Cody Rhodes describes Bryan Danielson as the last star who organically got over on his own

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Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2021/10/04/cody-rhodes-describes-bryan-danielson-as-the-last-star-who-organically-got-over-on-his-own/

Cody Rhodes assesses the additions of CM Punk and Bryan Danielson to AEW.

Within the span of a month, All Elite Wrestling added CM Punk and Bryan Danielson to their talent roster. Punk is coming off a match with Powerhouse Hobbs and Bryan Danielson is still in the mix with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.

Cody Rhodes assessed the additions of Punk and Danielson during his conversation with PopCulture.com. While commenting on Danielson, Rhodes looks at him as the last star who kind of organically got over with the crowd on his own.

It was a flashpoint to have Bryan, the last star who organically kind of got over on his own, culminating at WrestleMania 30, when that happened. To have them — but having them is one thing, holding them and their passions manifesting on the screen will be the ticket. I’m confident that both of them will just continue to be massive, massive pieces of our business and great examples for the locker room, because they’re top guys, they’re top guys in reality, in presentation, in work ethic. That is only going to bring up everybody who surrounds them. And that is the job now for anyone who has any modicum of fame, is to reach your hand down and bring up. And, I look forward to what they do with us and helping them in any way I can.

On the topic of Punk, when he returned to wrestling on August 20th, Rhodes texted one of the individuals who formatted the show and gave props to that individual. He said Punk has changed the business and shattered a multitude of records.

I think you’re looking at really a flashpoint in wrestling history, the day that Punk returned in the United Center. I had texted one of the guys who format the show, and I said, you should be proud of yourself. You’re formatting the most important show since Bash at the Beach, and everyone should know the Bash at the Beach I’m referring to, and really that was so special. Every wrestler wants to be in that spot. To hear that crowd that way, and seven years his audience had waited, and to be in his home and the ice cream and just the synergy and the love. I really enjoyed the steam, the look in his eyes; we walked out and saw not just his fans, but what the AEW fans look like. It’s changed our business; he’s broke every record there was.

Danielson is going to be in action on this week’s Dynamite two-year anniversary show. He’ll be teaming with Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Christian Cage to take on The Elite (Kenny Omega, Adam Cole & The Young Bucks).

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Uhmm

Rusev day
Kofi Kingston and Kofimania
Becky Lynch

Just off the top of my head

He’s such a clown. As much as I have liked him the performer I can’t stand the human being

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True but none of them got to the level of overness that Bryan did.

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Becky did or was extremely close

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Becky did, and kofi in the lead up to that mania was pretty close as well.

Rhodes can bash wwe booking and creative all he wants, I won’t take any issue with that. But I feel like these comments are a slap in the face of so many wwe performers who work their asses off.

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Difference is they had plans for Kofi and Becky - Bryan’s reactions forced them to put him in the main event.

Nothing ever gets over organically because the show is designed to entertain Vince and no one else

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I think the reactions to Kofi and Becky kind of forced some of the issues. Becky was very similar to DB in that fans didn’t like her losing to Charlotte all the time

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Exactly. Lets not forget, they turned Becky heel at Summerslam and it was the fans that made her the biggest babyface in the business when the company was literally going in the exact opposite direction. If that’s not organic, I don’t know what the hell is.

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Kofi they literally had no other options and Bryan suggested it, had nothing to do with crowd reactions.

Becky - just compare how they treated her when she got a little momentum with Bryan. Vince was dragged kicking and screaming to push Bryan and buried him as much as possible along the way

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How they treated Becky when she got momentum? You mean completely screwing up what the fans loved about her and making people like her less? Just because they learned from Bryan that maybe they should push people that get over doesn’t mean other people didn’t get over on their own.

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Regardless if you agree with Cody’s comments - he is bringing up a topic that has hampered WWE’s booking for the last twenty years.

The company ignores alot of what gets over organically or fights it.

  • RVD was over immediately when he came over during the Invasion. They took years to finally get behind him and by the time they did, it was too little, too late.

  • CM Punk. They followed up the pipe bomb by having him feud with Nash and losing to Triple H. They also rushed him back to TV after his title win, and really killed a lot of natural excitement.

  • Bryan, they fought against for months. If Punk didn’t leave, they would have never gone for it. He was monstrously over naturally with the fans. There was no grand plan as they like to pretend in hindsight. And then upon his return from injury, they managed to basically squander the majority of the run.

  • Becky, they tried to make her heel and use the whole angle to bet Charlotte over. Even when they went with her as a face, they made the Mania match a three way for no reason.

  • Kofi. They had something special in him coming out of Mania, and followed it up by doing very little with him - feeding him to Lesnar, and then placing him back firmly in the midcard.

  • look at how every top NXT act transitioned to the main roster, despite being over in NXT and headlining shows in front of 10K fans.

For twenty years the company has acted like they knew better and know better than their fans. As such they’ve ignored so, so, much. I’m sure I am missing instances. But the argument could be made that Bryan was the last one who managed to leave at a certain level - who got over organically.

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One could also argue that if Bryan hadn’t gotten injured that would not be the case. He was on his way down to the midcard before he got hurt. Not because of the fans, but because of the booking. So if you had years of midcard booking would he be seen the same way.

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Oh, definitely.
It’s funny - that injury after his title win at 30 (where he was immediately playing second fiddle to the Shield / Evolution feud, and working against Kane), saved him from being in the Cena spot later that summer and getting decimated by Lesnar.

And that again speaks to WWE’s ineptitude on going with organic stars.

They had Bryan who was absolutely beloved - but they were prepared to cut his legs out, because he wasn’t who they chose.

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No, they gave her merch that sold - that was the moment she was a made person. Then she got to hold a title until she left after getting pregnant.

Bryan got to do things like feud with Kane and Big Cass, have Drew Gulak as a coach and in his big return match at Mania 34 get stretchered out and have to be saved by Shane.

The guy was always treated as a joke and as a B plus player, just like Vince called him through commentary

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He was treated worse the Becky sure. But she could be a much bigger star than she is but they cannot book to save their lives.

Having her tap clean to Asuka at the Rumble, all the over booking into the triple threat at Mania, beating Ronda with a botched finish, then having her lose one of the titles at the next PPV, involving Seth in her feud with Lacy. Then having by her come back as a heel.

It is freaking terrible booking.

She got over on her own, then they decided to push her in a way that makes her way less likable than she was when she got over.

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Sadly that is them trying to book someone strong because you didn’t want to make Ronda look weak (for some reason). The Lacey program was them actually trying too. They just suck at it

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Yes they do, which means if someone gets over in spite of the booking they got themselves over. It is harder to stay over if you stay badly booked.

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Exactly, and this is why Cody is dead wrong with his comments.