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Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania
One of WWE's most unlikely champions of all time and also one of its most popular, Bryan has proved to the world and to all of WWE that looks can be deceiving. Just ask anyyone who's ever underestimated him . . . right before he went out and whipped the WWE universe into a frenzy.
This is Bryan's behind-the-scenes story told for the first time ever by the "YES!" Man himself---from his beginnings as a child wanting to wrestle to his ten years circling the globe on the independent circuit and his remarkable climb to the upper ranks of WWE.
As the biggest week of his life unfolds, Aberdeen, Washington's bearded son reflects in full detail on his incredible path to the top and gives his take on the events that have shaped him. With his Bryan-ized blend of modesty and surprising candor, Daniel pulls no punches (or martial arts kicks) as he reveals his true thoughts on his evolution as a performer, his various roles in WWE versus the independent years, life on the road, at home, and much more.
And of course, get the untold story surrounding the "YES!" chant that evolved to full-fledged movement, skyrocketing his career. This book chronicles all the hard work, values, influences, unique life choices, and more, leading to his watershed week at WrestleMania 30. You won't want to miss it. Yes! We're sure about this.
This is Bryan's behind-the-scenes story told for the first time ever by the "YES!" Man himself---from his beginnings as a child wanting to wrestle to his ten years circling the globe on the independent circuit and his remarkable climb to the upper ranks of WWE.
As the biggest week of his life unfolds, Aberdeen, Washington's bearded son reflects in full detail on his incredible path to the top and gives his take on the events that have shaped him. With his Bryan-ized blend of modesty and surprising candor, Daniel pulls no punches (or martial arts kicks) as he reveals his true thoughts on his evolution as a performer, his various roles in WWE versus the independent years, life on the road, at home, and much more.
And of course, get the untold story surrounding the "YES!" chant that evolved to full-fledged movement, skyrocketing his career. This book chronicles all the hard work, values, influences, unique life choices, and more, leading to his watershed week at WrestleMania 30. You won't want to miss it. Yes! We're sure about this.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2015
137 people are currently reading
1713 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
June 16, 2019
Yes is the biography of WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan.
As I've mentioned in pretty much every wrestling book review I've ever written, I've been a wrestling fan off and on for most of my 40+ years. I was surprised when Bryan Danielson, now Daniel Bryan, was signed by the WWE and even more surprised when his popularity caught fire like it did. I found this on the bargain table at B&N yesterday and devoured it on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Yes is told in two threads: one detailing Bryan's life and career, the other focusing on the week before he won the WWE belt at Wrestlemania 30. Since this is a WWE-produced book, too much non-wrestling stuff was included at the beginning and it feels a little sanitized.
However, it's the best book the WWE has put out in years. Bryan Danielson makes the pilgrimage from Aberdeen, Washington to San Antonio, Texas to train. From there, he's all over the place, from the WWE developmental system to FMW to the ECWA Super 8 tournament to Ring of Honor. Ring of Honor is where I first noticed him. He wasn't big or charismatic but was impressive in the ring.
Anyway, Danielson goes to England, Japan, the West Coast, and back to Ring of Honor before finally getting signed by the WWE and then fired a few months later. After another stint on the independent circuit, he's back in the WWE and eventually becomes champion.
Even though he has a co-writer, it feels like Daniel Bryan played a big part in putting this together. The tone feels like his, a humble guy with blue collar roots. He never goes out of his way to make himself sound great. In fact, quite the opposite. Just like in his wrestling career, I felt myself wanting him to succeed, even though I know he already has.
The Ring of Honor stories in particular make me want to seek out some of his old matches. Unfortunately, a lot of the ROH stuff is out of print so I'll have to make due with what I already have down in my man cave.
Like every WWE book, I wish there were more road stories, particularly from the decade before he joined the company. Thankfully, he's not a kiss ass and doesn't paint the WWE as a great place to work like a lot of people. He's open about his frustration at some of the decisions and things of that nature. He even mentions Chris Benoit, whom the WWE has tried to erase from history for the past decade.
Yes is well-worth what I paid and a must for any Daniel Bryan fan. Four out of five knee strikes.
As I've mentioned in pretty much every wrestling book review I've ever written, I've been a wrestling fan off and on for most of my 40+ years. I was surprised when Bryan Danielson, now Daniel Bryan, was signed by the WWE and even more surprised when his popularity caught fire like it did. I found this on the bargain table at B&N yesterday and devoured it on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Yes is told in two threads: one detailing Bryan's life and career, the other focusing on the week before he won the WWE belt at Wrestlemania 30. Since this is a WWE-produced book, too much non-wrestling stuff was included at the beginning and it feels a little sanitized.
However, it's the best book the WWE has put out in years. Bryan Danielson makes the pilgrimage from Aberdeen, Washington to San Antonio, Texas to train. From there, he's all over the place, from the WWE developmental system to FMW to the ECWA Super 8 tournament to Ring of Honor. Ring of Honor is where I first noticed him. He wasn't big or charismatic but was impressive in the ring.
Anyway, Danielson goes to England, Japan, the West Coast, and back to Ring of Honor before finally getting signed by the WWE and then fired a few months later. After another stint on the independent circuit, he's back in the WWE and eventually becomes champion.
Even though he has a co-writer, it feels like Daniel Bryan played a big part in putting this together. The tone feels like his, a humble guy with blue collar roots. He never goes out of his way to make himself sound great. In fact, quite the opposite. Just like in his wrestling career, I felt myself wanting him to succeed, even though I know he already has.
The Ring of Honor stories in particular make me want to seek out some of his old matches. Unfortunately, a lot of the ROH stuff is out of print so I'll have to make due with what I already have down in my man cave.
Like every WWE book, I wish there were more road stories, particularly from the decade before he joined the company. Thankfully, he's not a kiss ass and doesn't paint the WWE as a great place to work like a lot of people. He's open about his frustration at some of the decisions and things of that nature. He even mentions Chris Benoit, whom the WWE has tried to erase from history for the past decade.
Yes is well-worth what I paid and a must for any Daniel Bryan fan. Four out of five knee strikes.
October 4, 2021
Great story, great book. I am a Bryan Danielson fan. I say that because I stopped watching WWE many years ago, then one day when I was channel surfing I can across the Wrestling Channel. which was showing some company called ROH (Ring Of Honour). There in the main event between 3 incredible but little known wrestlers. Christopher Daniels, Loki and of course Bryan Danielson. This match blew me away. Loki with hard hitting high flying attacks, Bryan with mat based wrestling that we never see anymore, and Daniels bridging the gap between them. I was hooked. I kept me a wrestling fan for a few more years. Even though Bryan Danielson joined the WWE and became Daniel Bryan, I still would do a quick internet search of how he was doing in a land where size and promo skills were prized, much more that the wrestling aspect. All of this is documented brilliantly in this book in Bryan's own words.
