Bryan Danielson: best ECW acquisition in the world?

When Summerslam 2009 was about to be a memory, I was struck with some of the biggest piece of wrestling news of the year. I saw some of the news only because about 2 weeks later, I read the next piece of big news in the form of Jeff Hardy's arrest for drug possession and possible drug trafficking. This news was huge if you are one of those hardcore fans that have the energy, time, and talent to search the web for any and all inside wrestling news. For those that don't, it hasn't happened yet, and it might not even affect them. I say, for the latter, that this news should. I say this because those fans are and the other fans are about to bear witness to one of the last few excellent wrestlers to not step foot in the WWE as of today....until now. "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson has agreed to a contract to wrestle for the WWE. One of the finest wrestlers in the world today is coming to the WWE. This is a major plus for the WWE, and possibly for ECW. Wrestling may get the much-needed upgrade it needs in the WWE.

Danielson's track record speaks for itself. He was trained by Shawn Michaels as well as William Regal. He wrestled in the country of Japan for the majority of his career. He has blended many different wrestling styles together into his repertoire, including from Japan, Mexico, the U.S., and Europe. He is also a very concise striker and martial artist, utilizing stiff strikes whenever possible. Within his career, he has won a number of titles from Pro Wrestling NOAH as well as various other organizations. His biggest success was found in Ring of Honor, the #3 wrestling association in the U.S. today, amassing many singles victories and successful championship runs. Now, to some, he is finalizing his career heading to the last place he has yet to conquer, let alone encounter: the WWE. It couldn't have come at a better time, for 8 years ago, the WWE released him from his developmental contract. Once that happened, he spent those 8 years preparing his career doing everything mentioned earlier. Now, as the WWE has finally reached out to him, he feels he's ready to be part of the organization that initially wanted him but probably felt he wasn't ready...or good enough. Well, he's good enough now. He's coming to achieve his destiny. He's going to be part of the WWE. Why haven't I given an in-depth analysis on Danielson? Well, when he returns, he won't be training in the farm systems. He's going straight to the big leagues. He will either be on Raw, SmackDown or ECW. So, there's no guarantee he'll end up on ECW. But what if he does? Let's weigh that possibility in.

Say he goes to ECW. Can someone see that a positive? Sure. On ECW, Bryan has no serious glass ceilings to break. He can stand out above and beyond as a big fish in a small pond. He also has some fine talents to challenge and have great matches with. I can see him battling and tussling with William Regal, his former mentor, Christian, the "hero" of the brand, Shelton Benjamin, the purest athlete on ECW to date, and even Vladimir Kozlov, the combat Sambo specialist from Russia. I can imagine the hard-hitting affairs he can have, as well as the technical shows he can put on with these stars. Also, his being the ECW champion, if and when it happens, could be great for his career, as it can solidify his status as a major player in the making. You can expect stellar matches from him. Lastly, he can give ECW the talent boost it direly needs.

Can this be a negative? Sure it can. See, going to ECW, as useful as that can be for one's career on the rise, can be very detrimental to one's star value. It's no secret that ECW isn't exactly the #1 brand to be part of. It's still the "red-headed stepchild". It's not getting any more popular. The ratings have been dropping dramatically. The talent has been depleted severely. If you are a star of a high caliber from another organization or at least seen as such, being put on the worst of the 3 shows is a slap in the face of sorts. This could be punishment for Danielson, as a way of teaching him not to compete with the WWE.

Both ideas seem to hold much weight, to say the least. However, the real question isn't where he'll end up or if ECW is for him. The question is how well will he be utilized. It's no secret. If you come to any organization, badmouthing it prior to your hiring, or at least showing your full support of your previous employer, there's a strong chance you'll be mistreated one way or another. It's almost unavoidable. We've seen in the WWE already with Colt Cabana. Now, Colt might not have said anything bad about the WWE, but he has flown his ROH colors very proudly whenever he could in ROH. All of a sudden, he's brought to the WWE, buried on television with a losing record, and sent off for good because he wasn't getting over. Yet, no one wants to point out how mismanaged he was. He wasn't utilized for his comedy, his wrestling talent, or even his entertainment value. He had no build-up, no solid promos, and a web-show that was virtually forgettable. That's a great way to treat an excellent wrestler like Cabana, eh? Meanwhile, C.M. Punk, who at least had the booking support of Paul Heyman is now being showcased for his talents, but not without being reprogrammed, albeit slightly. Still, he's where he needs to be and deserves to be: at the top of the heap as a major champion. Either one of these could be Danielson's fate. He can get support from the likes of a William Regal or Shawn Michaels, but you have to keep in mind this fact: he's put over ROH on a number of occasions, not to mention has been calling himself by his moniker, "the best wrestler in the world". Do you think that can sit well with wrestlers who operate like politicians? I doubt that. So, Danielson has to be careful.

We won't truly know the situation, I'm afraid, until Danielson has his first vignette on WWE television. ECW can severely benefit from his appearance and addition. It could very well make ECW watchable all over again....if he's utilized properly. Once again, the big question is whether or not the WWE is short-sighted enough to use him properly. We have seen the WWE destroy great stars before, and we all hope that Danielson isn't next. Until, more empirical evidence pops up on t.v., Danielson's future with ECW is up in the air. But, you have to admit: if you knew how great a wrestler he was, you'd watch ECW, too, if he was there. He is arguably the best wrestler in the world, right? (I'm still holding out for his gimmick to be very "Chuck Norris-like". It can work!)