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A veteran of the wrestling ring, Daniel Bryan is known and adored by every wrestling fan around the world. Making his way into WWE, the Superstar is known for being one of the first Superstars who did not really fit the 'WWE mold' that the officials were forced to push thanks to the tremendous fan response. Since his first success, Daniel Bryan has been through heartbreak and triumph, much like one of his early teachers, Shawn Michaels.
He has wrestled and defeated the top names in the business, such as Triple H, Randy Orton, and John Cena. He has also managed to rally all the fans behind him in a show of support that has not been seen in that same magnitude. On the other side of things, unfortunately, thanks to an injury, Bryan had to retire early and it appeared that the Superstar would never be able to wrestle again.
In an actual miracle, Bryan did return to the ring and has even held the WWE Championship since then. Now, with Daniel Bryan mentioning that he is ready to be a part-time wrestler, it appears that his career is finally coming to an end.
With that being said, there are still a few wrestlers that Daniel Bryan has revealed he wants to face before hanging up his boots. This article will rank the potential of each of Daniel Bryan's dream opponents. Without any further ado, let's get into it.
#5 Potential Daniel Bryan opponents: Apollo Crews
2020 might not have been the best year for everyone, but for Apollo Crews, it might be one year that he will not complain about. After spending more than four years in lower mid-card purgatory in WWE, Crews finally burst out of his shell this year.
Possibly thanks to Paul Heyman's support, Apollo Crews was able to make a name for himself on the RAW brand and won his first-ever championship in WWE earlier this year. Crews defeated a mighty Andrade to become the United States Championship and even held it for a large part of the year.
He has since lost it to Bobby Lashley but is now pursuing Big E in search of a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. The only thing that may be hampering Crews' run in WWE is the lack of his natural charisma.
Working with Daniel Bryan might actually be the perfect fit for that. Daniel Bryan is known for bringing out the best in everyone and has also named Apollo Crews as one of the wrestlers that he would like to face.
"I think Apollo Crews is infinitely talented." - Daniel Bryan
While this might not be the most exciting feud, the WWE Universe knows that Daniel Bryan can turn anything into something fantastic. Perhaps a feud with Bryan would make Crews the Superstar that WWE has always wanted him to be.
#4 Potential Daniel Bryan opponents: Ricochet
One of the stars that Daniel Bryan mentioned he would love to face, is none other than Ricochet.
Without a single doubt, Ricochet is one of the most exciting Superstars currently signed by WWE. Since coming to the main roster, the Superstar has not displayed the same ability that he was able to show off when he was in WWE NXT or in the indie scene.
Despite that, every time that Ricochet has entered the ring, it's been guaranteed that the WWE Universe would be witness to some of the best high flying action available in the industry.
For the moment, Ricochet appears to be stuck in a never-ending feud with The Hurt Business and RETRIBUTION.
Daniel Bryan mentioned him as one of the stars that he would love to face in the ring, and given the hard-hitting fast-paced style that Bryan brings to the ring, it's guaranteed to mesh well with Ricochet's as well.
Ricochet and Daniel Bryan could easily put on some of the best matches that the WWE Universe has seen. On top of that, getting to work with Daniel Bryan might help to elevate Ricochet as well, bringing him to the next level as a WWE Superstar and a future main event contender.
#3 Potential Daniel Bryan opponents: Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins certainly aren't strangers to each other. Over the last decade, the two of them have been two of WWE's biggest stars and have had to face each other in matches several times.
They have also faced each other in tag team and multi-person matches. Despite that, what they have not had is a match that has been built up over a long time. The lack of a feud between the two has resulted in their matches lacking the gravitas that they deserved.
Arguably two of WWE's best workers in the ring, Rollins and Daniel Bryan have not managed to have the feud with both wrestlers also suffering injuries during their time in WWE which kept them out of action for a long period of time.
Currently, Seth Rollins is out of action, and despite being advertised for a return last week was not a part of the show. Rollins and Lynch just had their first child, but it's almost time for him to return once again.
If Rollins does return as a heel, he could end up having one of the best feuds heading into WrestleMania against Daniel Bryan. Both men have respect for each other and they are more than capable of having an unforgettable feud that would leave the WWE Universe begging for more.
#2 Potential Daniel Bryan opponents: Rey Mysterio
If this match ever ended up happening, it would be the match that every WWE fan has visualized at one point in time. Daniel Bryan and Rey Mysterio have been compared over the last decade several times.
Both being the ultimate underdogs that overcome the odds against WWE Superstars much larger than them, the ability of both wrestlers to get the crowd behind them is something that very few other wrestlers have.
The two stars are not unfamiliar with one another, but they have wrestled in only two singles matches in their careers. Both the matches came very early in Bryan's career and he was yet to transform into the Superstar that he is today.
They have faced each other in multi-man matches other than that, but again, a proper match between the two that has been built up has never taken place.
Such a match taking place now, with Daniel Bryan and Rey Mysterio both at the tail end of their in-ring careers, would be something that the wrestling community would not want to miss.
#1 Potential Daniel Bryan opponent: Shinsuke Nakamura
A match between Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura in WWE is something that wrestling fans would not have been able to imagine even six years ago. Ever since he came to WWE, Shinsuke Nakamura has been able to put on several top matches, be it as a singles competitor or as a part of a tag team.
However, the potential that Nakamura has in the ring is something that has never really been truly expressed in the ring when it comes to his WWE career. Nakamura was able to show off some of that ability recently during a gauntlet match on SmackDown, and there he was even able to face none other than Daniel Bryan.
It was only a taste of what the WWE Universe could have. Both wrestlers are more than capable of putting on excellent matches and the in-ring style of the two could not be better suited.
Shinsuke Nakamura is still waiting for that one memorable breakout performance in WWE that everyone will remember him by. That's exactly what Daniel Bryan could give him. Long-time fans of Shinsuke Nakamura could finally experience the match that they have all been waiting for if Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura were allowed to have a long built-up feud in WWE.
The two have faced each other, but each time, the matches have had no story behind them. Potentially, this match could be the main event of any pay-per-view if both stars were allowed to do whatever they needed to put on the best show.