The book is honestly written, and much like Bryan's Yes man characters written without ego. What I mean by this is Bryan is always showing respects to wrestlers he was working with in how far they were ahead of him in terms of skills, or calling him matches ok to good, when to me and many of the fan who saw those matches would probobly be calling them the best matches we had seen, and definitely the best matches of the night.
He talks openly about his early family life, to becoming a wrestling fan and knowing this is what he wanted to do with his life. Starting out, learning the ropes and about life in general, then homing his craft to making a name for himself in the Indi scene, to his two runs in the WWE. Because of his honesty I really empathised with his. I felt his passion for wrestling, his frustration for not being appreciated for his work, and I was over the moon for him when his hard work finally paid off. He does not accuse anyone of maliciously trying to hold his down, but felt he was not given the chance to show what he could do.
I have 2 small criticisms about this book. The first is that the intro to each chapter was written from a media perspective about Daniel Bryan the character the week leading up to Wrestlemania, I thought was completely unnecessary. Bryan was perfectly capable and did pass that information on better in his own words. The second is there are no colour photos in the book not even a page in the middle of the book where people like to have photo pages this does not. The are a few pictures throughout the book do that is not a big thing for me. My kids did like the flip book style of Bryan doing his yes chant in the bottom right hand corner that was pretty cool.
This is a great and honest account of Bryan's accomplishment and the physical and political obstacles Bryan had to endure to reach the top. If you are a fan of his Indi work like me, this is huge section of the book. WWE fans will love it as well.
The book is honestly written, and much like Bryan's Yes man characters written without ego. What I mean by this is Bryan is always showing respects to wrestlers he was working with in how far they were ahead of him in terms of skills, or calling him matches ok to good, when to me and many of the fan who saw those matches would probobly be calling them the best matches we had seen, and definitely the best matches of the night.
He talks openly about his early family life, to becoming a wrestling fan and knowing this is what he wanted to do with his life. Starting out, learning the ropes and about life in general, then homing his craft to making a name for himself in the Indi scene, to his two runs in the WWE. Because of his honesty I really empathised with his. I felt his passion for wrestling, his frustration for not being appreciated for his work, and I was over the moon for him when his hard work finally paid off. He does not accuse anyone of maliciously trying to hold his down, but felt he was not given the chance to show what he could do.
I have 2 small criticisms about this book. The first is that the intro to each chapter was written from a media perspective about Daniel Bryan the character the week leading up to Wrestlemania, I thought was completely unnecessary. Bryan was perfectly capable and did pass that information on better in his own words. The second is there are no colour photos in the book not even a page in the middle of the book where people like to have photo pages this does not. The are a few pictures throughout the book do that is not a big thing for me. My kids did like the flip book style of Bryan doing his yes chant in the bottom right hand corner that was pretty cool.
This is a great and honest account of Bryan's accomplishment and the physical and political obstacles Bryan had to endure to reach the top. If you are a fan of his Indi work like me, this is huge section of the book. WWE fans will love it as well.
July 30, 2015
Last year, the WWE Network produced a brief special on Daniel Bryan. The mini-documentary followed Bryan in the days leading up to WrestleMania 30, where he was scheduled to have the biggest night of his then fifteen year career. The documentary briefly touched on what brought him to this point, talking about his days with Ring of Honor – the promotion where he made his name – as well as his struggles with being perceived as a bonafide main event performer in WWE.
YES!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania acts as a companion piece to that documentary, fleshing out and expanding on his career as an “indie-darling” (or starving artist as former trainer Shawn Michaels dubbed him) working for promotions like NOAH, Ring of Honor, PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerilla) and many other small acts throughout the world.
I have to admit, I’m kind of a WWE fanboy – not through some weird elitism, more so due to laziness. There’s SO much wrestling out there. If I were to follow it all, it would be unbelievably time consuming. So before his arrival to WWE in 2010, I knew very little about Bryan. I knew he was well regarded as an exceptional wrestler but that was about it. After reading this memoir, I’m more willing than ever to go and seek out these great rivalries and legendary matches he wrote about in this book.
My only real complaint would be the introductions to each chapter written by Craig Tello. I get what he was trying to do in writing these asides that cover Bryan’s week leading up to Wrestlemania 30, but they just come off feeling like filler. Tello is constantly referring to Bryan as the “Yes-man” or “the bearded superstar”. It read like a magazine piece and often pulled me right out of the story. At a certain point, I just started skipping them. Hopefully there wasn’t anything too vital in there but it seemed to be more along the lines of what was covered in the aforementioned documentary.
While there weren’t any stories about drugs and debauchery, there were some great anecdotes about pranks played on other wrestlers and cookie eating contests. There’s even a short look at Vince McMahon’s famed “promo classes” that shines as one of the book’s most interesting moments.
Bryan comes off as a really likeable guy. He doesn’t spend all three hundred pages telling you how great he is – a trap some memoirs tend to fall into – but he certainly has a lot of pride in his work. Aside from a particularly heartbreaking epilogue, YES!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania is one of the more entertaining wrestling memoirs I’ve read.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
YES!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania acts as a companion piece to that documentary, fleshing out and expanding on his career as an “indie-darling” (or starving artist as former trainer Shawn Michaels dubbed him) working for promotions like NOAH, Ring of Honor, PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerilla) and many other small acts throughout the world.
I have to admit, I’m kind of a WWE fanboy – not through some weird elitism, more so due to laziness. There’s SO much wrestling out there. If I were to follow it all, it would be unbelievably time consuming. So before his arrival to WWE in 2010, I knew very little about Bryan. I knew he was well regarded as an exceptional wrestler but that was about it. After reading this memoir, I’m more willing than ever to go and seek out these great rivalries and legendary matches he wrote about in this book.
My only real complaint would be the introductions to each chapter written by Craig Tello. I get what he was trying to do in writing these asides that cover Bryan’s week leading up to Wrestlemania 30, but they just come off feeling like filler. Tello is constantly referring to Bryan as the “Yes-man” or “the bearded superstar”. It read like a magazine piece and often pulled me right out of the story. At a certain point, I just started skipping them. Hopefully there wasn’t anything too vital in there but it seemed to be more along the lines of what was covered in the aforementioned documentary.
While there weren’t any stories about drugs and debauchery, there were some great anecdotes about pranks played on other wrestlers and cookie eating contests. There’s even a short look at Vince McMahon’s famed “promo classes” that shines as one of the book’s most interesting moments.
Bryan comes off as a really likeable guy. He doesn’t spend all three hundred pages telling you how great he is – a trap some memoirs tend to fall into – but he certainly has a lot of pride in his work. Aside from a particularly heartbreaking epilogue, YES!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania is one of the more entertaining wrestling memoirs I’ve read.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
September 27, 2018
It just arrived in the mail!!!
But I have no time to read it!
Le sigh...
But I have no time to read it!
Le sigh...
September 20, 2025
Improbable [yet awesome] journey indeed!
Although I'm embarrassed to say I haven't seen enough of Daniel Bryan's (who's name is actually Bryan Danielson's) in-ring action and far from all of it, that in no way diminishes my respect for this man and all he has accomplished.
