{"id":86319,"date":"2021-03-08T13:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T18:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=86319"},"modified":"2021-03-08T12:05:27","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T17:05:27","slug":"daniel-bryan-added-wrestlemania-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/03\/08\/daniel-bryan-added-wrestlemania-match\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Daniel Bryan Should Be Added to WrestleMania Title Match"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With <strong>Daniel Bryan<\/strong> set to face off with <strong>Roman Reigns<\/strong> at <strong><em>WWE Fastlane<\/em><\/strong> on March 21, there is much discussion about where this is leading.\u00a0 Many people (potentially myself included) believe this will likely be a throwaway match &#8211; merely something to keep Roman busy before his big <strong><em>WrestleMania<\/em><\/strong> match against <strong>Edge<\/strong> at <em><strong>WrestleMania 37<\/strong><\/em> next month.\u00a0 This does appear to be the likely option as it is almost unfathomable that the Tribal Chief will drop the title at such a precarious time.\u00a0 What if, however, Roman wins the match in such questionable circumstances that Bryan remains in contention for a rematch at <em>WrestleMania<\/em>? What if the match at <em>Fastlane<\/em> goes to a no-contest? This would mean Bryan getting added to Roman&#8217;s match with Edge on April 10-11, making it a triple threat.\u00a0 Championship matches, especially of the<em> WrestleMania<\/em> variety, do tend to be best as one-on-one matches.\u00a0 However, let us explore some of the arguments in favor of making the Universal Championship match a triple threat.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Daniel Bryan challenges Roman Reigns to a title match at Fastlane: SmackDown, Feb. 26, 2021\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XIclsleKkTY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Daniel Bryan Is Still One of the Best Wrestlers Alive<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Daniel Bryan\u2019s greatest victories: WWE Playlist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BAOp-FOwFfw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This one goes without saying.\u00a0 For almost two decades now, Daniel Bryan has been <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/11\/30\/daniel-bryan-all-time-greats\/\" target=\"_self\">one of the best wrestlers<\/a> on the planet.\u00a0 Some might argue he has been the absolute best at certain points of his career, with that golden period in the early 2010s certainly being a standout.\u00a0 Even now, in the year 2021 and at almost 40 years old (May 22), Bryan remains one of the arguable cases for best wrestler in the world.\u00a0 His ability to make any wrestler he works with is second-to-none and there is no questioning his passion for the business.\u00a0 His durability may have faded somewhat, with previous career-ending injuries taking their toll, but his ability has not faltered whatsoever.\u00a0 If you want someone to elevate a match including Roman Reigns and Edge, Daniel Bryan is the guy to call.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;3941&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Edge Versus Roman Reigns Does Not Feel Like a WrestleMania Feud<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84536\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/02\/Edge-vs-Roman-Reigns.jpg\" alt=\"Edge vs Roman Reigns\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/02\/Edge-vs-Roman-Reigns.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/02\/Edge-vs-Roman-Reigns-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This one is debatable.\u00a0 However, so far, the feud between Edge and Roman Reigns does not feel like a natural, <em>WrestleMania<\/em> feud.\u00a0 It is difficult to pinpoint why exactly, but it is certainly the feeling among many WWE fans.\u00a0 Roman Reigns is currently the &#8220;Tribal Chief&#8221; of SmackDown &#8211; which is, of course, his &#8220;island&#8221;.\u00a0 He is the ultimate, despotic heel &#8211; ruling over the blue brand with an iron, Polynesian tattooed fist.\u00a0 Edge used to be quite similar in the mid-to-late 2000s &#8211; he was the top heel on SmackDown.\u00a0 The overarching story of the entire show back then was Edge doing despicable things to keep hold of his world title, often with the help of those he manipulated, such as <strong>Vickie Guerrero<\/strong>.\u00a0 Nowadays, he is the returning, seasoned babyface &#8211; living a second life, one last chance to go out on his own terms.\u00a0 Despite the contrast in their current characters, it just doesn&#8217;t <em>feel<\/em> right for a big, championship <em>WrestleMania<\/em> match.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Daniel Bryan Can Take The Pinfall<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan: WWE Fastlane 2015\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2S633rNgFz8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>So this might be a poor reason to add Daniel Bryan to a <em>WrestleMania<\/em> match, but it might be necessary.\u00a0 Roman Reigns is the hottest act in the company right now.\u00a0 If there is one outcome that cannot occur at<em> WrestleMania<\/em>, it is Roman Reigns being pinned.\u00a0 It would stall his momentum and could potentially damage the legitimacy of his current character.\u00a0 Roman Reigns should be retaining anyway, but if the plan is for Edge to get one last run as a world champion, it cannot be at the expense of Roman Reigns.\u00a0 Not in 2021.\u00a0 One man who can take the pinfall is Daniel Bryan.