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Ever since Daniel Bryan turned heel to win the WWE Championship, he has been on another planet. His character instantly became infinitely more interesting than before, as the honeymoon period following his miraculous return to the ring was over. Bryan cut compelling promos, with valid reasoning to turn on the WWE fans. He took his actual beliefs about the state of the planet and turned them into a vehicle of heat. Only Daniel Bryan can make people boo him for caring about the Earth.
After a couple of really good title defenses against AJ Styles, Bryan now has an "intellectual peer" by his side, Erick Rowan. He even introduced a new design for the WWE title, made of sustainable hemp and wood. The company is completely behind heel Bryan and he should be allowed to reign on top of SmackDown for a while. The title will be defended inside the Elimination Chamber, a match that Bryan has to win.
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Following that and the shoehorned Fastlane pay-per-view, the former Yes Man will make his way to WrestleMania. He really should be the champion heading into the show, bracing himself for a big defense. However, we have no idea just who will step up to challenge for the WWE Championship. This is a completely open book for WWE to fil and hopefully, they fill it with the best possible match. Here are five possible challengers for Daniel Bryan's WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.
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#5 The Miz
This is an unlikely option, because of the ongoing storyline with The Miz and Shane McMahon. The pair is currently Smackdown Tag Team Champions and will defend the titles at Elimination Chamber against the Usos. They look set on losing them, whether it's this week or later, before WrestleMania as they embark on a feud based on betrayal. That is the predictable route. But what if that is not what happens? What if Miz befriending Shane O'Mac leads to a WWE Championship match at 'Mania? It would tie in perfectly.
The Miz and Daniel Bryan were bitter rivals for very long, with Bryan playing the sympathetic babyface and Miz being the dastardly heel. The roles would be reversed now, creating a whole new dynamic to this feud. Add in the fact that Shane is with the Awesome One now, after partnering up with Bryan as the authority on SmackDown for two years. It would be really intriguing, to say the least. Maybe this is the thing that will make this feud work after it got stale following SummerSlam. This would certainly be better and more interesting than another Shane one-on-one match at WrestleMania.
#4 John Cena
John Cena is now officially a part-timer, making his appearances for WWE few and far between. He does not have much time left and he still needs to win that record-breaking 17th world title. Cena is currently off filming another movie but should return to WWE programming in the lead-up to WrestleMania. He could literally show up on SmackDown twice and the feud would still be one of the best things on the show. Cena hasn't faced Daniel Bryan ever since that classic at SummerSlam when Bryan won his first WWE Championship.
It would be an enticing rematch, to say the least, and there is somewhat of a built-in story, with Cena's break-up with Nikki Bella. He and Bryan were so close to becoming brothers-in-law, but it didn't happen. This match would be one killer promo from Bryan away from becoming the second or third biggest match on the entire WrestleMania card. It would just be two world-class masters of wrestling and sports entertainment, working together to create a 'Mania classic. Along with his current position, the rub Daniel Bryan would get from beating John Cena again would be enormous.
#3 Shawn Michaels
Okay, this is a completely speculative shot in the dark. It could very well not take place and nothing would come to fruition. But think about it. Shawn Michaels made his in-ring return to WWE in a tag team match alongside Triple H against the Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel, a weird pay-per-view to say the least. Since then, there has been zero talk of another match for the Heartbreak Kid, following his comments about not doing this ever again. There might be a reason for it. What if Michaels does come back for one more big WrestleMania match?
It was obvious what triggered Michaels to return to the ring, the large Saudi payday. But is this Crown Jewel match a standalone thing in this comeback? Unlikely. Fortunately, if that is the case, there is a perfect story for him. He had a hand in training Daniel Bryan and making him into the superstar he is today. It would be the ultimate Student vs Teacher match. These two even teased a match around five years ago but Michaels was still honoring his retirement. Now that the retirement bubble has burst, could HBK come back to a WrestleMania ring and pass the torch to his former student?
#2 Rey Mysterio and Andrade
Rey Mysterio and Andrade have been lighting up 2019 so far, with some amazing matches. The two put on a blinder on SmackDown in January and followed it up with another one. These two just create magic together and will likely do so again, as they are expected to face each other at Elimination Chamber. If none of the other picks to face Daniel Bryan materialize, why not throw the two best in-ring performers on the main roster this year into the WWE title mix? It's not like we would ever get tired of seeing them wrestle.
It would mean a lot to see this rivalry come to a head at WrestleMania, with the WWE Championship at stake. The addition of Bryan to their feud would just make it so much better, as it has done to many other things. It could even lead to a possible Andrade face turn, aligning himself with his rival. The possibilities are endless in this scenario, does one of them win the title and they have a blow-off right after 'Mania? Who knows? That is when WWE is at its best, when there are multiple options and all of them are good.
#1 Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt has not been seen on WWE TV since he and Matt Hardy teamed for the last time in a triple threat Raw Tag Team Championship match, making a few house show appearances in the while. He showed up at the untelevised Starrcade event, beating Baron Corbin. However, Wyatt has not shown up on either Raw and SmackDown in six months. His return has seemed imminent, ever since that appearance at Starrcade. A return at the Royal Rumble seemed likely but he's still not back. There is one possibility that could be holding his return back for the time being.
Erick Rowan recently returned and aligned with Daniel Bryan, as his “intellectual peer” and Luke Harper is also expected to make his return soon. This could all tie into the Eater of Worlds making his comeback to reclaim his WWE Championship and his family. For years, fans have been behind Bray Wyatt and he seemed more and more like a babyface. Now is the perfect opportunity to do something worthwhile with Wyatt, after the many disservices they have done to him at WrestleMania. Bryan could possibly be forming a vegan cult of his own, doing what Wyatt has been doing all those years ago.
It is another intriguing dynamic and one that would certainly be worthy of a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. This could really be the making of Wyatt, after years and years of disappointment. Now, all Daniel Bryan could do is run.
