Does Bryan Danielson have a case for being the G.O.A.T?
Hey, everyone! This is the second installment of my series “The Case for G.O.A.T”. This time I’ll be arguing in favor of Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan. I think Danielson is at least one of the top 10 wrestlers of all time, and probably the best in-ring worker of all time. The question is: Is he the best?
Danielson’s Case
Unlike the last wrestler in this series, Kenny Omega, Danielson is not a divisive figure in the world of pro wrestling. I’d go so far as to say he’s almost universally praised for his work. Throughout his career, from the early days of Ring of Honor to the Yes Movement, to his current run in All Elite Wrestling, fans consistently discuss Danielson among the top names in the world.
Storytelling
Again, storytelling is so subjective. Preference ranges from melodramatic, soap opera-style storytelling to sports-oriented storytelling. Either way, Bryan has proved he can do virtually any version of a wrestling tale. Do you prefer gritty, sports-oriented stories? Watch his ROH run. If you like soap opera stories, his Yes Movement in defiance of the Authority was one of the best WrestleMania angles of all time. If you like a mix of both, his AEW run is right up your alley.
One segment that specifically sticks out in my mind is when Bryan finally shed the skin of the Wyatt family. The crowd was reacting as if Steve Austin had time-traveled and was somehow in his prime. Daniel Bryan easily garnered one of the loudest pops in modern wrestling history. More recently, Danielson’s match with Daniel Garcia was one of the best sports-oriented stories I’ve ever seen. Garcia took advantage of Bryan’s concussion history and got the win because the American Dragon came back too early. This was an inspired piece of booking. Garcia got a big win over a certified legend, and Bryan now had an obstacle to overcome as a determined babyface.
Star Power
Danielson main-evented Wrestlemania 30. This is the only argument I need, but I’ll obviously talk more about it. Being at the top of the card on the biggest wrestling show of the year is the biggest achievement you can obtain as a wrestler, and Danielson did it at the age of 34.
Not only did he win the main event, but the fans literally willed his involvement into existence. People really forget just how important the Yes Movement was to how WWE chose to tell stories. The fans simply refused to give up on Danielson and basically forced the company’s hand. They obviously wanted Batista, but the WWE universe said no. That is star power on another level. Even recently, Danielson’s match with Kenny Omega was able to draw 20,000 fans into a stadium proving that he still has that drawing power. No one is ever going to be The Rock in terms of cross-over appeal, but people were doing the “Yes” chant all over pro sports too. Danielson easily could’ve been the face of the company if it wasn’t for Roman Reigns.
In-Ring Ability
Few people could give Danielson a run for his money when it comes to this category. Danielson was having some of the best wrestling matches ever before he even came to the mainstream. His matches with Nigel McGuinness, Takeshi Morishima, and Kenta are some highlights to check out if you’ve never seen them.
Even in WWE, despite their well-known restrictions on in-ring action, Bryan was able to overcome this and still have some of the best matches of all time. In my opinion, his match with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series is the best match in his entire WWE run which is somehow almost a decade after he joined the company. Danielson is one of those wrestlers that ages like wine. He somehow gets better and better after each year. In AEW, his matches with Hangman Page and Eddie Kingston, and the lead-up to his iron man match with MJF are all some of the best in-ring work of all time.
Bryan might not be the most flashy, exciting wrestler of all time (although he’s far from the driest) but he has always been a wrestler in which the small details are what make his work so fun to consume.
In conclusion
It’s pretty hard to deny just how great of a career Danielson has had. You might think someone else is the true G.O.A.T., but the American Dragon definitely has to be in the conversation. His entire body of work contains very few truly bad matches. In fact, they’re great more often than they’re just good. His main weakness is clearly his mic work, but even then I’d argue he’s very solid. He’s not the best talker of all time, but he’s far from bad. In his “Planet’s Champion” run he proved he can do layered, soap-operatic style character work too.
The fact that he could be the most beloved babyface in wrestling and turn around to become such a loathed heel proves his sheer versatility. Without this ability, it’s tough to say whether or not we would’ve gotten Kofimania. Danielson has consistently been one of the top names in the wrestling world all while being one of the most selfless. Helping countless names get over, and giving them huge wins, Danielson has never lost his “star aura”. That is truly a testament to the quality of his work. Let me know who I should do next in the comments!