Daniel Bryan - Better opportunity to "cash in" on his rising popularity
 

Seeing as how "hot" Daniel Bryan's momentum and popularity has been growing these past few months, does the WWE have to "cash in" at SummerSlam or should they save it for a possibly bigger moment?

Option A - Give him the title at Summerslam.
The big upside being the WWE "cashes in" right away while the big downside being it ends up just acting as a bridge for Cena vs Orton title feud at a bigger stage (ex. Mania).

Option B - Hold off for later in the year or maybe next year's Rumble.
The big upside being Bryan's big moment is less likely to get overshadowed by Orton's MitB case while the big downside being the growing risk of a wasted opportunity the longer the WWE waits.

Hold off. Keep him hot and give him the 2014 Rumble. This could be the greatest title chase since Austin's first win. And since the Mark Henry/Cena mini-feud established the fact that the WWE Title is THE title that makes you THE man, he'd basically be in his first top title program.

Hit while the iron is hot. So much can happen between now and the Rumble, especially with injuries.

follow the momentum. if you try to stretch it, you may miss your chance. or at least miss out on it being as huge as it could be. the fans want daniel bryan to win now. he's ready to win now, and capable of holding the belt while being credible and unique. if they don't capitalize sooner rather than later, wwe will lose the momentum and they'll have no idea how to get it back.

Look at Ron trying to suck up to the wrestling fans. I approve.

I love the idea of him going over cens. No one will expect it and the place will erupt.

Then have orton cash in like some have said. The crowd will be so high on Bryan seeing him lose it right away will turn orton into a nuclear heel.

Then let them feud for the title the next 2-3 months and see how it goes. Then slide cena into a program with someone else. Wyatt, ryback, shield whomever.

i'm not sucking up! i'm trying to become more active. talk to my people.

You should post CM Punk threads. It's like attracting flies to James Steele.

Wait... are you suggesting Daniel Bryan win the WWE title???

I say if they're going to give him the title now, he needs to quickly lose it by getting screwed out of the title. I feel like the top face needs to ALMOST always be chasing the title, either facing a chicken shit heel who won't defend it fairly, keeps cheating to win, etc., or he needs to face an equal heel/tweener who is aligned with an authority figure who doesn't want the face to be the champ, ala Vince/Rock/Corp vs Austin/Foley, etc.

As much as I would like to see them slow build and have DB chase the title, winning the Rumble, finally winning the title at WM, etc., between injuries, etc., they probably should strike while he's SO hot and over now.

Summerslam. Beating the top guy for the top belt at one of the Big 4 shows is pretty huge.

You don't know what can happen in the future, but you can't leave money on the table just to collect it at a later date.

I'd love for him to win the rumble and have his WrestleMania moment, but the momentum could be gone (or at least severely dwindled) by then. Plus injuries and such. Too risky.

I'll go with Bryan winning at Summerslam, and then have Orton cashing in his contract to win the title from Bryan. It cements Orton as the top heel and gets fans behind Bryan even more. Eventually, i'd love for Bryan to win the Rumble and get his Wrestlemania moment. There's no one who deserves it more this year.

They could become brothers in law.

Bryan probably isn't a long term answer for the WWE, and if he is I don't think it has entered Vince or HHH's minds yet. They should hit now rather than drag it out and maybe never get him the title

As long as he's champ for more than 18 seconds....

I have read "newz" somewhere that said something to the effect of Daniel Bryan's new T-Shirt has sold crazy amounts already, and has Vince coming around to Daniel Bryan's side.

I'm not willing to subscribe to this. I'm sure a lot of people didn't think Austin was a long term answer before he took on Bret at SummerSlam. Speaking as someone for whom Brian Danielson's arrival in WWE caused traumatic eye-rolling to commence, I feel like it might be possible that a tiny fraction of this fellow's potential has been tapped so far.

That + the reaction at Barclays proved it.

They should put him over Cena - and by submission to boot.

They risk doing to DB what they did to Ryback; push him into a WWE Title programme with the intention of jobbing him to Cena.

I'm down with the idea of an immediate Orton cash-in (or on the following Raw) also. This will establish Orton as a heel - the role he works best in - and should have the crowd white hot for Bryan's longer term chase. You could potentially keep him at arms length from Orton and still give him the big Rumble win.

Also, there'd be a great parrallel with how Bryan won the WHC with a post-match cash-in on Big Show.

