only that much more respected in the world of professional wrestling. They make him look more legit. The same goes for Kaval with his double footed stomp from the top rope - extremely unorthodox offense that will get over huge.

I'm not going to go as far as to say we'll get Kaval vs. Daniels in the main event of WrestleMania 30, but I think guys like these two are the future of the company, probably more so than guys like Sheamus and Jack Swagger.

[Gertner]

No, because nobody outside of 15 people care.
Kaval is basically Jimmy Wang Yang with a deeper voice.

[Snowden]

Having guys like Bryan and Kaval do well I think does wonders for the WWE in two ways.

It tones down the stigma that (a) the WWE is full of roided up freaks, (b) shows that someone doesn't have to be a big guy to succeed.

Plus, the fact of the matter is that these guys are over right now...props for the company for recognizing that the fans pop for them and making a move.

[dronepool]

I hope so, those 2 guys are fun to watch and they deserve it.

[Damian Rey]

I think both Kaval and Danielson are going to have solid runs. Like Fox says, it's unlikely either of them main event Mania. But these are guys who can legitimately go in the ring. That's a selling point for helping get other guys over.

I think each of them can have a Benoit-esque career where they're shuffled in and out of mid and high midcard feuds and made to look like threats no matter where they're at on the card.

[Emperor Smeat]

I believe Danielson is going to get most of the attention in the beginning while Kaval ends up like Evan Bourne for a while by being the high-flyer to entertain the crowd.

WWE is also lacking in wrestlers who use submissions as finishers and not as regular holds so Danielson does have some use in the mid-card and maybe future main event tier. On Raw, only Cena has a submission that can end matches in the main event tier and almost nobody in the mid-card uses submissions to end matches.

I could also see a situation similar to Morrison and Miz occur where eventually Kaval gets pushed better while Danielson becomes flat or looses his momentum since it occurs way too much with the WWE and its writers.

[Damian Rey]

I believe Danielson is going to get most of the attention in the beginning while Kaval ends up like Evan Bourne for a while by being the high-flyer to entertain the crowd.

WWE is also lacking in wrestlers who use submissions as finishers and not as regular holds so Danielson does have some use in the mid-card and maybe future main event tier. On Raw, only Cena has a submission that can end matches in the main event tier and almost nobody in the mid-card uses submissions to end matches.

I could also see a situation similar to Morrison and Miz occur where eventually Kaval gets pushed better while Danielson becomes flat or looses his momentum since it occurs way too much with the WWE and its writers.

Considering with all the exposure and talking up he was getting while on NXT and this past week on SmackDown!, Kaval is probably already ahead of Evan Bourne. He's got a guarenteed title shot and has been billed to be taken seriously.

I do think Danielson's submission style could take him a long way. Not to mention, again, he;s being booked well and is getting a solid push right out of the gate.

[Lock Jaw]

Dunno. To me, Daniel Bryan has been booked to look like a chump ever since the Summerslam match. Heck, since partway through the Summerslam match.

That's why I hope he doesn't win the US Title now. Have him "come close" or something, and then have him do some other midcard stuff and really establish himself as serious business.

[Damian Rey]

Dunno. To me, Daniel Bryan has been booked to look like a chump ever since the Summerslam match. Heck, since partway through the Summerslam match.

That's why I hope he doesn't win the US Title now. Have him "come close" or something, and then have him do some other midcard stuff and really establish himself as serious business.

I can't speak for this past week of Raw becuase I didn't catch the show, but he dominated at SummerSlam only to be decked with the breifcase and get eliminated.

Then he lost to Tarver on a roll up and got a 3 on 1 beat down the next night.

And last week he wasn't involved in the decision, and after another distraction, gets waffled with the breifcase again. I think they're booking fairly well and building towards a victory.

I don't think it looks weak when heels are using dirty tactics to take him out.

[Lock Jaw]

He dominated at Summerslam, but then looked like he didn't know what the hell he was doing at the end. Cena had been thrown outside, and the legal man had just been eliminated, bringing it down to Cena and Bryan. Rather than going in to be the legal man, he stood around looking puzzled and then went to the outside to help the hurt Cena into the match instead.

His promo this past Monday wasn't great either, nor is his whole "anti-superstar" thing. You WANT this guy to look like a superstar, not some rookie nobody who is just getting some lucky breaks.

Michael Cole is really doing him damage too. Cole heeling it up is actually pretty entertaining at times, but it doesn't work because The King does absolutely squat to contradict him and hype Bryan up.

[Damian Rey]

His promo this past Monday wasn't great either, nor is his whole "anti-superstar" thing. You WANT this guy to look like a superstar, not some rookie nobody who is just getting some lucky breaks.

Michael Cole is really doing him damage too. Cole heeling it up is actually pretty entertaining at times, but it doesn't work because The King does absolutely squat to contradict him and hype Bryan up.

Didn't see the promo on Monday so I can't agree/disagree. The idea of him being an "anti-superstar" started out with great direction when he was on NXT. Again, I'm not cathing the lucky breaks thing. He's been mobbed twice since his return by the Miz and Alex Riley. His eliminations at SS weren't flukey whatsoever.

I think what Cole is doing is great. But like you said, King not knowing what to say and just being bland face that he is doesn't help at all. I like that Cole heels it up, but you've got to get someone in there who can counterargue, emotionally, to help play up Danielson.