Top 8 Favorite Daniel Bryan PPV Matches

I actually struggled pretty hard to find a Top 8 list to prepare for this week, and then I watched last Monday's RAW. If you're a wrestling fan, you know, like the rest of the world does, that Daniel Bryan has chosen to retire from professional wrestling. So, there's no better countdown this week than a celebration of his best PPV matches. Now, because someone is bound to bring it up, I'm going to address why there are no ROH matches on this list. I don't have easy access to all the Bryan Danielson matches in the world, so I don't want to be given the trouble of having to search through the archives and am solely sticking with the PPV matches he had under the ring name Daniel Bryan. Hence, this is a WWE only kind of list. With that out of the way, let's get to the countdown. These are my Top 8 favorite PPV matches in the career of Daniel Bryan.


Number 8: Team Hell No vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (Royal Rumble 2013)

I really wanted to include at least 1 match featuring Team Hell No, even if they aren't as technically sound as the other matches on this countdown. But it is such a focal point of his career and main event push that I felt inclined to place my favorite match of theirs at the Number 8 spot. The best feud they had was with Team Rhodes Scholars, the underrated pairing of Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, and the match they had at the 2013 Royal Rumble is a true gem. The chemistry between the two teams was there, Daniel Bryan and Kane were very much in tune with each other during the match. But of course, they had their usual antics later on during the Royal Rumble match. So it's nice to see that a team like that could have their cake and eat it too. Put on a great tag team match where they can be on the same page, while also having some great comedic moments sprinkled throughout. Definitely up there with The Rock n Sock Connection and Booker T and Goldust as one of my favorite odd pairings.

Number 7: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (Extreme Rules 2012)

This 2 Out of 3 Falls match shows the fans what type of match these two could have had at WrestleMania XXVIII. We all know about their 18 second encounter, and you either love it or you hate it. I love that it led to the Yes Movement, but that doesn't mean I wasn't disappointed with a World Heavyweight Championship match that lasted 18 seconds at WrestleMania. This match really helps redeem that, showing off Bryan's in-ring psychology and a much more aggressive style that we weren't used to seeing yet. It also did favors for Sheamus, giving him a "never say die" attitude, as Bryan really wore him out by the time we got to the third fall. Add a rowdy Chicago crowd and you have a match that really showed the many layers Daniel Bryan had in the ring. It was a match that proved he could hang in the main event with some of the top players in WWE.

Number 6: Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt (Royal Rumble 2014)

This match opened the 2014 Royal Rumble and completely stole the show. This was a very heated feud at the time we got to this match, so fans were really hoping these two would deliver. But we never figured they would have delivered THIS much. The tone was set for the rest of the night and the other matches couldn't measure up to the standard they set. I especially enjoy how the last 10 minutes really kick the match into a higher gear. I've never been the biggest fan of the Wyatt Family in terms of the matches they put on, but this is most certainly Bray's best match to date and I think a lot of that can be credited to Bryan being the opponent. The fire was lit under both men to show why they're the future of the company, and they went out there and had a great match that helped get both men over.

Number 5: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan (Money in the Bank 2012)

Heading into this list, I felt I was going to have a tough time picking between their Over the Limit match and their Money in the Bank match. I knew one was going to be on here, but they are both very different in styles. Over the Limit had more of a straight wrestling feel, playing on the strengths of both men being Indy darlings who never thought they would get to perform at this level in WWE. The Money in the Bank match is superior because of the Over the Limit match. They know what they can do heading into this match, so they have to top themselves. They have to be more aggressive, have a quicker pacing, utilize a No Disqualification stipulation to up the stakes, and play to an actual storyline by including the love triangle with AJ Lee and having her be the special guest referee. The storyline is really what helps the match because it's showcasing a reason behind all the physicality and anarchy.

Number 4: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (Bragging Rights 2010)

I was in a tough spot choosing which of Daniel's early matches I was going to put on the list. On the one hand, winning the United States Championship from The Miz at Night of Champions is a good moment. But on the other hand, this match gave me goosebumps. The sequences in this match were sheer perfection. These two young guns really went out there and owned the show. I remember being in awe when this first aired, seeing that these were two of my favorite athletes to watch at the time. And to think, this was a match that opened the show featuring the two midcard champions. And they just went out there and said "Follow that!" And I believe it was the runner up for Match of the Year against Undertaker and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI. I think that speaks for itself.

Number 3: Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXX)

I didn't want to play a cop out and combine his two Mania XXX matches into one spot, so I had to measure the two matches individually. One match is better for the moment in Daniel Bryan's career, while the other is the better worked match, so it's a bit of a Sophie's choice which one outweighs the other. For me, Daniel Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is great, but the match with Triple H is just a tad better. This match has a lot of great moments and spots that build off of what the Triple H match established earlier in the night. It's obvious that this match owes a lot to the Triple Threat main event of Mania XX, but if you're going to emulate a WrestleMania match, choosing my favorite isn't a bad direction to go. The fans really helped make this a reality, since no one wanted to see a main event with just Orton and Batista going at it, so it's great to see and hear the fans stand behind Bryan for this moment in his career. Seeing him overcome the odds and become the "Miracle on Bourbon Street" is the perfect way to close the night and is easily his biggest career defining moment, but he also has a few matches that are better.

Number 2: Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXX)

Like this match. This match felt like the culmination of Bryan's feud with the Authority, with an excellent video package to accompany the big fight feel. These two opened WrestleMania and put on the best match of the night. You've probably noticed that Bryan has done that a LOT in this countdown. Adding the stipulation that the winner would go to the main event WWE World Heavyweight Championship match really added an extra layer to it all. Daniel Bryan having to fight to even get to this match, heading in with a bandaged shoulder, and having to survive this instant classic with Triple H AND a WWE World Heavyweight Championship later that night, it all combines for an amazing night in the career of Daniel Bryan. While the payoff is sweet, I think the chase is a little more enjoyable, hence why I prefer him having to fight in this match in order to get to the main event.

Number 1: John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan (SummerSlam 2013)

But there's one match that's better. One that has the sweet payoff and the chase for the title all in one night, in the proper order, and did wonders for Bryan's career than any other match in my opinion. And surprisingly to most of the internet fans, it was against John Cena. These two put on an absolute classic at SummerSlam, with Cena having an injured elbow, Bryan being considered a serious underdog, and Triple H serving as guest referee. The result was one of the best main events I have ever watched. The fans were behind Bryan, but gave Cena enough credit for hanging with him for a wrestling match. The finish brought fans to their feet, cheering for Bryan in victory. Cena and Bryan have their nice little show of sportsmanship. Bryan has the chance to celebrate, and then Randy Orton comes out with the Money in the Bank briefcase. Triple H turns heel, Pedigrees Bryan and Orton cashes in and becomes your new WWE Champion. Talk about a perfect match and moment to end a PPV. You have a new main eventer established by beating John Cena, then you rip that title from him by the newly founded Authority. The result is you have given the Bryan and the fans a brief moment of validation, but also can have him be the superstar fans rally behind to chase after the title. Fantastic moment in wrestling history, and, in my opinion, the moment that Daniel Bryan truly arrived.

Are there any that I'm forgetting? Is there one on this list that you think isn't deserving of a top spot? Well, let me know in the comments and also suggest what type of wrestling countdown you'd like to see me do next.


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