In life (and I expect also in pro wrestling) all too often success comes to those who are bombastic, talk the loudest, throw their weight around, and bully others into adopting what they want.
Bryan Danielson is none of those things.
And the fact that this modestly sized, even-keeled, soft-spoken, and considerate man has accomplished SO MUCH, through belief in himself, grit, resilience, and hard work--despite all the odds, an industry whose values often didn't align with his own, humble financial beginnings, and frequency and nature of injuries I can scarcely understand--makes him all the more an inspiration and a guy to be admired.
The book's narrative starts with his early life, then moves through his teen years, discovery of pro wrestling, his own training to become a pro wrestler, then the trials and tribulations working in the indie promotions and brushes with WWE, then finally his match as the main event at a Wrestlemania, this book showcases a man with deep feelings, deeper devotions to everything he cares about (be it pro wrestling, environmental and social causes, his family, and the woman he loves), integrity, and an enviable drive. I admire him even more having listened to this audiobook. The fact that he's a PNW guy is pretty awesome, too. It ends with an epilogue that talks about his wedding to Brie Bella. (The book was published
The book offers candid yet diplomatic thoughts, respect and love for a business that seems impossibly hard, even more impossibly difficult to understand (even for fans sometimes), and backstage events. I got a lot out of it. He's a guy I can well imagine is well-respected and would be a very good friend to those he's met and worked with.
I learned some stuff about the industry, which I appreciated. Damn, I knew the dude had been through a lot of injuries, but I had no idea how often and how severe they had been. Amazing that he can even walk, much less be such a presence.
The only thing that wasn't my favorite was the introductions to the chapters. The main narrative is written in the first person, which I've seen pretty much every time. But the intro to each chapter typically had a narrative written in the third person and relates quotes and perspective that sounded jarring in this context. The audio book is narrated by Mr. Danielson and so when these were read it was like hearing a person refer to themselves in the third person. It's pretty minor quibble and overall it didn't really impact my overall enjoyment.
4.95/5
P.S. Oh, Mr. Danielson, though I know it is quite improbable you'll ever see this review... if by some chance you do, please allow me to say that... I agree The Final Countdown is indeed a pretty awesome song. Despite the on-line hate, I love it too.
Although I'm embarrassed to say I haven't seen enough of Daniel Bryan's (who's name is actually Bryan Danielson's) in-ring action and far from all of it, that in no way diminishes my respect for this man and all he has accomplished.
In life (and I expect also in pro wrestling) all too often success comes to those who are bombastic, talk the loudest, throw their weight around, and bully others into adopting what they want.
Bryan Danielson is none of those things.
And the fact that this modestly sized, even-keeled, soft-spoken, and considerate man has accomplished SO MUCH, through belief in himself, grit, resilience, and hard work--despite all the odds, an industry whose values often didn't align with his own, humble financial beginnings, and frequency and nature of injuries I can scarcely understand--makes him all the more an inspiration and a guy to be admired.
The book's narrative starts with his early life, then moves through his teen years, discovery of pro wrestling, his own training to become a pro wrestler, then the trials and tribulations working in the indie promotions and brushes with WWE, then finally his match as the main event at a Wrestlemania, this book showcases a man with deep feelings, deeper devotions to everything he cares about (be it pro wrestling, environmental and social causes, his family, and the woman he loves), integrity, and an enviable drive. I admire him even more having listened to this audiobook. The fact that he's a PNW guy is pretty awesome, too. It ends with an epilogue that talks about his wedding to Brie Bella. (The book was published
The book offers candid yet diplomatic thoughts, respect and love for a business that seems impossibly hard, even more impossibly difficult to understand (even for fans sometimes), and backstage events. I got a lot out of it. He's a guy I can well imagine is well-respected and would be a very good friend to those he's met and worked with.
I learned some stuff about the industry, which I appreciated. Damn, I knew the dude had been through a lot of injuries, but I had no idea how often and how severe they had been. Amazing that he can even walk, much less be such a presence.
The only thing that wasn't my favorite was the introductions to the chapters. The main narrative is written in the first person, which I've seen pretty much every time. But the intro to each chapter typically had a narrative written in the third person and relates quotes and perspective that sounded jarring in this context. The audio book is narrated by Mr. Danielson and so when these were read it was like hearing a person refer to themselves in the third person. It's pretty minor quibble and overall it didn't really impact my overall enjoyment.
4.95/5
P.S. Oh, Mr. Danielson, though I know it is quite improbable you'll ever see this review... if by some chance you do, please allow me to say that... I agree The Final Countdown is indeed a pretty awesome song. Despite the on-line hate, I love it too.
July 22, 2015
I am the genre of geek that follow pro-wrestling even though I could barely tell you anything about real sports. So of course the Daniel Bryan book appeals to me. The parts that were written by Bryan are great and he comes across as a very nice guy who was able to live an interesting life while not being a tool. The parts written by Craig Tello read like bad marketing copy if I read the term "Yes Man" again it will be too soon. In the world of wrestler biography's is one of the better ones among a sea of badly written or just plain false books.
February 10, 2016
#ThankYouDanielBryan
See my notes for more insights.
Bryan (real name Bryan Danielson) is a competent, entertaining storyteller, but Craig Tello's chapter introductions are unnecessary.
Bryan seems bewildered by his own popularity despite working his ass off for what he's achieved.
I liked all of the backstage stuff and the recounting of important relationships such as Glenn (Kane) and William Regal.
I also liked anything to do with Brie except Tello's constant reminder of how beautiful she is.
See my notes for more insights.
Bryan (real name Bryan Danielson) is a competent, entertaining storyteller, but Craig Tello's chapter introductions are unnecessary.
Bryan seems bewildered by his own popularity despite working his ass off for what he's achieved.
I liked all of the backstage stuff and the recounting of important relationships such as Glenn (Kane) and William Regal.
I also liked anything to do with Brie except Tello's constant reminder of how beautiful she is.
February 7, 2021
I’ve been a wrestling fan all of my life. I went to WrestleMania 30 in NOLA and I was dumbfounded and didn’t understand why people liked Daniel Bryan. I disliked him so much I booed him when he won the title. After reading this book, I probably wouldn’t have if I could get a do over. This book explains why people like the guy and I have to say, even though he’s a hippy, I like him as well. Good read, minus the stuff written in italics.
January 3, 2016
Well, I was going to read this one. Daniel Bryan is one of my all-time favorite writers, on that Rushmore-level tier with Kenta Kobashi and The Undertaker. It's not the profound memoir on professional wrestling I craved, but it's still a compelling narrative of a true underdog. Professional wrestling has enjoyed underdogs in front of the camera for over a century, but Bryan was an an underdog in real life, with wrestling schools disappearing out from under him, his diminutive size making him unappealing to promoters, and even being fired from the world's biggest company for breaking rules they'd never told him existed. All the way to two months before his "big win" at Wrestlemania, it was questionable if he'd even perform on that show. He's very real torn shoulders, a detached retina, burst eardrum, and most recently a broken neck. He thought veganism would help his liver disorder, only to discover a soy allergy made the diet hurt him. The blend of his in- and out-of-story underdog narrative made him one of the most interesting figures in the history of the industry.
