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It’s been two years since Daniel Bryan’s 18 second loss. It’s been two years of a resounding ‘YES’. If it was a new word then it would have surely made it as the most used word besides ‘twerking’ and ‘selfie’. In the last 2 years, WWE has leaped across to the social media sphere like never before and the launch of the WWE network is synonymous to that. I think, it is hence reasonable to say that Daniel Bryan is a product of a new era. The Internet Era. Bear with me, as I try to explain this no matter how whimsical it may sound now.
At present, Daniel Bryan is the guy who gets the crowd to do what he wants them to do. The crowd can bury anyone into silence if they get on with his ‘Yes’ chants. Triple H is a perfect exhibit for that. In short, nobody’s more over than Daniel Bryan and blah blah blah.
In the past few weeks, we have seen the internet paly a huge role in WWE storylines this week. It was the Internet where the fans might have first found out about Meltzer’s statement concerning CM Punk’s return. The Chicago crowd came in plenty to see the triumphant return but before that another news had covered the internet about the fans aiming to ‘hijack’ Raw. Now whether this usage of the word ‘hijack’ was WWE’s doing or pure work of the fans is not really known, but anyway, we saw this on the Internet and interestingly, Daniel Bryan wanted the crowd to hijack Raw as well on television.
Without further ado, another wish which was circulated heavily around the Internet came true- the involvement of Daniel Bryan in the main event at Wrestlemania. He has to go through Triple H first, though. Fans had thought about this stipulation ever since Batista won the Rumble and disappointed fans all around the world.
And to add to all this, what is Daniel Bryan’s moniker by his bullies the Authority?
Goat faced TROLL.You see, the Internet has played a relevant role in making Danile Bryan relevant. Not only did the internet trigger his return from his suspension following him choking Justin Roberts, videos began circulating all over of the Yes Chants and just recently the Yes chants made its way to arenas outside the WWE and hence into pop culture Lexicon.
So how apt of the Authority to name call Bryan by a word that took birth on the Internet.
Now, let’s walk through history. The golden Era saw Hulkamania run wild. The Attitude Era saw bear cans getting whooped and so less left to the imagination. The Ruthless aggression Era had its share of the next big things, Rated R’s and Chain gangs, The PG Era began with Hustle, Loyalty and Respect and it still prevails. And then the internet took these things to its own hands. Things evolved and Punk gave us the Summer of Punk and was quickly called the Reality Era by the forums who had channeled many of the things Punk said in his promo, months or years ago.
But now, Daniel Bryan has become the ardent voice of a time when the Internet is really brimming with everything WWE. The past two weeks the WWE made Bryan look like he’s channeled all that has been discussed online and WWE made it look like the Internet was finally doing the talking.
Even though the WWE will make it clear again and again that they won’t let the Internet dictate things for them, the Internet is playing a part in letting them know what has the potential to be ‘best for business’. Maybe not in every other superstar’s case but definitely for Daniel Bryan.
For the Internet, now, Daniel Bryan is the Chosen One. Face of the WWE or not, he shall be the face of what the WWE does not really very much acknowledge- the Internet.
