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Daniel Bryan has been cleared to wrestle once again by the WWE. Bryan will join Shane McMahon to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania.
Following that match, however, Bryan could face virtually anyone heading forward, setting WWE fans minds alight with a host of possible matches.
Here is how I'd like to see WWE employ Bryan's talents in the upcoming year, from start to finish. Let's start with WrestleMania 34.
WrestleMania 34: Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
The story is already there for this match as Owens and Zayn have attacked McMahon and Bryan in consecutive tweets. Zayn and Owens had been fired in the storyline but have an opportunity to keep their jobs safe at WrestleMania if they can beat McMahon and Bryan on the "Grandest Stage Of Them All".
The match itself is a good way of safely reintroducing Bryan to the ring as McMahon can take the majority of the punishment for him and when Bryan does enter the match he will be in there with two of the safest workers in the company, Owens and Zayn.
Ultimately, Owens and Zayn really have to win this match at this point given the stipulation but it should come after an altercation between McMahon and Bryan.
Among other incidents, Bryan can have the match won before McMahon can tag himself in and look to claim the victory for himself. When McMahon eventually takes the pin as he should, McMahon can shove Bryan and blame him for the loss.
After hitting McMahon with a flying knee, Bryan can once again lead a Yes! chant at WrestleMania, with Owens and Zayn chiming in with Yep!
Backlash: Daniel Bryan vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Following WrestleMania, Shane McMahon should remove Bryan from his post as SmackDown Live's General Manager. Bryan can be welcomed back to the ring as a Superstar by Owens and Zayn, still harbouring ill will towards Bryan, who they feel didn't treat them fairly and were too friendly with the biased Shane McMahon.
The duo can pick on Bryan in the weeks leading up to Backlash and demolish any Superstar that tries to come to his aid. McMahon can make this a handicap match with the aim of teaching Bryan a lesson for his actions at WrestleMania.
Backlash is rumoured to be hosting this year's Superstar shakeup. So I'd incorporate this possibility into Bryan's handicap match. Bryan can begin with a strong flurry, nailing both men with his offense before being slowed down by the numbers game. Owens and Zayn can both beat Bryan, seeking to hurt him more rather than win the match.
This can result in the duo getting disqualified but continuing to attack a helpless Bryan. Seth Rollins can then be announced as the newest Smackdown Live Superstar and can charge down to the ring to make the save. Rollins and Bryan can then shake hands in the middle of the ring to end the segment.
Money in the Bank: Daniel Bryan vs Seth Rollins
Heading into Money in the Bank, Bryan can announce that while he is desperate to get back into World title contention, he's been told that the WWE aren't willing to risk putting him in a Money in the Bank ladder match just yet. However, he can say that has been told he will be allowed to have his first one-on-one match since his return from injury and now all he needs is an opponent.
A number of Superstars can throw their hat into the ring to face Bryan before a battle royal match is booked to determine who will face him at the pay-per-view. Seth Rollins should manage to come out on top and enter into a mutual respect feud with Bryan over the next month.
In a pay-per-view known for its gimmick matches, Bryan and Rollins should be allowed to go toe-to-toe on their own for an extended amount of time. After a back-and-forth match where both men look closing to gaining victory a number of times, Bryan should eventually come out on top. After the match, Rollins can seem very aggravated but when Bryan offers a handshake, he should oblige.
Extreme Rules: Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins
On the following Smackdown Live, Rollins can come down to the ring and ask to shake Bryan's hand one more time. Bryan can head down to the ring and thank Rollins for being a worthy competitor and reminding him just how hard wrestling in the WWE is. Rollins can play along as if it was his pleasure before offering Bryan one last handshake.
When Bryan accepts, Rollins can turn on him, beating down on Bryan and hitting him with two curb stomps before storming off backstage. Rollins can later justofu his actions by stating that he was sick of the fans adoring Bryan over him when he was the one who's been breaking his back trying to entertain them over the last three years.
Rollins can revert to his evil, vicious persona of old and set up a second match between the pair. This time I'd have them take part in an extreme rules match to allow some variation from their first encounter.