If you don't know Daniel Bryan's story, then the book's appeal weakens. I already knew half of this stuff, since I'm a wrestling nerd who knows too much about the lives of people who pretend to fight in their underwear. There are still novel anecdotes for people who have followed Bryan's career, including his love life, which sounds even more poorly scripted than WWE television. Brie Bella was a beautiful model originally paired with Bryan in storylines where she thought his "veganism" meant he was a virgin. Her character wanted to be his first time - painfully bad to watch, but off-camera the two discovered they were both ecology nerds, fell in love, and married. The anecdotes of how other wrestlers encouraged or pranked their relationship are way better than anything from WWE television.
The book tries to be nice to WWE management, such that you question how many editors WWE ran it through. Yet one still can't fathom their ineptitude for putting Bryan through an extensive training camp, then putting him in a televised competition with obstacle courses and soda-drinking competitions, but never once telling him that choking someone was forbidden. The result? He was fired a week after appearing on Monday Night Raw. If you don't know it, the story of them hiring him back in secret is fabulous.
The end of the memoir has been widely exposed, as it's by far the most interesting part: Bryan says all his struggles weren't worth it, and he only continues wrestling because he doesn't know what else to do with his life. He wrote this in a deep depression over the death of his father, someone Bryan rarely saw in recent years because he was always traveling for WWE. It's tragic for him, and unfortunately not handled very well in the book itself, for while it's radically honest, he only ponders this for one page. He doesn't dig into his regrets, or the existential problem of being uncertain of his place in life, and how being a wrestler means having so little family visible in your life. The doubts also never color any of the earlier sections, so there are over three hundred pages of optimism and amusement, abruptly terminated.
That's where YES! struggles as memoir. While his life has provided ample amusing and frightening anecdotes, Bryan doesn't have much to say about any of them. They fly by with little reflection, whether it's having his ear drum burst by a "stiff" wrestler, or being stranded in Japan by a shady employer. The writing is often equally shallow; he is "scared to death" at least three times, using clichés where you want reflection. You'd expect a ghostwriter to expand on this material, if the ghostwriter did much work here.
As it is, the credited co-writer adds a preface to every chapter, reflecting on the week before Bryan's big Wrestlemania win. These are uniformly tedious. If you're reading a wrestler's memoir, you know he goes to the gym and does interviews, and that there's lots of media coverage around Wrestlemania. We're here for the Bryan-half of these chapters, about growing up in Aberdeen, WA, with little money and ambition, and the road through the U.S., England, and Japan, to becoming his modern character.
PUBLISHED July 6, 2015; edited for typos January 3, 2016.
If you don't know Daniel Bryan's story, then the book's appeal weakens. I already knew half of this stuff, since I'm a wrestling nerd who knows too much about the lives of people who pretend to fight in their underwear. There are still novel anecdotes for people who have followed Bryan's career, including his love life, which sounds even more poorly scripted than WWE television. Brie Bella was a beautiful model originally paired with Bryan in storylines where she thought his "veganism" meant he was a virgin. Her character wanted to be his first time - painfully bad to watch, but off-camera the two discovered they were both ecology nerds, fell in love, and married. The anecdotes of how other wrestlers encouraged or pranked their relationship are way better than anything from WWE television.
The book tries to be nice to WWE management, such that you question how many editors WWE ran it through. Yet one still can't fathom their ineptitude for putting Bryan through an extensive training camp, then putting him in a televised competition with obstacle courses and soda-drinking competitions, but never once telling him that choking someone was forbidden. The result? He was fired a week after appearing on Monday Night Raw. If you don't know it, the story of them hiring him back in secret is fabulous.
The end of the memoir has been widely exposed, as it's by far the most interesting part: Bryan says all his struggles weren't worth it, and he only continues wrestling because he doesn't know what else to do with his life. He wrote this in a deep depression over the death of his father, someone Bryan rarely saw in recent years because he was always traveling for WWE. It's tragic for him, and unfortunately not handled very well in the book itself, for while it's radically honest, he only ponders this for one page. He doesn't dig into his regrets, or the existential problem of being uncertain of his place in life, and how being a wrestler means having so little family visible in your life. The doubts also never color any of the earlier sections, so there are over three hundred pages of optimism and amusement, abruptly terminated.
That's where YES! struggles as memoir. While his life has provided ample amusing and frightening anecdotes, Bryan doesn't have much to say about any of them. They fly by with little reflection, whether it's having his ear drum burst by a "stiff" wrestler, or being stranded in Japan by a shady employer. The writing is often equally shallow; he is "scared to death" at least three times, using clichés where you want reflection. You'd expect a ghostwriter to expand on this material, if the ghostwriter did much work here.
As it is, the credited co-writer adds a preface to every chapter, reflecting on the week before Bryan's big Wrestlemania win. These are uniformly tedious. If you're reading a wrestler's memoir, you know he goes to the gym and does interviews, and that there's lots of media coverage around Wrestlemania. We're here for the Bryan-half of these chapters, about growing up in Aberdeen, WA, with little money and ambition, and the road through the U.S., England, and Japan, to becoming his modern character.
PUBLISHED July 6, 2015; edited for typos January 3, 2016.
March 9, 2017
A real-life David vs. Goliath tale told through the prism of the wacky world of pro wrestling. Daniel Bryan is a 5 ft. 8in. tall former vegan with a giant unkempt beard, an average build, and a heart 3 sizes too big. He is in no way your typical WWE wrestler. But through hard work, perseverance, and simply being a genuine person, he has become one of the icons of his generation. This memoir follows Bryan’s path from the Pacific Northwest, to Japan, to California, to finally the WWE, and everywhere in between. Humorous road stories, personal struggles, relationship woes, and his eventual win at Wrestlemania XXX are told straight from the “goat’s” mouth.
October 19, 2018
I feel as though this book had two different writing styles. Each chapter begins with text in italics that talks about the lead up to WrestleMania XXX and Daniel Bryan's participation in those events. I totally could have done without these sections. Although I imagine that provided a framework for the book, I found the writing to be...cheesy, I guess. Very Kayfabe, which I found irritating, though I imagine some fans would enjoy it.
The rest of the book, the sections that were in Daniel Bryan's voice, were good. I enjoyed learning about his life and his wrestling career in greater detail.
The rest of the book, the sections that were in Daniel Bryan's voice, were good. I enjoyed learning about his life and his wrestling career in greater detail.
March 5, 2019
I will start off this review by admitting that I love WWE. Since I don't believe in calling things "guilty pleasures" I'll just openly admit it. It's something I've enjoyed watching since my teenage years and I have an on and off relationship with watching it. I know it's fake as hell, but then again, who in his right mind doesn't? It's quite obvious, but still it's fun and brainless entertainment I really enjoy from time to time.
