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�I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

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“I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

So as I got ready for this year’s Money in the Bank I went back and watched some of the older shows and the level of talent that is on the entire roster now in comparison to five to seven years ago is pretty astounding, but I feel like the product as a whole in its current state is very stale. What tweaks do you think need to be made in order to give the WWE a spark of excitement?

“I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary. I think the way that we present our superstars probably needs to change. Years ago they went through with this idea of having as much live stuff as possible on the shows, but I think when you watch say UFC for example, some of the things that are the most endearing, that make you care the most about the fighters are these backstage vignettes that get to show their real personality. You’ll see great fights that people will cheer maybe because they’re great fights, but the fights that have the most impact are the ones with fighters who people actually care about.

I think one of the things that really endeared me to people was that people got to view more aspects of my personality than most because of the different things that I did within WWE. Seeing performers frustrated and being able to show that on TV and being able to show their experiences, their reactions to what’s happening to them on the show and doing backstage vignettes. There was a great one on NXT about Roderick Strong recently about being a new dad and all of that kind of stuff.

Since I’ve been gone, they’ve been doing some really fun stuff with the Fashion Police. Not that there needs to be more of that exact kind of stuff, but it helps people get to know their personalities.

I think one of our failings on SmackDown Live was American Alpha. They’re great and on NXT they did all of these fun little interview segments with the two of them that got to show the people behind American Alpha. (They saw) who Chad Gable is, who Jason Jordan is. I’d like to do more of that kind of stuff.

In combat sports, personalities are what draw. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was one of the worst boxing matches I’ve ever seen, but millions of people watched it because of the personalities involved.

I think changing that dynamic and highlighting the personalities is something we really need to do. Now, I don’t know how we do it. I think if anybody has a magic answer of what the best way is to present personalities in this modern day of television, they’d make millions of dollars, so I may not have the answer.”
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Full interview here:
http://sports.nbcsports.com/2017/06/19/wwe-one-on-one-with-daniel-bryan/
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MOXL3Y

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#2 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

Keywords: "Now, I don’t know how we do it. I think if anybody has a magic answer of what the best way is to present personalities in this modern day of television, they’d make millions of dollars, so I may not have the answer"

Its great he is seeing this and saying it out loud... but they NEED to figure out the HOW... and pronto!
 
WrestlingOracle

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#3 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

Following the booking principals of wrestling that worked for decades yet for the most part have been lost recently while embracing the current television climate of acclaimed, high-viewership tv programs having intricate storylines is a start. You could count on one hand the actual number of storylines right now methinks, and they are all quite basic, some of which very 1970s.
 
Asmodeus

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#5 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

I don't think they're doing bad at it, but they're not doing what they really should. I'm going to take the former Shield members, I like them best, and they're what I'm familiar with.

Roman is an arrogant jock. Sorta seems a nice guy, though, so there's nothing wrong with that, although I wouldn't want to hang out with him. He has JUST NOW in the last year, six, to three months been getting what seems to be his real personality.

Seth is also arrogant, but he's nerdy. He's still stuck a bit. When he's allowed to have his, "Ha ha ha," personality, he's golden. When he's trying to be a pure white defender of evil, like he did when he stepped between Joe and Angle, he's inauthentic.

Dean is a quirky mess. This makes some idiot think a bear suit is cool for him. It is not. He's a goof that's deranged, you can't take away the latter without the former being a mess. It's amazing that Dean has kept himself as over as he's done, he's been in some shit programs, but he's "risen above the creative" with his delivery, every time he can.

They're scared to make anything edgy, they end up with everyone being the same. Mark how Seth and Finn are the same babyface right now. Dean is a little different because he'll squirt condiments and play with a wagon and dress up, Roman's a little different because he's an asshole. That's it. That's what they've got. This good guy is a babyface because he's a goof, this one's okay because he's...not mean? no, he is. Not a cheater? No, he's done that. They're not cowardly? Okay, got that one down.
 
IronMan8

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#6 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

Bring back Vince Russo to write the characters and format of the show. Someone else books the finishes. The answers are out there - they worked in the past with the previous writers emphasising characters and storyline instead of just chucking everyone in a random match like they do now.
 
FITZ

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#10 · (Edited)
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

He is right in that it's personalities that sell.

And WWE is bad at creating those personalities. Listen to a podcast with some of the guys on the roster from before the WWE got strict about what podcasts they could or couldn't do. I've listened to a lot of Colt Cabana's "The Art of Wrestling" and before the Punk episode he had a ton of WWE guys on it. Most of them were more interesting being themselves than the characters WWE creates for them. Tommaso Ciampa springs to mind. He had a run in WWE developmental once before, got fired, went into a deep depression, and attempted suicide. And I've heard a lot of people that were branded as being bad on the mic go and be themselves and have none of those issues. They might be bad at giving a scripted promo but when you listen to guys just talk and be themselves you realize that WWE effectively prevented them from showing any personality.

Find an interview with Cliff Compton after he left the WWE. In the WWE he was "Domino" in the shitty tag team Deuce and Domino. Nobody liked them, nobody would have thought that anyone on that team was any good at anything. You put Cliff Compton on a podcast and here him talk and it's dumbfounding how him playing a greaser from the 1950s was what he ended up doing for the WWE.

Dolph Ziggler is a stand up comedian in his spare time. I've seen a ton of peoples say he's bad on the mic. It's hard to see how the same person could be both.

