The YES! Movement: The Daniel Bryan Revolution
By: Cameron Biddle
WWE has always had that one guy that one guy who is almost completely over with the crowd. Whether it be an incredibly talented wrestler like Shawn Michaels, a intimidating badass like Stone Cold, or a charismatic superstar like Hulk Hogan. However, there has never been a superstar who gets the amount of cheers like Daniel Bryan. In fact, he is so over that fans will actually chant and cheer for him during other people's matches.
If you don't follow WWE, let me explain who Daniel Bryan is. He is a professional wrestler who has been wrestling since 1999. He first became popular wrestling in Ring of Honor, where he won both the ROH World Championship and the ROH Pure Championship. In 2009, Bryan signed with WWE. During his time in the company, he has won five championships, having won the WWE Championship twice, the World Heavyweight Championship once, the United States Championship once, and the Tag Team Championships once (partnered with Kane). Outside of wrestling, he has been praised by critics and fans for his technical wrestling skills and his great connection with the fans. His signature "YES!" movement has become incredibly popular with fans, and has graced the front of many t-shirts and other merchandise. Though Bryan had always been popular with the fans, after Extreme Rules in 2013, fans began to cheer harder and harder, to the point where he was getting a reaction unseen before in the company.
Leading up to SummerSlam, a storyline ran where WWE Chairman Vince McMahon didn't want Bryan to become WWE Champion because he doesn't look like a WWE Champion. Bryan weighs 220, doesn't have ripped muscles, and has a large beard - a look generally not associated with WWE Superstars, let alone champions. McMahon has been known of pushing superstars who fit the certain image of a wrestler over ones who are generally considered more talented. At SummerSlam, Bryan defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship, only for Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase (a briefcase which gives the winner of the case a match for the WWE Championship whenever they want) after McMahon's son in law, part time wrestler Triple H, attacked Bryan. Triple H has control of creative and how storylines go.
Over the next two months, Bryan would win and have the WWE Championship taken away by Triple H one time, and fail to reclaim the title on two other occasions, before being taken out of the title picture. Then the Royal Rumble happened. During this years edition of the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton vs John Cena fought each other for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, fans chanted for Bryan the entire match and booed Cena and Orton, even chanting "this is awful" throughout the majority of the match. After that was the annual Royal Rumble match. The match has 30 superstars enter the match one by one until all have entered, and superstars are eliminated after they are thrown over the top rope. The winner receives a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania. After Rey Mysterio entered at #30, eliminating any chance of Daniel Bryan being in the match, the fans booed Mysterio, despite him being a face (a good guy), and continued to boo the rest of the match. They especially booed when Batista won the match. Batista had legitimately quit WWE in 2010 and returned only a week before the event. He was also another one of Triple H's proteges. If Randy Orton and Batista fought at Wrestlemania, it would be an absolute disaster. However, The YES! Movement started soon afteru. Fans began to cheer for Daniel Bryan even more than they did already, even so much more that they actually started chanting his name during other peoples matches. Two weeks ago, Daniel Bryan and Triple H were booked to fight at Wrestlemania, with the winner getting added to the Orton-Batista match. Unless Triple H's ego gets out of hand, we will be seeing Daniel Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania. The fans never stopped cheering, even through the hard times for Bryan. Daniel Bryan will be walking into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on April 6th, and hopefully he will be walking out as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
If you don't follow WWE, let me explain who Daniel Bryan is. He is a professional wrestler who has been wrestling since 1999. He first became popular wrestling in Ring of Honor, where he won both the ROH World Championship and the ROH Pure Championship. In 2009, Bryan signed with WWE. During his time in the company, he has won five championships, having won the WWE Championship twice, the World Heavyweight Championship once, the United States Championship once, and the Tag Team Championships once (partnered with Kane). Outside of wrestling, he has been praised by critics and fans for his technical wrestling skills and his great connection with the fans. His signature "YES!" movement has become incredibly popular with fans, and has graced the front of many t-shirts and other merchandise. Though Bryan had always been popular with the fans, after Extreme Rules in 2013, fans began to cheer harder and harder, to the point where he was getting a reaction unseen before in the company.
Leading up to SummerSlam, a storyline ran where WWE Chairman Vince McMahon didn't want Bryan to become WWE Champion because he doesn't look like a WWE Champion. Bryan weighs 220, doesn't have ripped muscles, and has a large beard - a look generally not associated with WWE Superstars, let alone champions. McMahon has been known of pushing superstars who fit the certain image of a wrestler over ones who are generally considered more talented. At SummerSlam, Bryan defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship, only for Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase (a briefcase which gives the winner of the case a match for the WWE Championship whenever they want) after McMahon's son in law, part time wrestler Triple H, attacked Bryan. Triple H has control of creative and how storylines go.
Over the next two months, Bryan would win and have the WWE Championship taken away by Triple H one time, and fail to reclaim the title on two other occasions, before being taken out of the title picture. Then the Royal Rumble happened. During this years edition of the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton vs John Cena fought each other for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, fans chanted for Bryan the entire match and booed Cena and Orton, even chanting "this is awful" throughout the majority of the match. After that was the annual Royal Rumble match. The match has 30 superstars enter the match one by one until all have entered, and superstars are eliminated after they are thrown over the top rope. The winner receives a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania. After Rey Mysterio entered at #30, eliminating any chance of Daniel Bryan being in the match, the fans booed Mysterio, despite him being a face (a good guy), and continued to boo the rest of the match. They especially booed when Batista won the match. Batista had legitimately quit WWE in 2010 and returned only a week before the event. He was also another one of Triple H's proteges. If Randy Orton and Batista fought at Wrestlemania, it would be an absolute disaster. However, The YES! Movement started soon afteru. Fans began to cheer for Daniel Bryan even more than they did already, even so much more that they actually started chanting his name during other peoples matches. Two weeks ago, Daniel Bryan and Triple H were booked to fight at Wrestlemania, with the winner getting added to the Orton-Batista match. Unless Triple H's ego gets out of hand, we will be seeing Daniel Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania. The fans never stopped cheering, even through the hard times for Bryan. Daniel Bryan will be walking into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on April 6th, and hopefully he will be walking out as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.