Daniel Bryan was one of my favourite underdog type wrestlers and when I saw that he had written a biography I just wanted to have it. I mean, the life of a pro wrestler must be very interesting, right? I was not disappointed by what I read in this wonderful and easy read.
"It is my belief that due to modern medicine, humans have stopped evolving in a way that produces healthy adults." ~ Page 16
What's clear to me is that to become a pro wrestler, especially one for the largest wrestling "brand" in the world, you have to work hard. Really, really hard. It's not just the training, the diet, but everything. You have to travel, make a new for yourself, become a loved (or hated) persona fans can cheer or boo at. In other words, it really depends on a lot of factors whether or not you'll become a successful wrestler.
I really enjoyed Daniel Bryan's honesty about the wrestling world. He gave me insights into that world I didn't have before. I also tended to agree with a lot of what he said when it came to his own life philosophy. He's someone who worked his arse off to get to where he wanted to be.
The book builds up to the moment where Bryan fights in the main event on Wrestlemania. It's absolute madness to see what his week looked like before that very moment. And when he finally won, it was all a hollow victory, because it was all fake, but still the pure joy and elation of the moment, it felt real.
"What I had done was not real; it was fiction. I fictionally bucked The Authority. I fictionally won a championship. I was surrounded by fiction, but succeeding in the fiction as if it were a real accomplishment. I wondered if the movie heroes ever felt like this after shooting an action movie, feeling as if they had really somehow saved the day. I would imagine not. I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Still I was proud." ~Page 303
I think I understand Bryan all too well, seeing as I have written a scifi trilogy, all of which is pure fiction. Still, I'm proud of that accomplishment as well, although I have a feeling that I've only just began going down the road. I hope the same applies for Daniel Bryan and his wrestling career, because this book made for one hell of a story!
Final score:
Cover art: ****
Paper smell: *****
Print/lettering: ****
Originality: ****
Information: ****
Overall: ****
Happy reading!
-Jeffrey
Daniel Bryan was one of my favourite underdog type wrestlers and when I saw that he had written a biography I just wanted to have it. I mean, the life of a pro wrestler must be very interesting, right? I was not disappointed by what I read in this wonderful and easy read.
"It is my belief that due to modern medicine, humans have stopped evolving in a way that produces healthy adults." ~ Page 16
What's clear to me is that to become a pro wrestler, especially one for the largest wrestling "brand" in the world, you have to work hard. Really, really hard. It's not just the training, the diet, but everything. You have to travel, make a new for yourself, become a loved (or hated) persona fans can cheer or boo at. In other words, it really depends on a lot of factors whether or not you'll become a successful wrestler.
I really enjoyed Daniel Bryan's honesty about the wrestling world. He gave me insights into that world I didn't have before. I also tended to agree with a lot of what he said when it came to his own life philosophy. He's someone who worked his arse off to get to where he wanted to be.
The book builds up to the moment where Bryan fights in the main event on Wrestlemania. It's absolute madness to see what his week looked like before that very moment. And when he finally won, it was all a hollow victory, because it was all fake, but still the pure joy and elation of the moment, it felt real.
"What I had done was not real; it was fiction. I fictionally bucked The Authority. I fictionally won a championship. I was surrounded by fiction, but succeeding in the fiction as if it were a real accomplishment. I wondered if the movie heroes ever felt like this after shooting an action movie, feeling as if they had really somehow saved the day. I would imagine not. I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Still I was proud." ~Page 303
I think I understand Bryan all too well, seeing as I have written a scifi trilogy, all of which is pure fiction. Still, I'm proud of that accomplishment as well, although I have a feeling that I've only just began going down the road. I hope the same applies for Daniel Bryan and his wrestling career, because this book made for one hell of a story!
Final score:
Cover art: ****
Paper smell: *****
Print/lettering: ****
Originality: ****
Information: ****
Overall: ****
Happy reading!
-Jeffrey
October 9, 2015
During a brief flirtation with Audible, I got this audiobook as my ‘free’ monthly book. I’d read reviews that praised Bryan Danielson’s (sorry, but calling him by his stage name just seems odd in this context) uncommon honesty for a pro wrestler, especially one still under a WWE contract.
And when it comes to Danielson’s appraisal of how his WWE career has been largely mishandled, especially early on, I was stunned by just how open he is. Narrating the book himself probably helps, but the words he uses and the stories he tells genuinely feel authentic. And quite often, very funny.
His description of growing up, of being a child who wanted to be a wrestler, breaking into the business and training with Shawn Michaels are fascinating. As someone who grew up watching British wrestling in the early/mid 1980s and who saw Danielson on one of his UK tours for Brian Dixon in 2003/04, his anecdotes and fond recollections of the British scene and wrestling at Butlin’s are great fun and again, ring true.
His lengthy career in Ring of Honor and his New Japan experiences are detailed and again, he seems extremely honest, even too self-critical at times. His match with Chris Hero on an early 2007 ROH/CZW show was nowhere near as bad as he thinks it was, for instance.
He discusses the death of Chris Benoit and the concussion-related fallout that led to him reading Chris Nowinski’s book ‘Head Games’ and he and Nigel McGuiness finally, belatedly toning down their style, laying off the headbutts and even considering taking time off after being knocked out. The ‘c’ word is all but banned in WWE circles so again, his addressing it so openly is unusual for any wrestling book, much less one written and published while under contract. And with his current status (in concussion-related career limbo) it's especially interesting.
Later in the book, whether because he’s older, wiser, more resigned to things or just generally happier with his career, he seems less inclined to criticise WWE for its many mis-steps and intentional slights but that’s a minor criticism.
More personally, Danielson writes movingly about his family (especially about his father) and quite sweetly, if a bit too openly about his relationship with his wife. He’s generous with his praise and comes across as a genuinely good, likable, honest person.
His book is an excellent read. Just don’t make the mistake I did. Read it. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION. While Danielson’s story is great, the book’s framing device – pointlessly trivial vignettes of his experiences in the few days up to, and including Wrestlemania in 2014 – is horrendous. On paper, or in ebook form, these can be easily skipped. Its not quite so easy with the audio version. And even worse - the words - a bizarre mish-mash of celebrity magazine breathlessness and that weirdly corrupting WWE-newspeak is narrated by Peter Berkrot, a voiceover artist with a monumentally annoying voice and absolutely no idea what he’s regurgitating. That he can’t pronounce John Cena’s name properly may not be his fault but I still wanted to smash my MP3 player to bits every time his scratchily over-enunciated blatherings started.
I've rated the book at **** for Danielson's story but those appalling vignettes almost dragged it down a full star to a *** and at times made me want to give up completely. So yes, just read it.
And when it comes to Danielson’s appraisal of how his WWE career has been largely mishandled, especially early on, I was stunned by just how open he is. Narrating the book himself probably helps, but the words he uses and the stories he tells genuinely feel authentic. And quite often, very funny.
