WWE: True faces of the characters

Daniel Bryan

I was going with a different article, but I came across something on the internet, and I thought I should write something about it. Why? Because once in a while, the men in the business remind us why pro wrestling is awesome, and why even though we are looked down upon as fans of something that everyone knows is scripted, we still watch it, follow the guys and are genuinely passionate about it. Pro wrestlers are some of the nicest people in the world. Contradictory to their persona in the ring, as guys who are short tempered and know only one way how to deal with any problem, some of these guys are known to be the best fathers, the best sons, husbands and all round, the best human beings we can come across.

I remember the times when I was ridiculed as a kid, because I was passionate about a ‘sport’ which almost everyone knew was scripted. After all, you have a guy who died Lord-knows-how many times, you had a witch doctor, a pimp and anything and everything you can possibly imagine. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the business isn’t real. But we fans still keep in touch with the good and the bad in the wrestling world. And sometimes, there comes along a news that brightens up our mood, because we can proudly proclaim the reason why we buy into a world full of shadows and made up dimension of reality.

WWE has tied up with Organizations/Campaigns like ‘Make A Wish’ and ‘Be A Star’. It can be seen as a hypocritical move from an Organization based upon people going at each other in every possible situation. But what WWE has done with it, is quite remarkable. Even though you cannot have a single storyline without someone being bullied or someone being a bad guy to the other, WWE has created a unique platform for individuals to not only “fight” against bullying, but also rising up to the challenge. In this context, Vince McMahon, being the genius that he is, found a way to get out of the murky situation that others would have found themselves in.

Not straying from the topic, in a recent promo of CM Punk, he mentioned how a serious grappler, a technical genius is contended with putting a smile on people’s faces by acting silly. Yes, I’m talking about the one and only American Dragon, Bryan Danielson a.k.a Daniel Bryan. I have been one of the biggest Danielson fans, ever since his Indy stint. I remember coming across a forum back in ’05, about how this one guy has been making a name for himself all over the world. How he has been travelling to every country possible, and coming out as the show stealer, the best wrestler on the night. And I was intrigued by this person, to see who he was. I had watched some old tapes and the then current matches of his, and I was blown away. Not only was he a technical genius, but he could do things unimaginable. And it took him a decade to realize his dream to get into the WWE.

What makes me a bigger fan of D-Bry other than his in-ring skills, are his personality and his humane side outside of the ring. He has been giving back to the community, and was even awarded by PETA for his work, educating and teaching people about the importance of animals and how they shouldn’t be used for scientific testing. But I came across an article the other day about how he met one of his fans, who was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer.

“It all started with a YouTube video of 7-year-old Connor Michalek making a plea to meet his all-time favorite WWE wrestler, Daniel Bryan.

The Shaler Township boy was diagnosed with cancer of the brain and spine when he was just 3-years-old. He’s had multiple surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy.

Word of Connor’s desire to meet the WWE star spread like wildfire on social media and local radio stations. And on Tuesday, Conner’s wish to meet Bryan and put him in his signature “no lock” position came true.”

Now looking at it, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Many superstars meet their fans on a regular basis, and again, it is one of the reasons why I am proud to be a fan of this wonderful ‘sport’. But this story alone will tell you who D-Bry really is. Not so long ago, there was a video on the internet about a very young fan who was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer. He had been undergoing therapy and was given less than a 1% chance to beat the disease. Then what happened next was truly heart melting. He uploaded a video where he challenged his favourite wrestler, Daniel Bryan to meet him and take the kid’s version of the ‘No lock’.

These things happen a lot, and not most of the people pay attention to it. But not Danielson; what he did then, was meet the kid in person, and tap out to the kid’s version of the ‘No Lock’. When you see pro wrestlers, you do not understand how they become role models. The answer is quite simple, you just do not see the person who plays the character, and when you do, you truly understand how they’re able to captivate the fans with their characters. Guys like CM Punk or Daniel Bryan don’t need their characters to get their fan base. It is then you realize that these guys are much bigger than their characters, and it is their human aspect which brings them all the adulation and fame.