Ideally I'd have Orton cash in before the finish of Cena / Bryan, maybe even with Bryan poised to win. Use this "Vince hates Bryan" angle to have a massive and entertaining storyline where he wont give Bryan another shot. Bryan wins the Rumble, challenges for the WWE title, which Cena wins back at some point and then have Bryan go over Cena at Mania.

But yeah, just give him the belt.

I just came back to reference the "Vince doesn't like Bryan" thing but I see that Mantis has nailed it. I always wanted to see someone cash in during another match so that you essentially get two matches going on at once (I remember wanting Punk to cash in during the Ladder Match between Jeff Hardy and Edge at Extreme Rules 2009. Thought it would have been a real heel move to just walk up a ladder and take the title whilst Edge and Hardy were down - especially as Punk ended up cashing in after the match anyway).

Bryan doing all the work, only for Orton to come in and take the title would set everybody up nicely (even if it is a little similar to what they have going on with Sandow/Rhodes).

Nooooooo

Put him over Cena, that's one thing. It gets Bryan over and Cena has lost enough to where it's just another dip.

Cena is still "the man" though. And more importantly, the kiddie hero of the company. He's this generation's Hogan whether those of us over 10 years old like it or not. Just like Hogan should have never tapped out, he doesn't need to be tapping out. A pinfall is fine.

I'd love for him to win the Rumble and then go over at Wrestlemania but you don't know how long this momentum will last.

I do like the idea of Orton cashing in after Summerslam though.

It isn't 1985 anymore. Cena tapping out wouldn't hurt him at all and it would make Daniel Bryan look like God.

Ideally, Daniel Bryan should win. He is by far the "hottest" superstar they have right now. Don't squander it. The dude can wrestle and can easily carry Cena to a good match. Give him the gold, and have Cena chase for a while. Have Cena lose a rematch and admit that Bryan made him tap, twice.

Now if the Orton injury rumors are true, have Orton lose his MitB case in a MitB match between Christian, Sheamus, RVD, a returning Big Show, Fandango, Rhodes, and Barrett. Have Big Show dominate most of the match and as he starts climbing the ladder, Kofi runs out and gives Show a TiP off a ladder through a table. Have Kofi grab the case and sit there laughing with the case. A heel Kofi vs a face Bryan. Title match. I'd travel and pay a lot to see that match.

Last time Cena tapped I think was in 2004 to Angle, before Cena won the US Title.

That is 9 years. Cena tapping to Daniel Bryan in the middle of the ring with the crowd losing their shit would be a moment WWE can replay all the time.

NO CENA CAN'T TAP!!! WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?!?!

Why can't Cena tap out?


P.S. Cena is no Hogan

Let Bryan win. They've been building him up since the Wrestlemania loss to Sheamus. This is the culmination of this build-up. Why put it on hold again? LET HIM WIN.

Gonna agree to disagree here.

Bryan - at least right now - seems to be loved universally. The smarks love the guy as he delivers in the ring every time and the kids seem to love the whole Yes/No thing. Making Cena tap - the first man to do it in 9 years no less - would launch Bryan into the stratosphere.

Cena comes out and says his catchphrase is "Never give up" but in Daniel Bryan he found a man that good that he made him eat those words. Instantly adds another layer to the rematch build.

The fact that "Yes" and/or "No" is still over today as it was over a year ago when he started it, pretty much confirms how over Bryan is. Whether or not he wins the title now, I think he could definitely maintain the momentum he has until a potential Rumble win. But personally I'd love to see him win it at Summerslam, simply coz I'm bored with Cena and because the reaction has the potential to be one of the biggest pops imaginable.

As long as Orton cashes in straight away and takes the belt off him, I am fine with the midget winning.

I do like the idea of Bryan winning and then Orton cashing in and screwing him out of it that night. Then, you reveal McMahon made Orton do it or whatever ala Del Rio/Punk at MITB 2011 only this time it worked.

The fans would then go ape shit as Vince McMahon goes out of his way to screw this guy because he isn't what a WWE superstar is supposed to be. He goes through hell until January, wins the Royal Rumble, and finally wins the belt back at WrestleMania XXX.

