10 takeaways from WWE Royal Rumble 2019

#5 Heel Daniel Bryan will be the top villain in WWE this year

Daniel Bryan with Erik Rowan

Daniel Bryan was one of the most unexpectedly over babyfaces of all time in the WWE. In fact, he was so popular that WWE had to scrap their plans for WrestleMania and include Bryan in the main event picture, much to the chagrin of men like Batista, who referred to Bryan as a 'garden gnome.'

But the Cinderella story that was the Yes Movement came to a screeching halt when Daniel Bryan's injuries forced him into a year-long hiatus from wrestling. When he made his return, it was to the great joy of many, but Daniel Bryan noticed that the Yes chants weren't quite as enthusiastic as they once had been.

This prompted Bryan to request a heel turn, and not only was his request granted, he's been given creative control over his own booking, a very rare honor in the WWE.

Given the unexpected arrival of Erik Rowan during the WWE Smackdown Live title match at the Rumble, and his previous history with Bryan, we can say that Daniel Bryan will continue to be the WWE's most effective villain for at least the rest of the year, and perhaps beyond.