by Aaron Nash
As a kid I loved watching wrestling on TV, I really did but as I grew older I went through a long hiatus (from when I was in my early teens during the attitude era of WWE (then WWF) until 2013) of not watching any at all. I don’t really know why but I guess I couldn’t get my head around the ‘soap opera’ like nature of the storylines. In the last couple of years I have gotten back into watching Wrestling big time. From WWE, through to TNA, to Shimmer, to Ring of Honour and even back to ECW, I love it all. As I was getting back into watching WWE I had no idea who a lot of these new ‘superstars’ were and one of the names that I constantly heard but never really knew was Daniel Bryan.
What better way to get an understanding of who he is than to check out the new biographical DVD set charting Bryan’s wrestling career from little league indie wrestler to becoming one of the most popular stars in the sport. The DVD set contains 3 Discs which I will break down below;
As a kid I loved watching wrestling on TV, I really did but as I grew older I went through a long hiatus (from when I was in my early teens during the attitude era of WWE (then WWF) until 2013) of not watching any at all. I don’t really know why but I guess I couldn’t get my head around the ‘soap opera’ like nature of the storylines. In the last couple of years I have gotten back into watching Wrestling big time. From WWE, through to TNA, to Shimmer, to Ring of Honour and even back to ECW, I love it all. As I was getting back into watching WWE I had no idea who a lot of these new ‘superstars’ were and one of the names that I constantly heard but never really knew was Daniel Bryan.
What better way to get an understanding of who he is than to check out the new biographical DVD set charting Bryan’s wrestling career from little league indie wrestler to becoming one of the most popular stars in the sport. The DVD set contains 3 Discs which I will break down below;
Disc 1:
The first disk of the set contains the 1 hour documentary ‘Journey to Wrestlemania’ which was originally produced for the WWE network. Here though we have some extra footage including extended and new interviews with stars of past and present.
It is laid out much like all of the WWE network specials of recent years and offers a pretty decent glimpse into Bryan’s career both before and during his time in the big leagues. It is a fascinating journey and one that Bryan happily takes us on. We get to watch highlights of his career in short snippets of matches as the documentary flows to the ultimate showdown at Wrestlemania XXX. It flows at a brilliant pace and never gets boring. If anything it would have been nice for the documentary to have been even longer but C’est La Vie.
The interviews throughout are amazing and offer an insight of who he is as a friend and as an in-ring wrestler. WWE have gone all out getting interviews with everyone from modern stars such as ‘The Miz’ and ‘Seth Rollins’ all the way through to WWE hall of famers ‘Shawn Michaels’ and ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin’. It is a real walk down memory lane seeing some of these people again and helps elevate this special from the rest.
The most brilliant part though has to be Daniel Bryan himself who sheds insights into his personal life, his working life and even the inner workings of professional wrestling. He lets us in on how some of the matches are planned and why certain events take place. It’s amazing how open he is and how brutal honest he seems to be. He also comes across as the most humble person you could meet and genuinely seems to be nervous being named a ‘superstar’.
Throughout the hour I learnt so much about him as a person and as a performer that I now understand why the WWE Universe love him so much. He’s the underdog that was never meant to reach the big leagues. But he did and here we get to see how he did it.
It is laid out much like all of the WWE network specials of recent years and offers a pretty decent glimpse into Bryan’s career both before and during his time in the big leagues. It is a fascinating journey and one that Bryan happily takes us on. We get to watch highlights of his career in short snippets of matches as the documentary flows to the ultimate showdown at Wrestlemania XXX. It flows at a brilliant pace and never gets boring. If anything it would have been nice for the documentary to have been even longer but C’est La Vie.
The interviews throughout are amazing and offer an insight of who he is as a friend and as an in-ring wrestler. WWE have gone all out getting interviews with everyone from modern stars such as ‘The Miz’ and ‘Seth Rollins’ all the way through to WWE hall of famers ‘Shawn Michaels’ and ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin’. It is a real walk down memory lane seeing some of these people again and helps elevate this special from the rest.