The match can be pretty violent with the bad blood between the two men becoming very apparent. Once again the two can duel it out for a while in what should seem a very even contest. Eventually, however, Bryan should come out on top once again, concluding this feud and setting him up to take on a new foe at Summerslam.
Summerslam: Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar
The next night Bryan can come down to the ring and say he feels he is ready to return to the world title picture. He can point out that he has not lost since returning to the ring and can issue a challenge to the WWE Champion Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura, who ought to have carried the title since WrestlMania can come down to the ring and accept before Rollins can appear and object. He can explain how it's not fair that Bryan is given an opportunity so soon after returning to action and claim he is more deserving to challenge Nakamura at Summerslam.
McMahon, still holding a grudge against Bryan, can announce a number One contender's match for later in the night either just between Rollins and Bryan, or a multi-man match including other contenders for the title. The match should conclude with Bryan looking like he's going to pick up the win before the victory is stolen by Rollins who can book his spot at Summerslam to face Nakamura for the title.
In the weeks that follow, Bryan can explain his disappointment but insist he will still have the main event fight at Summerslam. He can say he has one man in mind, someone he's never faced but someone he's always wanted to. This can culminate in Bryan calling out Lesnar, who can at some point accept by charging down to the ring and demolishing Bryan in typical Lesnar fashion.
The match itself can be an epic underdog versus destroyer bout. Bryan should manage to pick up the win here and build on his growing wave of momentum. To carry on Nakamura and Rollins's program, I'd have the villainous Rollins end Nakamura's reign here.
Hell in a Cell: Daniel Bryan vs. Shane McMahon
Following Bryan's big win at Summerslam, he can head down to the ring and insist Shane McMahon to finally give him the one-on-one match for the WWE title that he deserves. Shane can point out that Nakamura has his rematch clause and claim there's nothing he can do.
Bryan can urge Shane to make the match a triple threat after beating Rollins on SmackDown the following week. Once again, the Commissioner can refuse. Bryan can then call Shane to the ring and note that while they did have their differences when they were working as Commissioner and General Manager and despite what went down at WrestleMania, he is now a wrestler and as a wrestler, he has earned the opportunity.
Shane can get frustrated and agree that the pair had their issues in the past. He can explain that he can't put him in the title match at Hell in a Cell because he already has an opponent lined up for him. When Bryan asks who, he can attack Bryan setting up a Hell in a Cell match between the two at the pay-per-view.
This is definitely not the most exciting opponent for Bryan to face but there is a strong story behind this fight. While McMahon and Bryan will team together at this year's WrestleMania, to get a proper payoff from the two's animosity for months, they do eventually need to come to blows.
Shane can rally after taking a beating from Bryan and provide one of his signature cell dive spots. Ultimately, however, Bryan should, of course, win this one and McMahon should be taken off TV for a considerable time after this match. I'd also like to see Nakamura regain his title on this show, setting up a dream title match with Daniel Bryan down the line.
TLC: Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Finn Balor
On the SmackDown Live following Hell in a Cell, a new General Manager should be announced. The power abusing boss shtick has grown very old so either a fair or baby-face leaning GM would be an ideal choice here. Someone like Kurt Angle, Sting or William Regal would be ideal. The new GM can announce that opportunities have been denied on SmackDown for far too long and he is here to change that.
He can announce that the WWE championship will be defended in a TLC match at the TLC pay-per-view and anyone who has proven themselves worthy will be included. Nakamura is in as defending champion, Rollins gets in the match by way of his rematch clause and Bryan can also be given a spot in the title match that he has deserved for months. This would also be a good opportunity to introduce another face to the title picture and having someone like Finn Balor earn his way into the match could add to the fun.
The match ought to be all the chaos that a TLC match should be. Bryan could get his fingertips on the title but just fall short of winning the title with Nakamura retaining.
Survivor Series: Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Adam Cole & Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Randy Orton, Jinder Mahal & Jonny Gargano
Bryan can again request a title match at this pay-per-view but can once again be placed into a different bout. With this being Survivor Series, presuming WWE goes in the same direction as last year, the champions on each show will face off, leaving the major stars not holding titles on each show to enter the classic elimination tag match.
