DISCUSSION - The WWE are booking Daniel Bryan perfectly (RR spoilers)

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Originally Posted by CSL the fan reaction to the Sheamus/Mania WHC match was ridiculous because of the intensity. Yes, I completely understand going to Mania or watching Mania and hoping to see a great match between the two and being a bit disappointed at 18 seconds but nobody went to or bought Mania strictly to see that match so it's really the one place they could "safely" do it. The whole thing was booked as "the cowardly chickenshit heel is going to get his comeuppance/be embarrassed on the grandest stage of them all". They were clearly going to get the chance to have a "proper match" down the road. It was there to pop the casual/young/majority audience and it did exactly that. And they wound up having one of the top 3-5 matches of the entire year the following month. As for the rest, it's still only been 5-6 months or so since the catchphrase really started getting over/getting the big reactions. I understand that people want to see him get that chance. Fuck, I do too. But 5 months is nothing. 5 months into his "big connection" with the audience and Steve Austin hadn't even turned babyface yet and was over a year away from winning the world title. 5 months into them clearly moving John Cena towards a prominent position and he was holding the US title. 5 months into Batista getting the shove and yeah, he was heading to Mania but that was only because they jumped on the Orton switch (because he'd become red hot/was getting the top babyface reaction) and realized they'd jumped too early and slowed it down and switched to Batista. The only guy they've really pounced on the immediate popularity of and placated was CM Punk and that was because he was about to walk out of the company altogether. As long as his popularity maintains or keeps rising as it seems to be doing, I just don't see the rush or the lack of ability to see where he winds up. As I said in another thread, if in a years time he's gone nowhere/didn't get "that chance" and he's toiling away in the middle of the card to a third of the reaction he's currently getting then by all means, verbally rape WWE for missing the boat entirely. But not after 5-6 months.

I totally get what you're trying to say, but they just aren't protecting him the same way they protected a guy like Austin. If Daniel Bryan is simmering in the mid cards that is great, let it bubble but keep him SUPER STRONG like they did with Austin. That means, not having HHH calling him a b plus player and a never will be without any follow up. And that means no jobbing him out in ppv curtain jerkers.

I get giving Bray "the rub" and giving him a great match, but shit, give him a big clean win over a guy not simmering and waiting to explode, and then put Bryan over him in the same sort of match they had at the rumble, where it wouldn't hurt Bray. Give them a nice lengthy feud bubbling with non stop intensity much the same as Rock and Austin for the IC title (obviously two completely different guys, but you can parallel two very talented guys who aren't quite at the top yet).

Mind you Bryan losing didn't hurt Bryan because he's fucking incredible, but that's still not protecting a guy. That's him protecting himself by being the man.

I fully agree that the slow burn is the way to go, it always is, but there has to be a consistant build up, and they do not do that. There is a constant stimying of his momentum, not even out of spite or out of not liking him, but simply out of incompetence and not paying attention to detail. People want them to strike while the iron is hot, because at this juncture in time, they are not competent enough to make a slow burn work. The fans are afraid they'll have a direction and intent for him, and then just forget about him and he'll drown and toil in the mid cards, and the people are justified given the company's recent track record.