Daniel Bryan Admits WWE Doesn't Always Book Babyfaces "In The Best Way Possible"
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan recently took the time for an interview with State of Combat podcast to talk about his recent character change in the WWE. Bryan revealed that WWE's decision to alter his character in to a villainous heel was actually made the day-of the November 13, 2018 SmackDown episode. Bryan supported the decision because he had ultimately come to the conclusion that WWE fans would grow tired of the good guy role he played, similar to how they reacted to John Cena. Bryan also stated that he was looking forward to actualizing the characters and stories he has come to imagine as his age increases.
"You have to understand that this was a day-of decision. Me being the bad guy was a day-of decision," Bryan said. "I had kind of been thinking about [turning heel] because I had been doing stuff with the Miz and I started to realize, hey, the tide is turning on this role, the whole thing of me being a good guy. And eventually, people are going to get tired of me in the same way people began booing John Cena and all that kind of stuff. The tide is going to turn on this, and eventually, I'm just going to be another good guy shoved down people's throats to a chorus of boos. ? That's the last thing I wanted to happen.
"I get there the day of, things are happening, and it's a day-of decision," Bryan continued. "After that – it's like, wow, I get a completely clean slate to do whatever I want now. Not whatever I want now — I have to get the company to agree to it [laughing] — but this is my opportunity. I had reenvisioned and reimagined the way that I wanted to wrestle and all that kind of stuff; as I age, I really reimagined the way I wanted to wrestle, characters I wanted to be, stories I wanted to tell and that kind of stuff. This is my opportunity to do all of that."
Bryan believes that some of WWE's archetypes of babyface characters aren't convincing the WWE Universe to truly believe in them. Instead of a "good guy" character hanging his head in defeat when scolded by authority figures, Bryan thinks self respect and courageous responses are the features that would make up an inspiring babyface.
"I think 100 percent there is a place for it, but it has to be presented in the right way," Bryan said. "A good guy, a 'white-meat babyface' as you're talking about — can't be presented as a loser or a dork or somebody who, any time an authority figure [threatens to fire them], they hang their head. No. If you want a good character that people like, and he has something that he believes in ? [they would respond], 'Fire me, fine, but guess what, I'm great at what I do, I can go get a good job somewhere else.'Presenting those kind of characters, it's still a white-meat babyface character in that sort of sense. But you have to present it properly. I don't think it's impossible, I just think a lot of times we just don't present it in the best way possible."
Source: CBS Sports