January 2014. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Royal Rumble. Daniel Bryan loses to Bray Wyatt in a singles match and does not participate in the Rumble match itself. The live crowd in Pittsburgh continually chants for Bryan throughout the night during the Rumble and the WWE World Heavyweight title match main event, and effectively begins the “Yes Movement” that would culminate in Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in epic fashion at WrestleMania XXX.

Fast forward one year. Royal Rumble 2015. Philadelphia. Ironically the same state, different city. After returning from injury less than a month prior, Daniel Bryan enters the Rumble at number ten but is eliminated ten and a half minutes later by old nemesis Bray Wyatt (again, ironic). The crowd again revolts, chanting the Yes Man’s name throughout the rest of the match and booing other wrestlers as they enter, even beloved babyface Rey Mysterio. The crowd resents and rejects everyone not named “Daniel Bryan,” including the eventual winner- Roman Reigns.

Now here we are in 2018. WrestleMania has come and gone, and SummerSlam is still on the horizon. And, ironically again, Daniel Bryan has recently returned from injury-related retirement, reassuming his place as one of the top babyfaces in the company and the recipient of almost universal support and adulation. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns is still trying to fully emerge from the stink that Bryan unintentionally enabled to first start to settle in on him, way back at the 2015 Rumble.

In some ways, above all else, Daniel Bryan is and has been the biggest obstacle for Roman Reigns to overcome in his apparent predestined path to becoming THE face of the company. We hear all the time how important timing is in the wrestling business. Some wrestlers are believed to have both underachieved and overachieved due to the fact that they arrived too early or too late onto the scene in their careers, or couldn’t break through to the “next level” because it wasn’t necessary for the times (think Hulk Hogan circa the late 80’s).  Despite all of the barbs that Reigns’ detractors might throw at him-some valid, some not, some not in his control- his biggest sin might simply be that he is being pushed as the “Big Dog” in an era when more fans prefer the underdog. And how’s this for timing? Had Daniel Bryan NOT been injured and forced to retire for a long period of time before ultimately returning, who’s to say that fans might not have turned on him and his “scruffy guy beats the odds” schtick by now in the same way they have turned on Reigns? The long sabbatical may have been the best thing to happen to Bryan for the sake of his longevity, and the worst thing to happen for Reigns’ and his eventual ascent as the undisputed “Man” in the WWE.

However, when comparing Reigns to Bryan, the same thing that was working against Roman in 2014-2015 might be working for him in some ways in 2018. The “Yes Movement,” in my opinion, more so than anything, represented the first time in any recent memory that the WWE listened to the fans and allowed an organic uprising of support for a superstar drastically shift their pre-planned course of direction. The planned main event for WrestleMania XXX was set to be Randy Orton vs Batista. Daniel Bryan was scheduled to face Sheamus. This has been confirmed by Bryan himself, as well as others. However, due to the overwhelming response and support he was getting, and lack thereof for Batista, Vince and the creative team relented and struck while the iron was hot with Bryan, shooting him into a featured match with Triple H that would then lead to him being added into the main event and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in one of the best “WrestleMania Moments” ever.

Then, Daniel got injured.

He made only one pay-per-view title defense, in May at Extreme Rules, and by June he had relinquished the title and was put on the shelf until January at the aforementioned 2015 Royal Rumble. Vince had gambled. He had deviated from his course. He had allowed the fans to dictate to him and his company instead of the other way around. And it blew up in his face. Months of planning and writing was thrown out the window to accommodate Plan B- making Bryan the new champion- and then just two months later, it was time for a Plan C.

“Never again.”

Change can be hard. And the last time Vince embraced change, it didn’t work out like they planned. Better to “keep it simple, stupid.” Roman’s push is solidified because it’s safe.

So, all signs seem to point to the fact that, despite fan backlash, Reigns is still the “Chosen One” and will continue to be pushed as the top babyface in the company. Vince doesn’t want or need another “Yes Movement.” Roman will continue to be on top of the card and shoved down our throats, which isn’t going to hurt his paycheck, but might it have lasting effects on his success in the future? Many fans have already thrown up the spoonfuls of Roman fed to them over the last few years, and there have been instances where some might even question the WWE’s true faith in him as the top draw (see this year’s WrestleMania for example).

Roman Reigns Says Only Daniel Bryan Can Turn Him Heel #RAWhttps://t.co/BGPHVetbji pic.twitter.com/KzSdZypZKP

— WWE on PopCulture (@WWEonPopCulture) May 15, 2018

Would Roman be better served if Vince were to give the people what they want, just as he did in 2014, and turn him heel? Some may argue it would be the best thing for Roman’s career right now. But thanks to Daniel Bryan’s past, that isn’t going to happen. Vince won’t be sucked in by the hype again. He isn’t going to let “internet fans” dictate his creative direction. He isn’t going to pivot by turning Roman heel, which would probably thus make RAW’s assumed new top babyface Seth Rollins, who’s had his own injury history.  He is going to stay the course, push Roman as the top dog, and count his billions of TV deal dollars.

Roman Reigns is boxed in and he is what he is. And he’s going to continue to be what he is- “the guy.” It’s the safe bet, though maybe not the one with the biggest potential gain. But Vince’s doesn’t need to gamble. And perhaps, for the second time in three years, Daniel Bryan may directly or indirectly be the biggest factor in putting a stranglehold on Roman’s potential growth.

@KoreyGunz
@KYWrestleReport