The WWE has a lot of amazing athletes that are capable of showing off a ton of personality. But so many of them get stuck playing generic characters that hold back any personality.
 
M

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#12 · (Edited)
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

So people are going to blow him for making the biggest "no shit" comment ever. Must be nice. Austin has been saying this same thing for three fucking years. A number of times on the WWE Network no less. Vince Russo said the same thing for years now and people call him an idiot. Daniel Bryan says it and he's lauded for it. Give me a break. He isn't telling us anything we don't already know or anything that hasn't been said before by other people.
 
RapShepard

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#13 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

FITZ said:
He is right in that it's personalities that sell.

And WWE is bad at creating those personalities. Listen to a podcast with some of the guys on the roster from before the WWE got strict about what podcasts they could or couldn't do. I've listened to a lot of Colt Cabana's "The Art of Wrestling" and before the Punk episode he had a ton of WWE guys on it. Most of them were more interesting being themselves than the characters WWE creates for them. Tommaso Ciampa springs to mind. He had a run in WWE developmental once before, got fired, went into a deep depression, and attempted suicide. And I've heard a lot of people that were branded as being bad on the mic go and be themselves and have none of those issues. They might be bad at giving a scripted promo but when you listen to guys just talk and be themselves you realize that WWE effectively prevented them from showing any personality.

Find an interview with Cliff Compton after he left the WWE. In the WWE he was "Domino" in the shitty tag team Deuce and Domino. Nobody liked them, nobody would have thought that anyone on that team was any good at anything. You put Cliff Compton on a podcast and here him talk and it's dumbfounding how him playing a greaser from the 1950s was what he ended up doing for the WWE.

Dolph Ziggler is a stand up comedian in his spare time. I've seen a ton of peoples say he's bad on the mic. It's hard to see how the same person could be both.

The WWE has a lot of amazing athletes that are capable of showing off a ton of personality. But so many of them get stuck playing generic characters that hold back any personality.
Click to expand...
The problem is just because you had a good episode on a podcast doesn't mean you can play an interesting character, you have charisma. Not to mention most of them aren't really that interesting as people. Some of the road stories are fun, but a lot of this era's wrestlers aren't interesting as people at all imo
 
M

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#15 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

Didn't he say the opposite last year? I could be wrong, but wasn't he openly championing it being presented more like a sport or competition?

PS If I'm getting him mixed up with someone else I apologize.

If I am right it is pretty hypocritical. If I'm wrong, he is still regurgitating a sentiment that has been out there for years.
 
N

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#16 · (Edited)
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

It's not exactly new what he is saying, but he's right.
Lets look at some of the biggest matches ever.
Hogan v Andre Wrestlemania 3.
Hogan v Savage Wrestlemania 5
Hogan v Warrior Wrestlemania 6
Rock v Austin Wrestlemania 17
Hogan v Rock Wrestlemania 18

Did these watches draw as well because of "workrate" and "in ring product"? No. It was because of the hype, sense of occasion and emotional investment WWE fans had in the characters.
He is right, WWE needs to start creating characters and storylines again that get people hooked to the product.
They've tried to go down to big budget ROH route, and it isn't working. It's time for WWE to go back to what made WWF such a success in the 80's and late 90's/early 00's.
 
Jabez Makaveli

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#17 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

He may not have realized it, but he revealed the answer. Personalities are what draws, not who can have the longest match. That's been the basis of captivating television for decades. WWE has been following that philosophy every since the beginning of their existence. Recently, pro wrestling fans have been wanting the in ring shit to be the focal point of the WWE instead of the personalities. WWE started following that philosophy when they rebranded NXT and made it carry over to the main shows. As a result, the WWE is where it is now. 98% of the company's fans are hardcore fans and even they are dwindling in size. The weekly shows are full of so much pro wrestling that story lines are barely non-existent and the ones that are in place suck (with the exception of Samoa Joe vs Brock Lesnar imo). The fans left care about the in ring product as opposed to the character.
 
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lagofala

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#18 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

I have a suggestion. Has anyone seen those UFC embedded youtube videos they run in the lead up to PPVs? Could WWE do a worked version in the run up to the big events to see their mindset before their big fights? Like how the mind of the wrestler works, follow them at home, doing signings, travelling to the arena, the warm up routine but worked.

Just an idea. I would be really into it.
 
peowulf

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#19 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

MonkasaurusRex said:
So people are going to blow him for making the biggest "no shit" comment ever. Must be nice. Austin has been saying this same thing for three fucking years. A number of times on the WWE Network no less. Vince Russo said the same thing for years now and people call him an idiot. Daniel Bryan says it and he's lauded for it. Give me a break. He isn't telling us anything we don't already know or anything that hasn't been said before by other people.
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Does your butt hurt?

Rhetorical question. The answer is clearly YES! YES! YES!
 
M

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#20 ·
Re: “I think a change of presentation is absolutely necessary." - Daniel Bryan

peowulf said:
Does your butt hurt?

Rhetorical question. The answer is clearly YES! YES! YES!
Click to expand...
I just don't get why people are praising him for making a statement is so painfully obvious and a the sentiment itself has been acknowledged by numerous people within the industry and fans for years.

I like Daniel Bryan, but he is regurgitating a long believed and often suggested sentiment.
 
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