His description of growing up, of being a child who wanted to be a wrestler, breaking into the business and training with Shawn Michaels are fascinating. As someone who grew up watching British wrestling in the early/mid 1980s and who saw Danielson on one of his UK tours for Brian Dixon in 2003/04, his anecdotes and fond recollections of the British scene and wrestling at Butlin’s are great fun and again, ring true.
His lengthy career in Ring of Honor and his New Japan experiences are detailed and again, he seems extremely honest, even too self-critical at times. His match with Chris Hero on an early 2007 ROH/CZW show was nowhere near as bad as he thinks it was, for instance.
He discusses the death of Chris Benoit and the concussion-related fallout that led to him reading Chris Nowinski’s book ‘Head Games’ and he and Nigel McGuiness finally, belatedly toning down their style, laying off the headbutts and even considering taking time off after being knocked out. The ‘c’ word is all but banned in WWE circles so again, his addressing it so openly is unusual for any wrestling book, much less one written and published while under contract. And with his current status (in concussion-related career limbo) it's especially interesting.
Later in the book, whether because he’s older, wiser, more resigned to things or just generally happier with his career, he seems less inclined to criticise WWE for its many mis-steps and intentional slights but that’s a minor criticism.
More personally, Danielson writes movingly about his family (especially about his father) and quite sweetly, if a bit too openly about his relationship with his wife. He’s generous with his praise and comes across as a genuinely good, likable, honest person.
His book is an excellent read. Just don’t make the mistake I did. Read it. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION. While Danielson’s story is great, the book’s framing device – pointlessly trivial vignettes of his experiences in the few days up to, and including Wrestlemania in 2014 – is horrendous. On paper, or in ebook form, these can be easily skipped. Its not quite so easy with the audio version. And even worse - the words - a bizarre mish-mash of celebrity magazine breathlessness and that weirdly corrupting WWE-newspeak is narrated by Peter Berkrot, a voiceover artist with a monumentally annoying voice and absolutely no idea what he’s regurgitating. That he can’t pronounce John Cena’s name properly may not be his fault but I still wanted to smash my MP3 player to bits every time his scratchily over-enunciated blatherings started.
I've rated the book at **** for Danielson's story but those appalling vignettes almost dragged it down a full star to a *** and at times made me want to give up completely. So yes, just read it.
July 15, 2022
First off let me just say, Wow what a journey Daniel Bryan has had through his career.
Daniel Bryan is one of those guys that you can't help but like and cheer for. His passion for the business of sports entertainment and pro wrestling is undeniable. All he every wanted to be is a pro wrestler and excel to be the best where ever he happened to be wrestling, wether that be in front of 30 people in England of the 75,000 people at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. His very humble upbringing in Aberdeen, Washington molded his easy going personality. At a young age he fell in love with pro wrestling and he knew his life back then would never be the same. Forgoing the opportunity for going to college, and with his parents blessing, he left Aberdeen for the first time to drive down to San Antonio, Texas to be trained by Shawn Michaels. Giving the monicker of the "American Dragon" he would go on an incredible journey bouncing around different territories in the USA, England, Germany, and Japan. When Ring of Honor wrestling was started Bryan fit right in to their blend of mat wrestling and aggressive style. He became a huge star on the independent scene and became the ROH World Champion. A title he held for over 400 days. When he finally got the opportunity to come to the WWE it was like he was just starting out wrestling again. Everything he had done before WWE didn't matter anymore. Through his talent and tenacity and the undeniable bond with the fans Bryan was thrust into the main event picture and became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania 30.
His story is an amazing tale that kept me reading and couldn't put it down. He is one of a kind and his words will tell you that, and his actions show you that as well.
A must read for any hardcore pro wrestling fan.
Daniel Bryan is one of those guys that you can't help but like and cheer for. His passion for the business of sports entertainment and pro wrestling is undeniable. All he every wanted to be is a pro wrestler and excel to be the best where ever he happened to be wrestling, wether that be in front of 30 people in England of the 75,000 people at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. His very humble upbringing in Aberdeen, Washington molded his easy going personality. At a young age he fell in love with pro wrestling and he knew his life back then would never be the same. Forgoing the opportunity for going to college, and with his parents blessing, he left Aberdeen for the first time to drive down to San Antonio, Texas to be trained by Shawn Michaels. Giving the monicker of the "American Dragon" he would go on an incredible journey bouncing around different territories in the USA, England, Germany, and Japan. When Ring of Honor wrestling was started Bryan fit right in to their blend of mat wrestling and aggressive style. He became a huge star on the independent scene and became the ROH World Champion. A title he held for over 400 days. When he finally got the opportunity to come to the WWE it was like he was just starting out wrestling again. Everything he had done before WWE didn't matter anymore. Through his talent and tenacity and the undeniable bond with the fans Bryan was thrust into the main event picture and became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania 30.
His story is an amazing tale that kept me reading and couldn't put it down. He is one of a kind and his words will tell you that, and his actions show you that as well.
A must read for any hardcore pro wrestling fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
Daniel Bryan delivers the same amount of passion and high energy in his 2015 autobiography that he does in the ring, detailing his rise on the independent circuit up to his WrestleMania 30 main event victory. Bryan's writing style is concise and personable, and this absolutely reads like a passion project. The book never overstayed its welcome and was detailed in pretty much each major part of Bryan's career, lots of fun stories and behind the scenes stuff to find here. I could have done without the little "day in the life of Daniel" blips at the beginning of each chapter, I felt they didn't add a whole lot, and, especially when you get to the end of the book, Bryan is just paraphrasing what Tello has written already. One of the best wrestler autobiographies of the past ten or so years that I've read. Would love to see another Bryan book eventually - this was written prior to his short-lived 2016 retirement, where he's added on to his already stacked career a ton since the release of this book.
January 17, 2016
As far as an honest book about an inherently dishonest business goes, Daniel Bryan's tale of indie wrestling stardom to the top of the WWE really lays out all of the ups and downs involved in a way and with a perspective that few wrestling books ever do. The final pages are both heartening and tragic. With his career status up in the air due to the effects of multiple concussions, I selfishly hope there's more to his story later so he can write another book, but if this is the only one, it has about as perfect an ending as one could want considering where he is once the story is over.
September 14, 2016
Stared from the bottom, is something you often hear, Daniel Bryan truly started from the bottom, this book tells you everything Bryan Danielson had to go through to get to the main event of Wrestle Mania, through the bumps and bruises, through thick and thin, Daniel explains his story from start to finish, he tells story's about his childhood and his marriage, this book really tells you how hard it is to chase your dreams, but if you keep going, you'll make it, which is exactly what Daniel Bryan did.
September 7, 2018
My god Daniel Bryan is boring
August 17, 2018
I'm not gonna lie. I love "wrestling" (Sports Entertainment). I've watched off and on since Cyndi Lauper used Captain Lou Albano in her "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video. There are some amazing athletes in the business and, choreographed or not, these folks work their asses off. They get hurt, sometimes horrifically, and often times they spend their entire lives working toward the goal of "making it". There are "heels" and there are "baby faces" (Dwayne Johnson being one of the best examples of a heel).
