In the decade he spent wrestling around the globe, "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson developed a reputation as "the best wrestler in the world." Few, though, could see the lightweight grappler fitting into the world of bodybuilder physiques and larger-than-life personalities of the WWE. When he debuted under the name Daniel Bryan on NXT's first season, many of his fans assumed it would be only a matter of time before he was beaten down and let go.
Over the year and a half since his debut, however, Bryan has managed to go from the bottom to the cusp of glory. After surviving a losing streak and being the first eliminated on NXT, being briefly fired in the summer of 2010, and having his US Championship match pulled from WrestleMania XXVII, Bryan shocked the wrestling world by winning a Money in the Bank Ladder Match on July 17. The contract within the briefcase grants him a world championship match at any time of his choosing for one full year.
An Unprecedented WrestleMania Challenge
Five nights later, on SmackDown, Bryan was confronted by his biggest detractor on WWE programming, Michael Cole. The "interview" quickly turned into Cole attempting to undermine the significance of Bryan's accomplishment, as well as knocking the entire Money in the Bank contract concept. Cole stated his belief that Bryan, like everyone else, would "steal" the championship when the champion was most vulnerable.
Bryan's response was simple: he would become only the second person to "call his shot" in advance, and the first to cash that title opportunity in at WrestleMania. Daniel Bryan, against all odds, seems to have punched his ticket for the grandest wrestling event of the year, and perhaps the most important WrestleMania of the current era.
More Money, More Problems
The only other Superstar to set a date for his World Championship match was Rob Van Dam, who defeated John Cena at the 2006 ECW One Night Stand event to win the WWE Championship. Every other Superstar, face or heel, has taken advantage of a weakened champion. Edge, winner of the first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match, set this precedent by taking advantage of a bloody, battered Cena at New Years Revolution in 2006, minutes after Cena had successfully retained his title in a grueling Elimination Chamber match.
Even sacrificing the "sure thing," though, Van Dam had the deck stacked in his favor: the match was held before a bloodthirsty crowd loyal to the defunct ECW company, the match was contested under hardcore rules, and Edge interfered to spear Cena through a table. Never before has a Money in the Bank winner gone into his championship match on even ground with his opponent.
What Will Become of Bryan?
It is unclear what WWE intends to do with Daniel Bryan. As it stands right now, although he is one of the best technicians in the company, he lacks the credibility to be a successful world champion. Previous technical wizards such as Bret Hart or Chris Benoit, despite being smaller than their competitors, were always able to establish themselves through their in-ring mastery. Bryan, while tenacious, has yet to reach a point where he can be taken seriously beating "anyone on any night."
There are several scenarios facing Bryan at this point. For one thing, WWE could spend the next seven months pushing him as unbeatable, although it is unlikely fans would buy into such a sudden and forced change in his booking. Another option, of course, is for Bryan to change his mind and cash in sooner—a move that undoubtedly would be tied to a heel turn, which may well benefit Bryan in the long term. It's also a possibility that, like Ken Kennedy in 2007, Bryan will lose his contract to someone else.
The most likely outcome, however, is for Bryan to be the first man to lose his cash-in match. The downside of this option is, losing in such a way could be devastating to Bryan's career. That notwithstanding, if the match is close, with Bryan just barely losing, it could make his career. After all, even a well-fought loss in a championship match at WrestleMania would establish Bryan and prove he belongs in the promotion's upper echelon. It could well lead to a successful rematch down the line.
Regardless of the outcome, though, if Daniel Bryan manages to hold onto his Money in the Bank contract until April, it will be a dream come true for both him and his fans. Not only would Bryan be competing for a World Championship at the crown jewel of the world's largest wrestling promotion, he will headline alongside John Cena and The Rock. On April 1, Daniel Bryan has a chance to make history.
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