Howdy folks, The Voice of Reason back on SLTD again this week after a week off. Unfortunately, nothing particularly eventful has happened that in my opinion is worth talking about. So this gave me time to let my mind wander, and think about what weekly programming might be missing.
One thing that immediately popped to mind was that we are all missing Daniel Bryan. The immense crowd reaction when his music hits, the resounding “yes” chants and most importantly, the outstanding in ring matches, and the heart and passion we haven’t seen in a long time. You could tell this following his appearance on Raw this past week. There was definitely a change in atmosphere as soon as his music hit.
Right now we obviously know that Daniel Bryan is in recovery, with his comeback date currently unknown. This is not the first time we have been through this with Bryan as most of you should remember, with his comeback last time coming shortly before the Royal Rumble. This was a mistake in my opinion, as a surprise entrance during the Rumble would have made much more sense.
This raises the question as to how the WWE should handle Bryan’s inevitable return this time around? Do they do a similar scenario and have Bryan make a slow comeback to remove ring rust, and then hit the Royal Rumble pay-per view? Do they bring him back at the Rumble itself? Or as a special surprise guest during another WWE monthly PPV? All of those options may sound good in theory, but there are other ways of utilising a talent while he is in recovery.
After the unfortunate passings of the legends Dusty Rhodes and Rowdy Piper, we have seen Daniel Bryan on Raw standing next to his wife Brie Bella. This shows us that he is always in attendance on Raw supporting his wife, and does travel from city to city like most other active superstars. The way I see it, if Bryan is on the road anyway, why can’t he be used on TV during his recovery?
In recent times, Bryan’s most common and appealing story lines have been his feuds with The Authority, and him rising above all challenges. Naturally then, his use during the his injury could play a similar role, if Daniel Bryan was the new General Manager of Raw and Smackdown. General Managers have been used less frequently as time has gone on with WWE, and more so after the brand separation between the weekly shows have been scrapped, but there is no reason why they can’t still work. Someone will slightly less power than The Authority, but can still make considerable decisions and cause a nuisance of themselves, will not only bring a new element to the house shows, but also have a comedic entertaining value.
The Authority have always been more involved in the WWE World Heavyweight title picture, and more often than not, that’s when we see them, with Seth Rollins. Now Bryan as GM does not always have to be involved in this as well, as there are other elements and superstars on the show that need the attention. But maybe him being in the picture to ‘deal’ with the lower card is a good boost for them, and people are definitely more likely to take that element of the roster more seriously.
At the end of the day, if he is going to appear on random segments anyway, why not have him as a regular? For established superstars and crowd favourites who are injured, you either have them completely off the grid so there is a complete shock when they return, or you use the effectively in storylines anyway. And Vince… Bryan does equal ratings.
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