My entire family loves Bryan Danielson, so reading this book was a delight. Bryan is emotional, compassionate, passionate, and kind. And? He knows how to get shit done. Shortly after this book came out, we had the absolute pleasure of being able to attend one his signings. He was very kind to all of his fans and, for reals, his laugh is so contagious that it can fill even the blackest of hearts with joy. Yes, it's possible that I am being a little over the top, and that doesn't change the fact that the man that created the "YES! Movement" is one of my all time favorite wrestlers as well as a seemingly damned fine human being.
If you or someone that you know enjoys wrestling, I cannot recommend this book enough.
My entire family loves Bryan Danielson, so reading this book was a delight. Bryan is emotional, compassionate, passionate, and kind. And? He knows how to get shit done. Shortly after this book came out, we had the absolute pleasure of being able to attend one his signings. He was very kind to all of his fans and, for reals, his laugh is so contagious that it can fill even the blackest of hearts with joy. Yes, it's possible that I am being a little over the top, and that doesn't change the fact that the man that created the "YES! Movement" is one of my all time favorite wrestlers as well as a seemingly damned fine human being.
If you or someone that you know enjoys wrestling, I cannot recommend this book enough.
October 3, 2021
Bryan Danielson is one of the very few “good guys” in pro wrestling. No substance abuse issues. No criminal record. No bluster and bravado. No one who has ever said a bad word about him. He’s simply a man who enjoys what he does—it just so happens that what he does is stretch people’s limbs and strike people with chops and kicks.
If you’re a pro wrestling fan, this is a refreshing book. It’s a true underdog story about a man scraping his way to the top while keeping a level head and a positive attitude. Above all, it’s Danielson’s cool-headedness and practical approach to life and his passions, along with his honesty, that makes him such a captivating figure for an autobiography like this one.
Nevermind being an environmentalist and a vegan in a world where chicken breast and steaks are an expected part of the menu.
A must-read for Danielson fans, and recommended for anyone looking for a book with a likeable real-life protagonist you want to cheer for.
If you’re a pro wrestling fan, this is a refreshing book. It’s a true underdog story about a man scraping his way to the top while keeping a level head and a positive attitude. Above all, it’s Danielson’s cool-headedness and practical approach to life and his passions, along with his honesty, that makes him such a captivating figure for an autobiography like this one.
Nevermind being an environmentalist and a vegan in a world where chicken breast and steaks are an expected part of the menu.
A must-read for Danielson fans, and recommended for anyone looking for a book with a likeable real-life protagonist you want to cheer for.
April 13, 2022
This autobiography tracks his career from the very beginning. I’ve been following Bryan Danielson’s career for a long time and there were a lot of stories and behind-the-scenes details that I had no idea about. You can tell Danielson’s storytelling ability resides mostly in the ring because he keeps it simple here, but that’s a plus in this case because his career is long and winding. The parts by Craig Tello I didn’t really care for and the last few chapters were mostly basic reviews of what was happening in his career and didn’t have the charm or detail that previous chapters had.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2022
It was a nice idea to split the narrative between Bryan's life story and the events leading up to WrestleMania XXX, but presenting those events in the third person (and with many cheesy puns) didn't work for me. Plus, some of those third-person events weren't that exciting or inciteful. I much preferred the first-person personal narrative throughout. If Bryan ever writes another book, it would work better to come purely from his voice.
January 10, 2022
I needed a palate cleanser. My husband recommended this biography from his WWE collection. I like Daniel Bryan - good guy - this book was a little dry for me though. I would have preferred to hear a bit more stories from his childhood, or road stories - it was very much about his in ring career - which was fascinating but it at times read like a list of names of wrestlers that I never heard of.
June 7, 2024
I'm not a huge wrestling fan, but my kids loved it when they were younger so I knew a lot of the people he talked about. It was educational learning about how that world works. Daniel Bryan is a wonderful human. Tears at the end were unexpected.
October 5, 2025
Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania by Daniel Bryan
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
"Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania" by Daniel Bryan is a captivating and inspiring memoir that offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at the life and career of one of professional wrestling's most beloved superstars. With his trademark humility, humor, and passion, Bryan takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of his improbable journey to the top of the WWE.
Compelling Narrative:
From his humble beginnings on the independent wrestling circuit to his triumphant moment in the main event of WrestleMania XXX, Bryan's narrative is as compelling as it is inspiring. With candor and vulnerability, he shares the challenges and obstacles he faced along the way, from career-threatening injuries to backstage politics and personal struggles. Through it all, Bryan's indomitable spirit and unwavering determination shine through, making his journey a testament to the power of perseverance and self-belief.
Insightful Reflections:
One of the strengths of "Yes" is Bryan's insightful reflections on the wrestling industry and the nature of success. He offers candid observations on the demands of life on the road, the physical toll of in-ring competition, and the pressures of performing for a global audience. At the same time, Bryan delves into deeper philosophical questions about identity, purpose, and fulfillment, challenging readers to reconsider their own definitions of success and happiness.
Comparison to Contemporaries:
When compared to its contemporaries in the world of wrestling memoirs, such as "The Rock Says..." by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks" by Mick Foley, "Yes" stands out for its authenticity and relatability. While Johnson and Foley offer larger-than-life tales of fame and fortune, Bryan's story is grounded in humility and humanity, making it accessible to wrestling fans of all ages and backgrounds.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, "Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania" by Daniel Bryan is a must-read for wrestling fans and anyone who appreciates a good underdog story. With its compelling narrative, insightful reflections, and universal themes of perseverance and self-discovery, Bryan's memoir transcends the world of professional wrestling to offer readers a poignant reminder of the power of hope, resilience, and the human spirit. Whether you're a die-hard WWE fan or simply a lover of inspiring stories, "Yes" is sure to leave you cheering for Daniel Bryan and shouting "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
June 27, 2019
Excellent read with very intriguing behind the scenes details
March 13, 2017
There were some dry spots but I loved hearing about his rise to the top...hearing about team hell-no lol...I was watching his wwe debut thru his retirement...I feel terrible for him...he's a man who should have gotten more...especially considering that the gimmick given to him by the fan is being the most over mother fucker ever lol
April 18, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I liked getting to learn more about Bryan. He talks about his life before wrestling, his time on the independents, his relationship with Brie Bella and what it was like for him to get to WWE. The book was written before he was forced to retire due to his injuries.
Yes! is really an expanded version of the WWE 24/7 article chronicling what his life was like in the week leading up to his match against Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 30 in 2014. Each chapter starts with a black and white photo, a date and time, and a description by Craig Tello from WWE.com. After that, Bryan starts his story. I liked the format, but there is a lot of text per page. Craig's parts are kind of cheesy since he tried to fit as many of Bryan's nicknames in there as possible(Yes Man, Bearded Superstar, The Beard, etc). There's also a photo of Bryan on the bottom of the pages that does the Yes! chant when you flip them. I thought that was really neat.