The most brilliant part though has to be Daniel Bryan himself who sheds insights into his personal life, his working life and even the inner workings of professional wrestling. He lets us in on how some of the matches are planned and why certain events take place. It’s amazing how open he is and how brutal honest he seems to be. He also comes across as the most humble person you could meet and genuinely seems to be nervous being named a ‘superstar’.
Throughout the hour I learnt so much about him as a person and as a performer that I now understand why the WWE Universe love him so much. He’s the underdog that was never meant to reach the big leagues. But he did and here we get to see how he did it.
Disc 2:
The disc goes straight into Daniel Bryan introducing the first full match of the set which he gives a good insight into as it is one of his first WWE try-out matches. The following segments between the matches delve even further into some of the subjects mentioned on the first disc. He’s an incredibly good talker and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. One thing that really stands out is his genuine care for the other wrestlers in the ring and how some matches he dreads doing as he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. He breaks it down and explains that it’s a show and it’s made to be enjoyable rather than being a series of real fights.
The following is a short breakdown and quick review of each of the matches contained on the disc:
AMERICAN DRAGON (DANIEL BRYAN) & SHOOTER SCHULTZ VS BRIAN KENDRICK & LANCE CADE
WWE tryout match 28/8/00
It’s interesting seeing the raw potential of some of these stars before they broke into the big time. It plays out well and feels very much like a classic Attitude Era battle between a mixture of high flyers and grapplers. Bryan at this point hasn’t quite figured out his style but still puts on a great performance, even if the audience aren’t really on his side. A solid 8/10 match
JAMIE NOBLE VS BRYAN DANIELSON
18/01/03
Bryan going under his real name puts on a pretty good show but fails to deliver a particularly memorable performance. The match drags on a bit and is overall nothing amazingly stand out. A very middle of the road 5/10
CHRIS JERICHO VS DANIEL BRYAN
NXT 22/03/10
In the ten years of performing on the indie circuit we can see that Bryan has started to develop his style and here we get to see it properly for the first time. This is where the underdog angle started to begin and you can see why people started to get on his side (although it would be a few years before people truly loved him). The match has some fantastic moments and is great fun. It would be one of the stand out matches on the set if it wasn’t for a slightly underwhelming ending 7/10.
THE MIZ VS DANIEL BRYAN
Night of Champions 2010 – UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
This is when the crowd started getting onto Bryan’s side after all of the vocal abuse he was getting from announcer Michael Cole. The match is ok and the two have a great chemistry in the ring. It is a very grapple heavy match with some enjoyable moments 7/10
The following is a short breakdown and quick review of each of the matches contained on the disc:
AMERICAN DRAGON (DANIEL BRYAN) & SHOOTER SCHULTZ VS BRIAN KENDRICK & LANCE CADE
WWE tryout match 28/8/00
It’s interesting seeing the raw potential of some of these stars before they broke into the big time. It plays out well and feels very much like a classic Attitude Era battle between a mixture of high flyers and grapplers. Bryan at this point hasn’t quite figured out his style but still puts on a great performance, even if the audience aren’t really on his side. A solid 8/10 match
JAMIE NOBLE VS BRYAN DANIELSON
18/01/03
Bryan going under his real name puts on a pretty good show but fails to deliver a particularly memorable performance. The match drags on a bit and is overall nothing amazingly stand out. A very middle of the road 5/10
CHRIS JERICHO VS DANIEL BRYAN
NXT 22/03/10
In the ten years of performing on the indie circuit we can see that Bryan has started to develop his style and here we get to see it properly for the first time. This is where the underdog angle started to begin and you can see why people started to get on his side (although it would be a few years before people truly loved him). The match has some fantastic moments and is great fun. It would be one of the stand out matches on the set if it wasn’t for a slightly underwhelming ending 7/10.
