Best Of 2019: Angle Of The Year
IMG Credit: WWE
This is another one that depends on how you look at it. Sometimes an angle can be short term or long term, but what matters is how effective the whole thing is. There were some good options in 2019 and they can open some doors to some big stuff down the line. But what was the best one of the year?
Daniel Bryan Is Captain Planet
There is something special about a wrestler who gets to be themselves in the ring and that is exactly what we had here. Bryan is known for his environmental causes and that’s what he got to do in the middle of the ring with some of the best promos that were a combination of a way to get great heat and a message that had some value outside of wrestling.
This led to one of the more bizarre partnerships in recent years as Bryan teamed with Erick Rowan in a weird intellectual pairing, though they certainly had some success. I was hoping to see more of them but unfortunately the team’s split ended Bryan’s environmentalist run, which had some serious potential with Bryan knowing how to say every single thing to drive the fans crazier and crazier.
The Fiend
Yeah I’m getting tired of talking about him in these things too but it was that big of a deal this year. The Fiend is something that you don’t see every year or even a lot longer than that as it was something that fits Bray Wyatt so well. Much like Bryan’s environmental stuff, there is a lot of Wyatt being put into the dual character and it makes things work that much better.
I know the Fiend seems like something as simple as good and evil, but there is more to it than that. Consider how much everyone who has faced the Fiend has changed (from heel turns to changes in appearance) and how Wyatt can be heard shouting as Fiend attacks in an attempt to control him. That is another level of development and part of what made this year so special.
Seth Rollins Is The Beastslayer
As intricate as the Fiend was, this one is a lot more basic: Brock Lesnar can’t beat Seth Rollins. That was the case at Wrestlemania and then Rollins did it again at Summerslam, both times for the Universal Title. It’s something that no one has been able to do to Lesnar in a long time and Rollins made it work (ignore how bad things went after the title changes).
What makes this better is it was built up over the years. Lesnar has always had trouble with smaller, faster opponents and Rollins served as the final boss of the concept. He was able to go in and take Lesnar out with a combination of speed, heart, and a bunch of low blows. It might not have been something that worked long term, but how can you argue with beating Lesnar twice in a year?
And now, say it with me.
Kofimania
Much like the Fiend, I’m not sure what else there is to say about this one but it earned every bit of the praise it has received. Kofi was built up for years as a solid hand who didn’t belong in the main event scene. The problem though was he never got a chance, and as soon as that was pointed out, the fans suddenly wanted to see Kofi pull off the miracle that was over ten years in the making.
But then they did exactly what the fans wanted and it made things work to perfection. Suddenly Kofi was not only in the main event but coming close to becoming WWE Champion. After a long stretch of trying to get the WWE Championship title shot at Wrestlemania, Kofi wound up on the biggest stage of them all and kicked Daniel Bryan’s head off to win the title. The moment was great, but it was the journey that got us there that made everything work. Tie in the amazingly emotional celebration and this wasn’t being topped.
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