Bryan comes across as being a very humble guy from modest beginnings who just really loves wrestling. You can feel how passionate he is about it and how much he loves going out there and having a great match, no matter how many people are in the audience. The way he talks about his wife, Brie, is very sweet. I learned more about her through this book too.
I loved getting more insight into moments that I saw on TV, like his time in NXT. I remember how excited I was when they asked him what he was going to do since he lost the show and he said "Daniel Bryan might be done, but Bryan Danielson--God knows what's going to happen to him." I've been a fan of his since 2003 when I saw him in Ring of Honor, so it was very cool to me that he used his real name. That's not something that wrestlers using a stage name really do. I figured he'd go back to ROH, but instead he ended up being part of the Nexus storyline on Raw. There were a few hiccup in his career after that, but he gained a loyal fan base. When he started using the Yes! chant, it blew up and became a huge thing. Fans of other sports started doing it at basketball games and fans still do it today when they like something that they see in the ring.
Going into the WrestleMania match, you can really feel how happy he was. He was about to win the top prize in WWE and he was getting married. Unfortunately, his happiness was short lived. His father passed away and then he had a series of concussions that would lead to his retirement. The last chapter of this book was so sad that I almost cried.
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson, professional wrestling and feel good stories.
Yes! is really an expanded version of the WWE 24/7 article chronicling what his life was like in the week leading up to his match against Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 30 in 2014. Each chapter starts with a black and white photo, a date and time, and a description by Craig Tello from WWE.com. After that, Bryan starts his story. I liked the format, but there is a lot of text per page. Craig's parts are kind of cheesy since he tried to fit as many of Bryan's nicknames in there as possible(Yes Man, Bearded Superstar, The Beard, etc). There's also a photo of Bryan on the bottom of the pages that does the Yes! chant when you flip them. I thought that was really neat.
Bryan comes across as being a very humble guy from modest beginnings who just really loves wrestling. You can feel how passionate he is about it and how much he loves going out there and having a great match, no matter how many people are in the audience. The way he talks about his wife, Brie, is very sweet. I learned more about her through this book too.
I loved getting more insight into moments that I saw on TV, like his time in NXT. I remember how excited I was when they asked him what he was going to do since he lost the show and he said "Daniel Bryan might be done, but Bryan Danielson--God knows what's going to happen to him." I've been a fan of his since 2003 when I saw him in Ring of Honor, so it was very cool to me that he used his real name. That's not something that wrestlers using a stage name really do. I figured he'd go back to ROH, but instead he ended up being part of the Nexus storyline on Raw. There were a few hiccup in his career after that, but he gained a loyal fan base. When he started using the Yes! chant, it blew up and became a huge thing. Fans of other sports started doing it at basketball games and fans still do it today when they like something that they see in the ring.
Going into the WrestleMania match, you can really feel how happy he was. He was about to win the top prize in WWE and he was getting married. Unfortunately, his happiness was short lived. His father passed away and then he had a series of concussions that would lead to his retirement. The last chapter of this book was so sad that I almost cried.
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson, professional wrestling and feel good stories.
July 11, 2016
This is a great read given Bryan Danielson's unique rise to prominence within the WWE ("Daniel Bryan" is the WWE owned pseudonym for Bryan Danielson). Truly, I cannot think of any professional wrestler that was able to succeed despite so many biases working against him - ESPECIALLY in the WWE. With that said, you catch glimpses of some seething anger, but often times it feels a bit sanitized in order to play nicely with the WWE hierarchy that didn't believe in him until forced to by the fans. In fact, it's such an amazing underdog story that it's almost equally tragic that you now cannot help but read the book as less a pure triumph and more of a sad moment in time given that reading about the thrilling Wrestlemania championship climax is undercut by the reality that earlier this year, injuries and the toll of his wrestling style cost Bryan Danielson the ability to continue showcasing his talents and forced him to retire (something NOT covered in the book). Regardless, it's terrific to read about Bryan Danielson's training and professional development, life on the independent wrestling circuit and the frustrating tenures within the WWE before the fans forced him into the spotlight and wouldn't allow him to leave. I would have welcomed more stories about Bryan Danielson and other indie superstars that are now currently within the WWE, but those narratives felt needlessly omitted despite multiple passages describing deep friendships (but this might have been caused by those now-WWE Stars not having yet been signed at the time of the book's writing). One truly wonderful moment in the book, especially for me as a wrestling and Bryan Danielson fan, was the detailing of the night in Seattle when the hot Seattle crowd derailed RAW with "YES!" chants and the deafening cries of "DANIEL BRYAN." The event was so stunning that not only did it force Triple-H to deviate from the script, but also inspired John Cena to drop one of the most incredible promos (a professional wrestling verbal attack against a foe) I had ever heard him deliver. And the best part is that throughout this amazing moment, Bryan Danielson was worried he get yelled at for the tremendous display of affection. So, while a good read, not as great a read as other legendary wrestling books ("Pure Dynamite" by Tom Billington, Bret Hart's biography, "Tributes" by Dave Meltzer or Mick Foley's "Have a Nice Day."), but still very enjoyable - especially if you were a fan of Bryan Danielson's in-ring work.
October 4, 2015
Okay. Okay. I know wrestling isn't real or whatever. But growing up I always enjoyed wrestling. In recent years I started watching a little more here and there. There are a few reasons I wanted to check this book out. The first and most obvious reason is that Daniel Bryan is a little man in a big man's business. Another reason is that Daniel Bryan spent some time in San Antonio. I actually watched him wrestle back in his TWA days.
I'll start by saying Daniel Bryan has a great voice. He seems like a really awesome dude. He's funny, interesting, and smart. With that being said, Craig Tello's parts in the book really drag. Tello starts each chapter describing Daniel Bryan's week of Wrestlemania. So there is basically two things going on. The week leading up to Wrestlemania 30 and Daniel Bryan talking about his career leading up to WWE. I mean I guess it is cool but not really that effective. Craig Tello seems like he is trying to keep the "kayfabe" going strong. While Daniel Bryan talks about calling spots, rehearsals, and story lines.
Overall I found this book interesting. Daniel Bryan is definitely an interesting character and it was cool to see him mention TWA, San Antonio, and Shawn Michaels.
I'll start by saying Daniel Bryan has a great voice. He seems like a really awesome dude. He's funny, interesting, and smart. With that being said, Craig Tello's parts in the book really drag. Tello starts each chapter describing Daniel Bryan's week of Wrestlemania. So there is basically two things going on. The week leading up to Wrestlemania 30 and Daniel Bryan talking about his career leading up to WWE. I mean I guess it is cool but not really that effective. Craig Tello seems like he is trying to keep the "kayfabe" going strong. While Daniel Bryan talks about calling spots, rehearsals, and story lines.
Overall I found this book interesting. Daniel Bryan is definitely an interesting character and it was cool to see him mention TWA, San Antonio, and Shawn Michaels.
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