THE MIZ VS DANIEL BRYAN
Night of Champions 2010 – UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
This is when the crowd started getting onto Bryan’s side after all of the vocal abuse he was getting from announcer Michael Cole. The match is ok and the two have a great chemistry in the ring. It is a very grapple heavy match with some enjoyable moments 7/10
BIG SHOW VS DANIEL BRYAN
Smackdown 06/01/2012 – WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
We again have a pretty solid offering as the two stars really play off one another well. The match has the classic to and fro nature that many of the best matches have and it keeps you wondering who will win. It’s not an amazingly long match but it’s pretty fun. It’s another match however that is let down by a highly disappointing ending which the audience seem to agree with 6/10
SHEAMUS VS DANIEL BRYAN
Extreme Rules 29/04/12 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
This is a long match and one that I’m thankful is on the disc. It is great fun and really is a battle between the two stars. They have a great chemistry and they both have some stand out moments in the match. This is one of my favourite matches on the disk but it isn’t perfect 8/10.
CM PUNK VS DANIEL BRYAN
15/07/12 – NO DQ MATCH FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
This is an absolutely stunning match (even if some of the soap opera parts with AJ Lee get in the way at times). It feels very raw and very brutal. In a way it harks back to the 2006 reinvention of ECW (before it got tamed down). I loved this match and was constantly wondering who was going to win. 9/10.
TEAM HELL NO! (DANIEL BRYAN & KANE) VS KOFI KINGSTON & R-TRUTH
16/10/12 – WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
For a time WWE thought it would be amusing to have a running joke of Bryan and Kane having to go to anger management classes leading to their eventual team up. This is a very fun match full of jovial action and some stand out amusing moments. It’s not necessarily a ‘great’ match but it sure is a fun one. 7/10
Smackdown 06/01/2012 – WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
We again have a pretty solid offering as the two stars really play off one another well. The match has the classic to and fro nature that many of the best matches have and it keeps you wondering who will win. It’s not an amazingly long match but it’s pretty fun. It’s another match however that is let down by a highly disappointing ending which the audience seem to agree with 6/10
SHEAMUS VS DANIEL BRYAN
Extreme Rules 29/04/12 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
This is a long match and one that I’m thankful is on the disc. It is great fun and really is a battle between the two stars. They have a great chemistry and they both have some stand out moments in the match. This is one of my favourite matches on the disk but it isn’t perfect 8/10.
CM PUNK VS DANIEL BRYAN
15/07/12 – NO DQ MATCH FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
This is an absolutely stunning match (even if some of the soap opera parts with AJ Lee get in the way at times). It feels very raw and very brutal. In a way it harks back to the 2006 reinvention of ECW (before it got tamed down). I loved this match and was constantly wondering who was going to win. 9/10.
TEAM HELL NO! (DANIEL BRYAN & KANE) VS KOFI KINGSTON & R-TRUTH
16/10/12 – WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
For a time WWE thought it would be amusing to have a running joke of Bryan and Kane having to go to anger management classes leading to their eventual team up. This is a very fun match full of jovial action and some stand out amusing moments. It’s not necessarily a ‘great’ match but it sure is a fun one. 7/10
Disc 3:
The third disc of the set further continues the same layout as the second disk with matches punctuated by interviews:
DANIEL BRYAN VS JACK SWAGGER, CESARO & RYBACK
22/07/13
This has all the makings of being an epic battle with Bryan having to fight three opponents one after the other. What we got though was a merely average series of fights that never really felt anything but mediocre. They aren’t bad per-say but they definitely aren’t that good 5/10
JOHN CENA VS DANIEL BRYAN
18/09/13 – WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The match starts off quite slow before building into a really great match. There are some brilliant moments in the fight and Cena and Bryan seem to be having a blast fighting one another. 8/10
DANIEL BRYAN VS RANDY ORTON
17/03/14
I loved the ECW vibe that this match had. It felt far more brutal then your usual WWE match. Orton and Bryan are both in their element as they fight backwards and forwards in this great No DQ match. 8/10
DANIEL BRYAN VS RANDY ORTON VS BATISTA
Wrestlemania XXX 06/04/14 – TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
For the penultimate match on the disc we have a truly stunning match that easily surpasses all other matches in the set. The match really is a brutal battle between three powerful individuals and it really keeps you glues to the screen trying to figure out who is going to win. Each has their own distinct wrestling style and this helps give the audience everything they could want from a PPV match. 10/10
We then get a break from the matches and have another chunk of documentary with Bryan explaining about his bad neck injury that could have put him out of wrestling for good. We see footage of him trying to figure out what to do until we see his big announcement that he would be returning to wrestling. The announcement is straight from the heart and is immensely powerful in a way that WWE has never really been before in my view.
