What exactly makes you "deserving" of a push?

It's a combination of many things including work ethic and ability. The most important things are your ability to get over with the crowd and the skill to own your character and make it work.

Look at New Day. If I told you their gimmick in a nutshell, you'd say that shouldn't work. However, they own it and it's arguably the best thing going in the company right now. They get more TV time because of how well they're nailing it.

I think your backstage attitude has a lot to do with it also. If they like working with you, they'll put more time into getting you over (Titus). But if your lazy and unmotivated (Carlito), you get jobbed out and released.

Daniel Bryan was over... But deceivingly so. He had a gimmick that wasn't sustainable. Even if he was still wrestling, he would have never been the top guy. He is the definition of overrated.

That being said, there are 3 main attributes to how big of a star you can be. And these ARE in order...

1) Personality/Character/Gimmick
2) Your Look
3) Your wrestling ability (and ironically, history has shown that this is pretty distant to the other two)

In the 70s and 80s numbers 1 & 2 would be switched.

Now let's dissect this by looking at some of the most popular wrestlers of all time vs. the ones who aren't. Shawn Michaels is probably the quintessential example of a guy who knocked it out of the park in all 3 categories. He kills it on the mic. He always looked cool (especially in 95-98 and again in 2002-2004 with the heartbreaker attire). And I don't even have to explain his wrestling ability. He was just phenomenal.

Now. Let's take a look at a guy like Cesaro. No personality whatsoever. His look? He's strong, but a bland ass looking bald guy. Then again so was Stone Cold... BUUUUT Stone Cold knocked out of the park in category one! See where this is going?

Hulk Hogan. Knocked it out of the park in category one. He had a great look for category two. And finally, he was total ing shyt in category three. And yet, he was the biggest name in wrestling for years and is still one of the most recognizable names and always will be. Ultimate Warrior was the same way for his three categories.

The Rock... Kills category 1. Pretty good in category 2. Pretty good in category 3.

Kevin Nash... Good in category 1. Great in category 2. Sack of shyt in category 3.

Undertaker... ing awesome Look. Great in ring ability. Good promo work. And that's why been a staple for years and still going.

Do you see a recurring theme here? Your personality/character and to a lesser extent look are the priorities. No one cares about Cesaros no matter what their in-ring abilities are.

Of course right now, Roman Reigns is challenging that dynamic. That is because he is so good at categories 2 & 3 that they are trying to push him in the top spot... But his category 1 is just so lacking. Bless his heart... He tries. But it's just not there. It's like Will Smith's son being shoved down our throats in cinema. It's just not working. Of course, one major difference between Roman Reigns and Jaden Smith is that Reigns has talent and looks cool.

I view Daniel Bryan and CM Punk as two deceptions to the ideology. Let's start with Punk. His in ring ability is good, although we've established that hardly means anything. His look was always good enough. His promo work was good, but became phenomenal with the pipe bomb. But that's the problem... You can't sustain a singular moment of defiance forever. The whole standing up to authority thing was cool and all... But once he won the title, there was nothing left to bitch about. And then he kept bitching. And people stopped caring. Then they turned him heel. And he bitched some more. He held the belt for over a year and couldn't draw. He blames creative but the truth is he just wasn't over in the long term as he seemed poised to be.

The exact same thing can be said about Bryan. The defiant underdog. But once underdogs have their moments, no one cares. After he won at WM 30, people tuned in for the celebratory Raw and that was it. Ratings dipped hard and then he got injured. The only relevance he has had is about his neck and Brie. No one has been talking about his matches or WM moment because no one cares anymore. Well until now as everyone's jumping the "oh I'm so sad blah blah" bandwagon. But in time, that will be forgotten too. He was never the guy. Why? Well, let's look at the categories again.

Daniel Brian:

1) Personality was fun at times but not sustainable. He's a great midcarder and should have been kept there.

2) His look? Not great. He's a shrimp. If he was Luchador athletic and feuding with Rey Mysterio? Sure. On the midcard. But feuding and beating the likes of Cena or Triple H??? GTFO. And finally

3)... Well, we've already established the meaning of 3.

I rest my case.

First thing I thought of and I figured you of all people would appreciate it.

Hey, Carlito was fired for refusing rehab, get it right bub.

This. Not only that, but the company did everything they could to stop Daniel Bryan from being over and it didnt work.

They turned him into a comedy act. He was still over.

They had him say "NO!" instead of "YES!". He was still over.

They turned him heel. He was still over.

They had him get beat down on Raw almost every week from Summerslam 2013 to Wrestlemania XXX. He was still over.

Wait, that Ric Flair promo where he called him lazy was legit? I had no idea, that was before my time on the IWC.

To Vince? Being 250+ lbs.

To everyone else? Being over with the crowd, which stems from putting on quality matches.

That's a shame, I really liked him as a kid.