Daniel Bryan Shouldn’t Get a Title Run Yet…But Roman Reigns Should

Hear me out on this, okay? I have nothing against Daniel Bryan, he seems like a nice guy, he’s talented, and his story is very inspiring, but that doesn’t mean he should get a title shot or a title run after only two matches back. History has shown that Bryan ends up getting hurt when he gets a title and has to take time off. He lost nearly a year after winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, came back, won the IC Title at WrestleMania 31 and had to take time off again due to the concussion issue that caused his first retirement.

Let’s look at this rationally, take the emotion and inspirational story out of this and treat Bryan like we would any other member of the roster with his history of injuries. Why should a guy with a history of injuries get a title shot or a run over guys, like Rusev, who are extremely over with the audience and should be in the title picture? He won a single tag match at WrestleMania over two guys that, according to kayfabe, are no longer with the company. Yet, the smarks insist that this combined with his two years as GM of SmackDown Live are enough to earn him a title run.

Compare that to reactions to Roman Reigns getting another shot at Brock Lesnar at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Many fans, including some fan news sites I respect, were LIVID that Reigns was getting another shot at the title. ‘Why does he get another shot?’ they asked. Never mind that Strowman got three chances at Lesnar, while Roman only got one and then got robbed of his moment at the last minute for no rational reason that anyone can find.

So, names removed, who should the fans be rooting for to get a title shot: The guy who just came back from a three year hiatus, has a history of injuries after getting a title run, and has only had two matches back or the guy who has busted his butt for over a year and got screwed out of his big moment at the last minute because of the caprice of Vince McMahon?

Now, before you all start shouting: I’m not saying Bryan shouldn’t EVER get a title run, I am saying that he should prove he can stay healthy. We also need accept that the landscape of WWE has changed since the Miracle on Bourbon Street, there are a lot of guys that are languishing that would greatly benefit from working with him in a non-title capacity. Instead of making him the Face, make him like Shawn Michaels during his second run in WWE.

Some of you are saying ‘But HBK got a title run on his second match back’. Yes, he did, BUT he got that in the first ever Elimination Chamber and put over the other five guys. His title run lasted to the next PPV and that was it. He would win the tag titles a couple of times, but largely, he got other guys over. I think that’s the best use for Bryan, right now. This isn’t 2014 or 2015, it’s time we stopped pretending otherwise.