As we count the days down to WrestleMania 34 on April 9, we here at Smark Henry want to do something different than our usual trivia promotion. Over the next two weeks, we'll be sharing and talking about our favorite WrestleMania moments in the hopes of getting some more this year.
On April 6, 2014, dreams were made.
As a wrestling fan, you don't really fully suspend your collective disbelief anymore strictly over the storylines unfolding on your TV screen. In the age of the Reality Era, where everyone (thinks) they know everything about how wrestling—or in this case, the WWE—is supposed to work, the tension and anxiety now lay in how we think the booking is going to go. "Will John Cena take the loss from AJ Styles?" we ask. "Is Shinsuke Nakamura really going to win the Royal Rumble?"
"Will Daniel Bryan ever main event WrestleMania—and win?"
As you all know by now, the answer is a resounding YES, echoed 75,167 times across the
But before the moment happened, we were never sure it was going to be a YES. You see, everything laid in front of Bryan was an obstacle, based on his stature and perceived place in the status quo. The guy's small. WWE was, or is, in the business of highlighting titans front and center. He had to go through three of the industry's biggest stars, twice in one night, just to prove himself. And to prove that anything other than the quintessential WWE superstar could be the face of the company.
So when Bryan made Batista tap out to the Yes! Lock, it wasn't just a victory for one man. Yes, it was a well-deserved recognition of one Bryan Lloyd Danielson's otherworldly pro wrestling talents. But it was also a victory for the whole fanbase, an entire mass of humanity who felt left out and ignored because the corporation didn't feel obliged to listen to their voices. It was a victory for wrestlers who weren't as genetically blessed—or taking any shortcuts—to look like the kind of guy Vince McMahon would put on the map.
And with Bryan's miraculous return from injury, it's now a good time than ever to remember the last time a dream really came true inside the four corners of a WWE ring. In an era where it's been hard to find a traditional WrestleMania moment that makes a fan feel warm and fuzzy inside, Daniel Bryan winning the championship at the main event is one hell of a hallmark for the modern era.
Want to catch WrestleMania 34 live? Join us at the official Smark Henry WrestleMania Viewing Party on Monday, April 9 at Skinny Mike's Sports Bar in Bonifacio Global City! P300 gets you entrance and a free drink, as well as the closest thing to watching the Grandaddy of Them All live in the arena. It's a holiday, too, so no reason for you to miss out! For more details, check out the Facebook event page here.
