'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After two consecutive losses to The Fiend, chances are that Daniel Bryan will be moving out of the Universal Title scene and into a new feud. One of the biggest question marks is whether or not we'll see another change to his persona now that the feud is over. Everybody that The Fiend has gone after has changed in some way, including Bryan. Finn Balor turned heel, Seth Rollins turned heel, and Bryan has turned face and rejuvenated the Yes Movement, which he had been denying for a long time. It's unknown moving forward if Bryan will remain face, but all signs indicate that while he's still going to be The Planet's Champion (with or without a title belt), he's doing to be doing it in a more fan-friendly way.
With that in mind, Daniel Bryan needs a new direction. He may still continue trying to work toward a Universal Championship match by competing in the Elimination Chamber match, but if he's unsuccessful, he'll be wide open for a brand new feud for WrestleMania. Let's check out 5 wrestlers Daniel Bryan may enter into a rivalry with next.
#5 The Miz
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
There isn't another Superstar in WWE with anywhere near the amount of history with Daniel Bryan than The Miz. Bryan's NXT "pro" became his bitter rival almost immediately, and while they have extensively feuded, it hasn't happened again since both men's personas in WWE have matured and evolved. It would certainly make sense for a feud going into WrestleMania, and WWE could pick up on where they left off when Bryan was the General Manager of SmackDown Live a few years ago -- a rivalry that began but never reached a boiling point, as Miz had moved on before Bryan was cleared to return to in-ring competition.
Trending
It's even possible that John Morrison could get involved, making it a tag team feud. Miz and Morrison could spend the next 6 weeks getting the best of Bryan at each and every turn. Bryan would announce that he has found someone to combat them, and a tag team match would be set for WrestleMania. This could lead to a Team Hell No reunion, the return of an injured Superstar, or even a one-off alignment with an NXT Superstar. Regadless as to what they actually decide, based on history alone, The Miz has to be on this list.
#4 King Corbin
Baron Corbin has solidified himself as a top heel in WWE and spent the last few months getting the better of Roman Reigns until The Big Dog finally bested him at the Royal Rumble PPV. Now that it appears that the feud with Roman Reigns is over, he could pick a fight with the much smaller Daniel Bryan, something King Corbin seems predisposed to do.
It would be quite easy to set up a WrestleMania program with the two of them. It's likely that the number one contender for the Universal Championship will be determined inside the Elimination Chamber. Bryan could eliminate Corbin from the match, but before leaving the structure, Corbin could attack Bryan, either leaving him unable to continue or directly leading to his elimination.
Corbin could then spend weeks ducking Bryan, with The Planet's Champion taking on the likes of Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode before finally getting a match with Corbin at WrestleMania. This could be a very intriguing match-up, and it makes sense that Bryan, who is one of the most popular wrestlers in the company, and Corbin, one of the most hated heels, would be looking across the ring at each other in Tampa on April 5th.
#3 Kane
The Big Red Machine made his return to SmackDown recently and helped Bryan finally get the better of The Fiend. Bryan and Kane have been on-again, off-again friends and partners for years, and the former tag team champions and our favorite huggers could make for an interesting WrestleMania feud.
Moving once again to the Elimination Chamber match, where Kane could return to the ring and be in the same match as Bryan and four other men with a shot at The Fiend's Universal Title on the line. Kane, who has always been unstable at best, could cost Bryan his opportunity inside the torturous structure. We would later find out that Kane has been watching Bryan from afar for quite somet time, and is sick of seeing him on television.
The two men could face off at WrestleMania, which could prove to be Kane's last ride at the Show of Shows. What better way to end his long career than a match against an opponent as good as Bryan? It's extremely rare to see Bryan have a bad match and the two have incredible chemistry; it almost seems like the best fit.
#2 John Cena
A rivalry with John Cena is my personal favorite option, as the number of stories they could tell is almost endless. You could tell a story surrounding Cena and Bryan's relationships with the Bellas or a story of Cena ditching his wrestling roots and going Hollywood after berating The Rock for doing the same. One possibly great option could be the most simple of all: Cena wants a match against the absolute best on SmackDown. Any route WWE may decide to go would be nothing less than entertaining, and their terriffic Summerslam match from a number of years ago showed that have a great natural chemistry.
Cena has said he still loves WWE and considers it his home and it's been speculated that if he returns, Cena would want to be a major part of WrestleMania. There aren't too many matches that could be bigger than these two men locking up one more time. This has always been a rematch I've felt we needed to see, and what better platform than WrestleMania in John Cena's adopted home of Tampa, Florida at this year's iteration of The Grandest Stage of Them All?
#1 Sheamus
WrestleMania XXVIII took place in Miami, Florida, which unwittingly became the birthplace of The Yes Movement. Daniel Bryan and Sheamus faced off for the World Heavyweight Championship, and right after a good luck kiss from his then-girlfriend AJ Lee, Bryan walked directly into a Brogue Kick and lost his title. Fans were so upset that the former American Dragon lost his title so quickly that they started posting videos chanting his signature "Yes!" slogan (which was used by a heel Bryan to taunt the fans) and then did so in the arena 24 hours later on RAW, overwhelming much of what happened that night.
How poetic, that in a return to Florida, Daniel Bryan and Sheamus could face off again at WrestleMania? With the recent return of the Yes Movement, it could be a very intriguing feud for the two Superstars. Vince loves this match-up, as it was actually set to happen again at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans before the fans hijacked the event and landed Bryan in the main event, a match which led to one of the most memorable WrestleMania moments of all time.
This would likely be the best match-up for Bryan, as it would allow him to get a big win by making up for the 18-second disaster that happened 8 years ago. He could then move into the next chapter of his career, as every RAW After WrestleMania feels like a new beginning of sorts.
Is Sheamus the best man for the job at WrestleMania 36? Who do you feel Bryan should face at WrestleMania, and what should be next for the leader of the Yes Movement?
