WWE SummerSlam 2013: Daniel Bryan’s date with destiny

WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan flies off the ropes during a WWE Smackdown match. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

In the past, there has been only one superstar who was able to captivate the fans with one word. For professional wrestling fans, the “What!?” chants became almost constant. In today’s scene, another superstar has been able to achieve that while eliminating the “What!?” chants.

In every arena you go to, you can hear the fans buzzing about one superstar, and chant ‘Yes!’ for almost everything. The storied career of this superstar has to be one of the biggest success stories in professional wrestling. From being an independent darling to becoming the hottest superstar in the global juggernaut known as the WWE, Bryan Danielson a.k.a Daniel Bryan achieved the impossible.

The success story of Daniel Bryan wasn’t short, and it wasn’t easy. Wrestling in front of 30 people to 30,000, Daniel Bryan has seen it all. During his independent stint, he travelled around the world, wrestling in arenas from Bingo halls to the famous Tokyo Dome. Daniel Bryan built a reputation, something done by the likes of the Dynamite Kid and Chris Benoit.

Daniel Bryan may very well be the last of the dying breed in professional wrestling, travelling all over the world, honing his craft and performing in front of people. From Japan to Europe to the United States, Daniel Bryan earned his name as the greatest technical wrestler alive.

Voted as the best technical wrestler and most outstanding wrestler for five consecutive years, Daniel Bryan isn’t new to accolades or praises. The humble bearded superstar now has a date with destiny come SummerSlam, as fifteen years of his career can be recognized in one night.

Daniel Bryan’s journey to the WWE was anything but smooth. Unlike the monstrous superstars, Bryan isn’t “huge”. He has heard it all; being called a troll and a gargoyle, Daniel Bryan has taken all the criticism that was hurled towards him.

Everyone said he couldn’t make it, that his style of wrestling, putting on matches for nearly an hour, playing out the psychology, telling a story during his match wasn’t the “WWE style”. Everyone said WWE doesn’t need “wrestlers”, and that he was short of charisma and mic skills.

Daniel Bryan defied the odds when he was offered a contract by the WWE, and although he was released soon, they signed him back after the 90 day clause. The fans were happy to see Bryan in the WWE. But still, no one believed in him.

Daniel Bryan’s career in the WWE was nothing short of a miracle till now. From being the United States Heavyweight champion to winning “the big gold belt”, becoming the World’s champion, Daniel Bryan proved everyone wrong in every step. When everyone said he couldn’t do it, Daniel Bryan proved them wrong.

All of that came crumbling down when he lost the world title at WrestleMania in 2012 in just 18 seconds! The fans were furious, and Daniel Bryan was relegated to the mid card. This was the beginning of yet another uphill climb for Daniel Bryan.

For the past year, Daniel Bryan worked his way to the top, earning the respect of his peers. He started doing the little things right, and worked hard on his personality and mic skills. A guy who was shy to speak in front of a live crowd learnt to control them, keeping them in his palm.

Like a true puppet master, Daniel Bryan learnt the psychology of the business and not just the in – ring psychology. He was able to control the crowd, and make them dance to his tune. With everyone screaming ‘Yes!’ on top of their lungs, Daniel Bryan made sure that the WWE management heard their voices.

After months of shrugging it away, Vince and the higher ups finally gave in to the demands of the fans. Daniel Bryan’s defiance and unwillingness to give up now made him the hottest superstar in the company.

Come SummerSlam, Daniel Bryan’s career can either be validated or vilified. Although Bryan will remain a firm favourite for all the wrestling fans, this is the opportunity for Bryan to make the WWE management stand up and take notice.

Come Sunday, Daniel Bryan’s date with destiny will either see him snatch the brass ring or pass it over. Although WWE will not take the title away from John Cena so easily, this is Daniel Bryan’s opportunity to stamp his foot in the main event scene. Irrespective of him winning the title or not, one night can make all the difference to the career of Daniel Bryan.

Although no one knows what will unfold at SummerSlam, one has to believe that Daniel Bryan would want to steal the show, and we can only hope that we get to witness the very best of him.