Top 5: Iconic Daniel Bryan Moments

I don’t know if you guys know this or not, but Daniel Bryan has been cleared for in-ring competition. Assuming he doesn’t get himself killed before his return match, of course. Tuesday was an eventful day in the world of wrestling. Bryan was cleared to compete, had a heart-felt speech at the beginning of SmackDown thanking everybody, then ended the night by firing Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn and getting beaten up for it.

It was an interesting night, but some felt that it could have been better. Some felt it was too rushed to have the impact that it could have had at a later date. Had it been built up a little bit longer, or come off as a surprise on television, it could have been an Iconic Moment.

I thought it was great, myself. Was it Iconic? Time will tell. I can tell you that these five moments stand the test of time & are well-remembered to this very day.

5. June 7, 2010: The Nexus Debuts

Bryan’s first moment on Raw was one of the most unique & unsettling in WWE history. The eight NXT Season 1 Rookies banded together in order to raise hell & tear the building apart. Bryan in particular stood out with his viciousness, strangling ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie in a move that resulted in his temporary dismissal from WWE. He also had his first on-screen interaction with John Cena since a memorable Velocity match in 2003, repeatedly screaming “YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN ME” before kicking him in the head.

The Nexus is still looked back on by fans as a missed opportunity by WWE, and this moment is the main reason why.

4. December 9, 2013: The Championship Ascension Ceremony

All the previous WWE & World Heavyweight Champions were invited to the Raw ring to attend a ceremony putting over the importance of the unification of the championships. The focus was supposed to be on Triple H, John Cena & Randy Orton. The Seattle fans were focused on their home-state hero, who they felt had been unfairly booted out of the title picture.

Of all the attempts by WWE fans to hijack shows in recent memory, this one was the finest. The clip unfortunately leaves out CM Punk laughing & shaking his head behind HHH’s back while Stephanie McMahon talked about how great her husband was. Mark Henry raising Bryan’s hand was hilarious, and it was a rare treat to see The Miz on the same side with him. The people of Seattle spoke for the WWE Universe with their opinion on WWE’s hot-shotted championship unification angle that led to another Cena/Orton match & left their boy high & dry.

3. January 13, 2014: Leaving The Wyatt Family

Towards the end of 2013, Bryan decided that if he couldn’t beat Bray Wyatt, he needed to join his Family. It was a good idea for a story, but it wasn’t one the fans were interested in at that point. They wanted him to be WWE Champion and had no time for anything that got in the way. This, combined with the Yes chant getting some mainstream love thanks to the Michigan State football team co-opting it, led to the plug being pulled on the angle a bit earlier than expected.

Some would have argued that WWE should have let the angle play out & took their time telling the story, as the return would have been better down the road. It’s tough to imagine a crowd being more hyped for Bryan turning against the Wyatt Family than they were on that night. Fans wanted to cheer Daniel Bryan & chant Yes, and this meant they got to do that again.

2. February 8, 2016: The First Retirement Speech

I re-watched this recently before Bryan’s return was made official, and it still stands as the third-best retirement speech I’ve seen. Ric Flair is #1 & Terry Funk’s “Forever” speech is #2.

It won’t be the last retirement speech he gives, but hopefully the next one won’t be for awhile.

Honorable Mention: April 2, 2012: The Raw After WrestleMania XXVIII

WrestleMania XXVIII wasn’t exactly a high point in Bryan’s career. Losing to Sheamus in eighteen seconds wasn’t what the fans in Miami that night wanted to see out of him. They made their feelings known the next night on Raw, repeatedly chanting “Yes” & “Daniel Bryan” throughout the night. Alberto Del Rio even got a “Si” chant out of the deal.

Bryan got a pretty bad WrestleMania Moment that year, but the next night proved that there were better days ahead.

1. April 6, 2014: WrestleMania XXX

There was a period of time where I was convinced that this would be the apex of wrestling. Everything was going to be downhill from this moment.

So far, this was the high point of Bryan’s career. Winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Superdome over Randy Orton & Batista while mixing in a Triple H defeat earlier in the show? That’s among the best nights anybody has ever had at a WrestleMania. At least on-camera, anyway.