\u00a0 Throughout his career, he has carried the mantle of &#8220;Ultimate Underdog&#8221; better than all but maybe <strong>Rey Mysterio<\/strong>.\u00a0 He has taken many defeats over the years and still has come through smelling of roses, legacy unscathed.\u00a0 His ability, his size, and the warmness of who Bryan is each ensure that defeats do not hurt him.\u00a0 Bryan taking the fall can protect the loser, whether it be either Edge or Roman.\u00a0 Whilst their legacy will remain unscathed as both are far beyond being made men at this point, whoever the loser is in the current one-on-one match will be damaged on their current run.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>There Is a Ready-Made Feud With Daniel Bryan Already<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-86320\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/03\/Daniel-Bryan-Vs-Roman-Reigns-2015.jpg\" alt=\"Daniel Bryan Faced Off With Roman Reigns in 2015\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/03\/Daniel-Bryan-Vs-Roman-Reigns-2015.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/03\/Daniel-Bryan-Vs-Roman-Reigns-2015-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Remember the <em>WWE Fastlane<\/em> pay-per-view in 2015? How about <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> 2015? Roman Reigns&#8217; former faction, <strong>The Shield<\/strong>, broke up in mid-2014.\u00a0 He and his two &#8220;Shield Brothers&#8221;, <strong>Seth Rollins<\/strong> and<strong> Dean Ambrose<\/strong>, each went their separate ways.\u00a0 Seth became the poster boy for <strong>The Authority<\/strong> &#8211; the corporate faction led by <strong>Triple H<\/strong> and <strong>Stephanie McMahon<\/strong>.\u00a0 Dean Ambrose became the &#8220;Lunatic Fringe&#8221; &#8211; a sort of working-class anti-hero to The Authority&#8217;s corporate evil.\u00a0 Roman Reigns went off to become the number one guy in the company &#8211; the heir apparent to <strong>John Cena<\/strong>&#8216;s increasingly-claimable throne.\u00a0 Roman went on to infamously win the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> match in 2015 before being booed out of the arena by a raucous Philly crowd.\u00a0 Why did they boo Roman Reigns, who had been cheered in the final of the<em> Royal Rumble<\/em> match just 12 months earlier against<strong> Batista<\/strong>? Because Daniel Bryan, the beloved hero of the WWE audience, had been eliminated early into the match by<strong> Bray Wyatt<\/strong>.\u00a0 Even <strong>The Rock<\/strong>, who appeared post-match to raise his cousins&#8217; arm in victory, was booed out of the arena by fans clamoring for Daniel Bryan.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Rock comes to Roman Reigns&#039; aid: Royal Rumble 2015\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3NXoxHLyMuw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It was a truly unprecedented moment and a real turn in Roman&#8217;s career.\u00a0 For the entirety of his babyface, &#8220;Big Dog&#8221; run, he was followed by those boos.\u00a0 At <em>Fastlane<\/em> 2015, he went on to defeat Daniel Bryan in a very good one-on-one match; only adding to the hostility he would receive going forward.\u00a0 Frankly, Daniel Bryan&#8217;s popularity and Roman Reigns&#8217; rise coming during what many believe to have been Bryan&#8217;s time is what ultimately led to Roman having to become the Tribal Chief.\u00a0 This is a story dating back six <em>long<\/em> years.\u00a0 Therefore, Bryan is certainly someone who can logically be added to the match at <em>WrestleMania 37<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"405\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31694\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/11\/0210_oag-daniel-bryan-commentary-1000x675-e1543652556736.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Whereas Roman Reigns and Edge are both great and experienced enough to have a solid match, Bryan elevates the quality of any match and feud he is in.\u00a0 He can make both the feud and the match<em>\u00a0feel<\/em> <em>WrestleMania<\/em> worthy, even if there just to take the pin and protect the other two.\u00a0 It has been said numerous times by Bryan now that he is enjoying what might just be his final run as an active competitor, or at least as one who is full-time.\u00a0 With Bryan reportedly a member of SmackDown&#8217;s creative team, he will understand better than most the value of protecting the brand&#8217;s hottest stars.\u00a0 He would do just that if the Universal Championship match does indeed become a triple threat.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;4092&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><em>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0WWE fan? You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WWE Network<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/boards\/index.php\" target=\"_self\">LWOS Boards<\/a>\u00a0to engage in conversation with fellow fans!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Daniel Bryan set to face off with Roman Reigns at WWE Fastlane on March 21, there is much discussion about where this is leading.\u00a0 Many people (potentially myself included) believe this will likely be a throwaway match &#8211; merely something to keep Roman busy before his big WrestleMania match against Edge at WrestleMania 37 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2482,"featured_media":86322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,26,3],"tags":[56,328,77,7439],"class_list":["post-86319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-smackdown","category-wwe-universe","tag-daniel-bryan","tag-edge","tag-roman-reigns","tag-wrestlemania-37"],"modified_by":"Alex Richards, LWOF Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}