DANIEL BRYAN VS JACK SWAGGER, CESARO & RYBACK
22/07/13
This has all the makings of being an epic battle with Bryan having to fight three opponents one after the other. What we got though was a merely average series of fights that never really felt anything but mediocre. They aren’t bad per-say but they definitely aren’t that good 5/10
JOHN CENA VS DANIEL BRYAN
18/09/13 – WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The match starts off quite slow before building into a really great match. There are some brilliant moments in the fight and Cena and Bryan seem to be having a blast fighting one another. 8/10
DANIEL BRYAN VS RANDY ORTON
17/03/14
I loved the ECW vibe that this match had. It felt far more brutal then your usual WWE match. Orton and Bryan are both in their element as they fight backwards and forwards in this great No DQ match. 8/10
DANIEL BRYAN VS RANDY ORTON VS BATISTA
Wrestlemania XXX 06/04/14 – TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
For the penultimate match on the disc we have a truly stunning match that easily surpasses all other matches in the set. The match really is a brutal battle between three powerful individuals and it really keeps you glues to the screen trying to figure out who is going to win. Each has their own distinct wrestling style and this helps give the audience everything they could want from a PPV match. 10/10
We then get a break from the matches and have another chunk of documentary with Bryan explaining about his bad neck injury that could have put him out of wrestling for good. We see footage of him trying to figure out what to do until we see his big announcement that he would be returning to wrestling. The announcement is straight from the heart and is immensely powerful in a way that WWE has never really been before in my view.
DANIEL BRYAN VS ROMAN REIGNS
Fastlane 22/02/15 – WINNER FIGHTS BROCK LESNAR AT WRESTLEMANIA XXXI
As a final match on the disc we get another great battle between two great stars. I really like both of them it was slightly unfortunate that I knew how the match would end. Even though I knew the outcome it didn’t really effect the greatness of the match 8/10
So when all is said and done I thoroughly enjoyed the seen hours I spent watching these DVDs. I’ve grown to really like Daniel Bryan which is unfortunate now that, in the wake of Wrestlemania XXXI, he may have been forced to retire from wrestling due to a serious injury. It’s kind of heart-breaking when you see Bryan talking about it being his passion and that it’s what he truly loves doing on the DVD and knowing that he may never wrestle again. Here’s hoping he recovers and steps back into the four sided ring.
So do I recommend this set?
There’s only one suitable answer to that question;
YES! YES! YES!
Fastlane 22/02/15 – WINNER FIGHTS BROCK LESNAR AT WRESTLEMANIA XXXI
As a final match on the disc we get another great battle between two great stars. I really like both of them it was slightly unfortunate that I knew how the match would end. Even though I knew the outcome it didn’t really effect the greatness of the match 8/10
So when all is said and done I thoroughly enjoyed the seen hours I spent watching these DVDs. I’ve grown to really like Daniel Bryan which is unfortunate now that, in the wake of Wrestlemania XXXI, he may have been forced to retire from wrestling due to a serious injury. It’s kind of heart-breaking when you see Bryan talking about it being his passion and that it’s what he truly loves doing on the DVD and knowing that he may never wrestle again. Here’s hoping he recovers and steps back into the four sided ring.
So do I recommend this set?
There’s only one suitable answer to that question;
YES! YES! YES!
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