At the most recent Elimination Chamber — WWE’s last pay-per-view event before WrestleMania — a non-title, non-gimmick, early match stole the show. Why? Because it featured two of the best, and most revered, wrestlers on the SmackDown brand.
Drew Gulak vs Daniel Bryan ruled.
Even though Drew lost, Daniel made him look like a serious threat who can go the distance with a former World champion. Hope they’re able to keep the momentum going and do more with Gulak going forward. #WWEChamber
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) March 8, 2020
One you know: Daniel Bryan, a shoo-in for the WWE Hall of Fame, a tactical, precise and engaging wrestler with few equals in the ring, and one with a connection to the WWE Universe that most performers today wouldn’t dream of. The other? Drew Gulak, a fan-favorite 205 Live performer who has been underutilized on the main roster, but may finally be getting the dues he deserves. The two went the distance with an aggressive, ground assault, suplex and submission heavy match that surprised, and delighted. Gulak, a relative newcomer to the main roster held his own against the practically legendary Bryan, and WWE looked all the better for it.
But, who exactly is Gulak and what makes him the kind of performer that deserves the coveted WWE “push” over his SmackDown roster mates? AIPT investigates in a new, thematically appropriate PowerPoint (technically it’s Google Slides, but roll with me) presentation you can see below:

Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!