Bryan can not be happy about this and this can lead to some infighting within the team that is classic in this sort of match. The competitors here aren't really important but should tease a number of exciting matches between the Superstars on different brands.
The winner here also isn't important but Bryan should look strong, either by not being eliminated or by falling victim to some infighting in his team.
Clash of Champions: Daniel Bryan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (c)
Finally, Bryan is given his one-on-one match for the title. Bryan vs. Nakamura is a dream match and so, neither need to turn their back on the other in the build-up to this bout.
The match itself should be allowed to run on for a long time. The two great workers can finally seem to be coming to the end of their match, with Bryan looking like he might finally win the world title he's been craving.
Bryan can lock in the yes lock and Nakamura can be about to tap, when The Miz's music can hit and he can charge down to the ring with his Money in the Bank contract in hand. He can assault both men with the briefcase and nail a skull crushing finale on top of the briefcase to each man before cashing in his money in the bank contract. Miz can pin Nakamura and leave Clash of Champions with the title.
Royal Rumble: Royal Rumble match
Following Clash of Champions, Bryan can somberly head down to the ring alone. He can announce that at the pay-per-view he suffered yet another head injury.
Bryan can announce that he's been advised to stop wrestling again and while he doesn't know when, or even if, he'll return to the ring, he's going to try his best to make a comeback. Bryan can then disappear from WWE programming.
At the rumble, Bryan can triumphantly return at number 30. He can eliminate the remaining men match and book his spot in the main event of WrestleMania.
Elimination Chamber: Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler
Bryan can head down to the ring at Elimination chamber having not wrestled since winning the Royal Rumble. He can explain that while he knows he's booked in for his championship match at WrestleMania, he's also aware that that match will be incredibly tough and he needs to stay sharp in the meantime.
Therefore, he can announce that while he has the entire locker room gathered for the pay-per-view, he is issuing an open challenge to anyone who thinks they can measure up to him in the ring.
Dolph Ziggler can then appear and claim he's ready to beat him and prove he deserves to belong among the elite in the company. While Ziggler has drawn some criticism off of late, his in-ring work is rarely questioned and this can be a good opportunity to see if he really could be the top tier talent he clearly thinks he ought to be.
The match can be allowed to run a little while, given the fans a little taste of the pairs in-ring chemistry and feeling out whether a potential program between the two down the line could be worthwhile.
With Bryan gaining the upper hand, a hooded figure can beat him down from behind causing the match to end in disqualification. The hooded figure can reveal himself to be Brian Kendrick, a man who has a tremendous amount of history with Bryan. This can set up a fun little rivalry between the pair whilst Miz is fending of challengers to his title.
FastLane: Daniel Bryan vs. Brian Kendrick
This program should heavily feature past footage and images. The two trained together, both being taught by Shawn Michaels at one point, so an appearance by the Heartbreak Kid would be a fun addition here.
Kendrick can explain that he's grown bitter in his old age. While they were friends, he knows that he should have gone on to achieve the things Bryan has and yet his career is no way near as decorated. Kendrick can claim that he was always better than Bryan and eventually he can be given the opportunity to prove it at FastLane.
Bryan should obviously come out on top here, building momentum for WrestleMania in the process. Miz should see off the last of his challengers here, setting up the dream encounter between the pair at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
WrestleMania: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz (c)
These two have such a long history of not liking each other that this match simply has to happen. Miz has proven himself worthy to be back in a WrestleMania main event and this bout seems the perfect opportunity to make that happen.
Video packages can look back at Bryan being the Miz's rookie in NXT, Bryan winning his first title in the WWE from the Miz and the Talking Smack segment featuring the pair were Miz called the retired Bryan a coward.
Bryan can highlight the obvious differences between the pair, how Miz revels in the fame and material things wrestling has brought him whilst Bryan simply loves to wrestle. He can point out Miz's reality TV past compared to his own storied past in the Indy's, where he strived to make a name for himself in wrestling.
This match should be heavy on the story side of things, with Miz willing to do absolutely anything to get one over the technically superior Bryan. Miz can bend the rules as much as possible but struggle to put away the resilient Bryan. Eventually, Bryan can get his win and, finally, reclaim his spot at the top of the WWE where he belongs.
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