The money is always in the chase, and I think everyone would go rabid like they did after the WM28 match since they got just a taste of DB finally winning the WWE Title only to get it stolen from him. Vince gives him his rematch at Night of Champions, but it will be a Triple Threat match only for Vince to screw DB out of it. Triple H tries to step in, but DB says he doesn't need Triple H to fight his battles. Cue a couple of PPV matches with HHH. At Survivor Series, Daniel Bryan is the sole survivor in his match. At TLC, Daniel Bryan wins a Chairs Match against Vince's chosen lackey or Vince himself in spite of all the shenanigans. Vince can say DB has to win the match or he won't be allowed to enter the Royal Rumble (think Austin/Taker from Rock Bottom 98). DB is one of the first 5 guys in the Rumble and wins the Royal Rumble. Vince makes him defend his #1 Contender spot in an Elimination Chamber match only to win that too. At this point, CM Punk is WWE Champion again. You do CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXX. Combine that with Cena/Taker, Rock/____ and you'd have a triple main event that appeals to everybody.

I really don't want to see Rock/Brock. I think Rock/Ziggler would be interesting.

Not a bad scenario, as long as he wins at Summerslam. A win against Cena would put him over the top, and make fans feel as if he was robbed, thus putting him over over the top. Like, super over.

basically what the others said. give it to him while he's hot

Bryan will probably win.

By pinfall.

Like it should be.

Yes... To this generation of kids... he is.

People are confusing what they want/like with what is/should be the case. If the internet was big back in the early 90's you'd have had people calling for Hogan to tap out to guys who use submissions. And it would have been equally as terrible for his character/unnecessary as it would be for Cena now.

i guarantee cena tapping to daniel bryan would have no appreciable affect on his character, but would be HUGE for bryan's. cena has been built (in theory, of course) as the superman for occasions such as this: building new stars that can fill out the card around him. and to most of these kids, a loss is a loss. do they really put much stock in the difference between a tap and a pin? especially against a man billed as a submission specialist?

Has hogan ever tapped out?

who gives a fuck what hogan did? it's a different business now. but i'm sure he has at one point. maybe not since hulkamania kicked off, though.

A bunch of times although just twice since WCW folded.

Once in TNA (Sting), once in the WWE (Angle), and like 9 times in WCW (mainly Sting).
http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/....html?res=2000

oh shit hogan tapping like crazy!

Depends since if Cena just shrugs it off like he does with most losses, it won't be anywhere as effective as a huge moment.

Bryan making Cena tap would be huge not only for himself but for his YES/NO/LeBell lock and could end up reaching a similar huge status Benoit's crippler crossface got from Mania 20 or Lesnar's Kumura lock for recent times.

How exactly would Cena tapping be bad for his character?

Thought I quoted that #1-wwf-fan post.

Oh well, he knows it's for him.

Could always just have Cena "pass out". Makes both guys still look super tough.

Because like I said, he's this generation's Hogan. He's a hero to kids. As much as we want our way, the kids are little more impressionable and important. Their "Never give up" hero should not be a quitter. Anyone over 12 is fine with it because we're all looking at it from our standpoint and just neglecting to think about WWE's main demographic.

Lock Jaw is a smart man. Everybody wins and it would also add some controversy to the situation.

These are the kinds of ideas that happen when you're not just intensely out for blood against Cena because you personally don't care about his character is portrayed.

I'd rather have him tap

Cena can tap in the inevitable rematch. Build up for a month that Cena is "injured" from the previous event. His shoulder/arm is bad, and only gets worse during regular RAW action. OVERCOMING his doctor's orders, he competes in a Submissions Match at the next PPV. D-Bry makes Cena tap, but the commentators play it like "Cena had to! His shoulder! It could have been a career-ending injury if he didn't tap!"

I realize I'm not the target demographic, but when I was a kid getting pinned or tapping out meant the same. Hell, it was expected if the guy who won was a submission guy.

His fans won't care much how Cena loses, the reaction will be the same because as rtd said: a loss is a loss.

lol

lol

Would rather Cena not be injured or anything else that makes the match fall into another "Can Cena overcome the odds" type. Him taping while injured creates more of an excuse than an actual big moment.

You'd also risk shifting the focus away from Bryan to it being all about Cena like almost every other feud Cena's been a part of.

A loss is a loss. The reaction will not change whether Cena gets pinned or taps because the outcome (in his fans'eyes) will be the same: Cena lost. You're giving kids too much credit.

They wouldn't read into how he lost, it would just be that he lost.

He was last time ;)

I don't think so. When I was 7, Hogan being pinned by The Undertaker sucked. Hogan quitting the match like a bitch would have been way, WAY more awful and definitely would have fucked up his superhero-like character royally.

The should let Bryan win the belt on one of their international tours. Australia would be a good choice or the UK.

