Has Daniel Bryan officially been "used right" by WWE?

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Now I purposely didn't add an "it depends" option or anything like that, because I'm just going by knee jerk reactions.

But given all he's done so far (US champ, Tag champ as 1/2 of a memorable team, World Heavyweight Champ, 2-time WWE Champ and possibly a favorite to win it definitively at HIAC, massively over with a catchy chant, showcased in a popular E! show and marrying the nice Bella, merchandise out the wazoo, pinning the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton clean as a sheet), can the Bryan fandom now say that WWE hasn't "misused" or "screwed" him, even if he were not to be booked as this strong a level again for the remainder of his run?

Or does he have to remain a main event fixture? I wouldn't complain if he did, I just don't think his position can be considered "fragile" anymore.

[Phosphor Glow]

I vote definitely yes. I think he still has a lot of great things ahead of him, but I would have NEVER expected him to be used the way he has been the last few months. It's a wonderful thing.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

At worst, he's the third most over guy on the roster behind Punk and Cena. Something must have went right with him.

EDIT: DB should be like K-Fed and let himself go.

[Deleted]

I'd like to say yes, but I hope they keep him in his current role once Cena returns. I want to know that they're committed to this.

[Deleted]

If they have any sense he will fight Cena at mania


but this is WWE so I bet the following matches happen at Mania

John Cena V Orton
Triple H V Daniel Bryan

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Jericho says that in his book, The Rock told him that the cream rises to the top of this industry regardless. I think Punk and Bryan have both shown that, by putting up with dumb shit early in their WWE careers and then steadily just getting over by virtue of being amazing at what they do and turning shit into gold. Bryan just got over by being amazing, and then WWE started to use him right. And I will say they have used him right... if he wins the title at Hell in a Cell.

[MrBRulzOK]

Compared to his previous treatment over the years, yeah, they're definitely doing alot better with the guy nowadays.

[Deleted]

Yeah, they've done right by him. He's a made man and will always be one of the most over guys on the roster and a substantial part of things. I didn't even expect him to get to that point, so things have definitely gone well for him, especially given that he's only been on the roster for 3 years.

I think they could've done a much better job handling him since Summerslam though. It makes sense for the best for business angle they're doing, but it hasn't been the best thing for him. I'm also pretty tired of him always coming out smiling and being sarcastic, it's like it's all they trust him to do on the mic. They've managed to hurt my interest in him a bit, and I've been a big fan since the first time I saw him wrestle in 2008, so that says something.

So I think he's been used well, not necessarily the way I want to see him used. I've seen him cut good fired up promos before, but we don't really get that out of him, and the situation he's been in calls for that more than smiley sarcascm, I think.

[Waffel113]

Of course yes. He's held every title there is to hold for a male wrestler but the Intercontinental Championship and could be a 3-time WWE Champion in two weeks! I honestly don't see how that's anything but him being used right.

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

Oct 18, 2013 15:48:47 GMT -5 @subtlemocking said:

I'd like to say yes, but I hope they keep him in his current role once Cena returns. I want to know that they're committed to this.

The fact that they're placing Cena in a World Title match with Del Rio instead of immediately dragging him into the Authority angle means that they just might give Bryan a chance to continue being one of the major players ij that storyline.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Yes, and I'm not sure what more they can do to prove it other than give him a Cena-esque mega push that over-exposes him and turns fans against him.

[Hit Girl]

Generally no, but he's a talented guy who's taken all the shit they've given him, and still come out of it well.

Daniel Bryan is an example of a guy who's got over in spite of WWE's booking, rather than because of it.

[hossfan]

He always has been used right. Bryan has been shown to be credible in the ring. He's been given lots of time on television. The times that a person could argue he's been hurt by booking (the firing, the 18 second loss at Wrestlemania), WWE has always made sure that he bounced back from it.

[Final Countdown Jones]

I'm going to say yes up to this point, but note that they're sitting on the edge right now, and the answer could change depending on how the next couple months go. They gave him MitB and a WHC reign to see where it went, and while 18 Seconds was probably a bad idea, they saw what happened afterward and hopped onto it. Team Hell No kept him relevant and on TV, getting even more attention and more overness, and then once the year-long booking of the title around Cena/Rock 2 ended, they started to ease him up into the main event again. Now, in the absence of Cena he's playing the role as top face.

That said, this storyline is really the career-defining feud for him right now, and it comes down to how it ends. "Used right" to me involves booking someone who is talented and over in a way that actually does them justice. Right now, he's super over, and obviously a great talent, so a decent run with the WWE Championship and hopefully a main event win at Mania would be using him right, in my mind. Once he's had that, it's fine if he recedes to the upper midcard, but he's white hot right now and needs this. If they miss the boat on this, then a few months down the line I will feel like they pissed away that chance.