Bryan Danielson had an incredible career in WWE. The American Dragon was part of some of the most captivating storylines in company history. His incredible in-ring acumen and work rate gave fans a plethora of matches that are still revisited now.
Danielson was known as Daniel Bryan in WWE. He battled many opponents and feuded with some of the biggest stars in the company. He squared off against the legendary four of OVW’s class of 2002: Batista, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Randy Orton.
When it came to rivalries, Danielson feuded with both rising and top stars in the sports entertainment juggernaut. These are his five best WWE feuds.
Roman Reigns
One of Roman Reigns’ earliest feuds came against Bryan Danielson. The American Dragon was handpicked by Vince McMahon to get the Big Dog over with the fans in 2015. Fans, however, weren’t eager to accept the former Shield member as the next babyface, especially just a year into the mega-popular Yes! movement.
Danielson and Reigns feuded over the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. They had the match of the night at Fastlane 2015. Danielson found himself challenging for Reigns’ Universal title, with the pair and Edge main-eventing WrestleMania 37 with an incredible triple threat match. In storyline, the Head of the Table was responsible for Danielson’s exit from WWE.
CM Punk
CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have a shared history. Both began their pro wrestling career on the independents. They crossed paths multiple times in Ring of Honor. Punk and Danielson brought their ROH feud to WWE. Their incredible chemistry gave fans some of the best matches in 2010-11 and reminded them of the classic matches between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit.
Despite their superior in-ring performance, the former ROH Champions were always put on the undercard. The Rock and Cena got the spotlight, but Punk and Bryan managed to make the most of what was given to them at the time.
Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt left an everlasting legacy in the wake of his untimely passing. The Wyatt Family patriarch was one of Danielson’s top feuds in late 2013. The pair had one of the best opening matches in Royal Rumble history at the 2014 iteration of the event. When Bryan finally broke free of Wyatt’s shackles, he received one of the biggest pops in WWE history.
The pair met again at Royal Rumble 2020. Wyatt wrestled Danielson under his Fiend gimmick. They had a strap match for the Universal title. The former Nexus members put on another incredible match for the fans. Danielson sold the Fiend’s offense like his life depended on it. Danielson made The Fiend look like the terror he was always meant to be.
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston’s push was allegedly derailed by Randy Orton in 2009. Ten years later, the New Day member was once again on the verge of proving his doubters wrong. Kingston received a huge push in 2019 as he found himself in a title program with Bryan Danielson.
Danielson, a heel at the time, tried everything to stop Kingston from achieving his biggest dream. The fans were behind the feud. The locker room wanted KofiMania to happen. When it did, the WWE Universe erupted; all thanks to the magic Kingston and Danielson created inside the ring.
Randy Orton
Randy Orton won his seventh world title at the expense of Bryan Danielson in 2013. The Viper cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the American Dragon, who had just defeated John Cena for the title. Triple H abetted Orton in his quest for the WWE Championship by turning heel on Danielson. The ending to SummerSlam 2013 created one of the greatest feuds in WWE history.
Danielson spent the next months in an endless fight against The Authority to reclaim the championship. He suffered multiple setbacks in the process but he refused to give up. The feud with Orton culminated in a “Miracle on Bourbon Street” as Danielson finally overcame the odds to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX.
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