Bryan winning the title on the 2013 Global Warning tour only to lose it back on the following episode of Superstars would work.

That' retarded. If anything, the kids need to be taught that there is a time to give up, after a hard fought battle, and come back stronger another day. Children need to be taught that losing is okay if anything. Not that odds will alway be overcome.

It's wrestling. It's not meant to teach kids life lessons. It's entertainment.

7 year old you read into things quite a bit.

He'd be tapping to a submission guy, so even if kids read into the loss the way you are it would make sense. Bryan is known for making people tap, so it wouldn't do shit to Cena's character.

Just like Hogan tapping to someone like Bret would have been acceptable/expected.

Can you imagine that? Really? Just picture Hulk Hogan tapping out to Bret Hart in 1992.

If he was going to lose to him, yes.

Tapping out to guy who never pins anyone. What a shock!

I'm trying to think of a good example for Austin or Rock or other faces of the company but I can't think of any submission wrestlers during that time off the top of my head. Still, it would have been weird and made them look like a total quitter/bitch. You just don't do that to the face of your company. Especially when it's completely unnecessary and you can accomplish what you're going for without it.

It really isn't an issue when the guy going over only wins by submission, though. It's expected he's going to win that way.

Shamrock was pretty close

Why didn't they let Shamrock have the Shake, Rattle and Roll for a finisher? He could have called it either the Shamrock Shake OR, which I like better, the modified neck breaker #3

The ShamWow!

Making Cena tap sets apart Bryan's win from every other loss he has had in the last 9 years.

Having Cena come out on Raw and essentially give DB his stamp of approval would basically say to the kids "It's OK to cheer for this guy". Cena talks about how he might have tapped but he still "Never gives up", how the motto means that even if you fail you have to try again and that he'll face DB in a rematch and this time he'll win - maybe even make Bryan tap out.

Bryan gets a win unlike any other in the last 9 years and he gets Cena's stamp of approval (which would nicely counter Vince's chagrin).

Cena still has his demographic, can still keep his motto and realistically won't suffer any setback.

Win-Win.

Yeah, I'd like DB to win - but that's no longer from a "smark's favourite" viewpoint, he is legit the hottest thing in the wrestling world - and I don't dislike Cena with the passion of some here but I don't buy into what #1fan is saying.

All you have to do is have Cena shake his hand, like everyone else has been doing after they lose to Bryan. Cena is teflon at this point, a loss won't hurt him.

Also, Rock tapped to the Crossface a lot.

:y:

He could take a dump on them and call it the Sham poo! Lolz

Much as it pains me to think of Cena still having the fucking title after SSlam, I don’t think it would do much good to give a title to Bryan at this point. Let him have a good chase for it and then by maybe Oct./Nov. give it to him.

He's not though

That's our DAMN iNATOR!

FIXED.

I corrected myself, OK? Just settle down, spaz.

It was meant to be endearing.

And I obviously posted before you guru Dave'd your post. Calm yourself.

I've got to agree with the crowd that wants to see Bryan win the WWE Title at SummerSlam. It would be such a hot moment, and over the next few months, Bryan can beat Cena in some rematches and then move on to Randy Orton, who cashes in under Vince McMahon's orders (as someone suggested) and becomes the target for Bryan. Maybe not heading into WrestleMania XXX (I'm not sure what the plans are for that event, but I still want to see Daniel Bryan wrestle The Undertaker), but you can certainly give the title back to Bryan eventually.

I'm also on the side that thinks Cena tapping out would be a huge moment for Bryan. Cena doesn't tap, so it means something. People pin Cena every now and then, but no one makes him tap-out. That will give Bryan that extra notch in credibility. Cena's "Never Give Up" motto puts over Bryan there, but it also allows Cena some development -- his respect for Bryan after beating him that way would be tremendous. I'm just not sure whether or not to do the submission at SummerSlam or in their rematch at Night of Champions. Bryan beating Cena twice via submission would be extraordinarily huge.

Dunno man, seemed more like a backhanded compliment than "endearing". Not that I'm saying it was.

Just throwing this out there: I'd love it if Bryan forced Cena to submit to the Regal Stretch. It'd be a nice little nod to William Regal and could be taken as Bryan forcing Cena to submit to a version of a move that Cena himself uses.

Did anyone else offer up the possibility that Bryan could make Cena pass out from the pain and win that way?

Nope.

Sweet, then that is my contribution. You're welcome.