Punk and Bryan give hope to the little guys

Going into No Way Out next week, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have achieved a lot since their beginnings in WWE.

From Punk’s debut on ECW in 2006, to Bryan’s on NXT in 2010, both have won multiple championships in their short amount of time as WWE ‘Superstars’.

Yet despite the difference in their paths to success, together they are achieving one feature that is ultimately a lot more important than winning championship gold.

A feature which has shaped a new appreciation in WWE for in ring ability as opposed to strength and size.

CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are making it OK to be a normal sized guy in WWE.

With Punk standing at six feet, one inch, and Bryan at five feet, ten inches, neither comes remotely close to having the physical presence or strength of Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker.

But they are successful and beloved nonetheless.

With Punk and Bryan at the helm, WWE has now become a place where men of normal stature can achieve greatness based on their technical ability and passion in the ring, rather than their ability to manhandle their opponent.

Although some may argue this change of direction has led to the exit of some of WWE’s bigger men, namely Batista, no one can argue that Punk and Bryan do not deserve to be where they are currently at in their careers.

And as they both get ready to compete for the company’s top prize at No Way Out, it seems as though their success in WWE is not going to stop anyway time soon.

This success gives hope to the crop of normal sized, future main eventers currently waiting for their opportunity to enter the next level in their careers, such as Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes.

Like Punk and Bryan, Ziggler and Rhodes do not need freakish size and brute strength to tell a story in the ring.

Instead, Ziggler and Rhodes are able to use their unique styles and aggression to beat opponents of all sizes.

The success of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan has made it acceptable for them to do this through their wrestling ability rather than just through dirty, underhanded tactics.

Obviously Ziggler and Rhodes have a long way to go before they reach the level of Punk or Bryan, yet the potential is there.

Above this though, WWE’s recently found faith in smaller wrestlers enables the company to showcase men who can instil fear in their opponents, and faith in the WWE Universe, through their wrestling abilities alone.

As WWE looks to the future, big men will no doubt remain a personal favourite of Vince’s.

But look no further into the future than No Way Out to see why the little guys like Punk and Bryan will be hanging right in there with them.