Word. Wrestling has been AWESOME lately.
The Cena/Bryan match at SummerSlam was essentially a reset button for the entire league. Daniel Bryan is our everyman hero. He's one of us. He's an individualist who floats on his own boat, listens to vinyl, is friends with The Moldy Peaches and excels at a creative class job. However, he doesn't fit the look the corporate masters want and he has to rage against the machine represented by HHH/Steph and their hand-picked golden child (but really gifted) Randy Orton, who has found his inner sadist. Bryan's like every indie rock band who was on the verge of breaking out in the 90s -- it's hard to make a living driving around in the van (or wrestling in armories), and to truly feel like you've made it requires a shot on a major label. But crapheads like Eve 6 look the part while Luna gets jettisoned to the back shelves.
I relate to this so well. I'm a finance journalist professionally. I had a great job working for an energy trade publication. But a lot of my co-workers had Ivy League degrees or spoke four languages and I'm some degenerate Ramones fan/comedy nerd from a no-name school in Philly. I've got no pedigree. But I busted my ass at crappy weekly newspapers and ate shit working as a secretary in grad school and was fired a bunch of times for being outspoken. But I made it and earned the respect of my peers by hustling and breaking my balls.
But I didn't get a promotion I wanted or as big a raise as I thought I deserved because I dressed casually and had a sense of humor and had a messy desk. I've got grown up responsibilities. I could continue to just be myself and complain about how unfair that all is. Or I could play that dumb game, wear a suit to work (despite working at a cubicle all day) and make a big show of cleaning off my desk when the boss walked past when he left for the day, legitimately headed to a yacht club on some occasions. I sold out in my own little way in order to make some more money. It sucked but I have to do what I have to do. But Daniel Bryan keeps his beard and his smile and gets to win. (Or at least, hopefully, will.)
This whole thing also allowed the Rhodes Family angle to develop. If you're missing out -- Cody Rhodes is Dusty's youngest kid. He's largely been a very good heel but turned face a bit ago and was floundering a bit. He lipped off to HHH and Randy (and also didn't invite them to his wedding) and was given a match -- he beats Randy, he wins the title but if he loses he's fired. He lost and was jettisoned. Golddust (Dustin Rhodes, Cody's brother) returned to try and save his job but also lost. The amazing Dusty Rhodes came back to try and get their job back but got punched out by The Big Show (who has essentially become an indentured servant to HHH/Steph) as a result. The Rhodes boys came back to get revenge by hopping the railing, dressed in black, to f up HHH's mercenaries in The Shield.
It all culminated last night when The Rhodes Boys, with Dusty at ringside, took out The Shield and got their jobs back. It was one of the best matches and moments in ages. So friggin' great.
They're having some awesome morality plays right now. CM Punk's trying to destroy his former father figure Paul Heyman who is just tossing out monsters (Brock Lesnar, Ryback) to get in his way.
It's so awesome.
