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Ever since Daniel Bryan turned heel and regained the WWE Championship, fans were shell-shocked to their very core. Nobody would've imagined that we would be entering the year 2019 with a 'heel' Daniel Bryan as the WWE Champion.
The 'New Daniel Bryan' environmentalist shtick has worked tremendously well, with Bryan able to generate heat from the very same crowds that loved and adored him so much. He has even replaced the WWE Championship title with an eco-friendly one, taking his new gimmick to an all-together different level.
Bryan has also been able to recruit Rowan, the former Wyatt Family member, as his intellectual peer. With Rowan by his side, Bryan has become an unstoppable force on Tuesday nights. It's safe to say that with Daniel Bryan as WWE Champion, SmackDown Live has become quite an interesting show to watch, with fans eagerly waiting for someone to dethrone him.
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This tells us how incredible a performer Daniel Bryan truly is. He has been constantly putting on great matches against the likes of Kofi, Styles, and others, and was also involved in the show-stealing Elimination Chamber match.
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Bryan is currently scheduled to defend his WWE Championship against Kevin Owens at the Fastlane PPV, after his previous opponent, Kofi was removed from the match by the Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon.
With WrestleMania 35 just around the corner, there is a lot of buzz and excitement as to who would face Bryan for the WWE Championship. There are numerous viable options who could face Bryan at WWE's biggest show of the year. On this list, we'll be running down the top 5 choices to face Bryan, which makes sense from both, a storyline as well as an in-ring action point of view.
#5 Mustafa Ali
If rumors are to be believed, Mustafa Ali was being evaluated this past week, following his injury which he suffered in a match against Randy Orton. As a result, he was ruled out of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match and was replaced by Kofi. Rumors also suggest that Kofi got the booking that was initially planned for Ali.
One should not forget that Mustafa Ali pinned Daniel Bryan clean in the middle of the ring in a tag-team match on SmackDown Live, which also involved Styles and Andrade. We all know that Mustafa Ali can deliver the goods in the ring.
He has put on some phenomenal matches in his WWE career already. Everyone remembers the barn-burner that he and Cedric Alexander put on last year at WrestleMania. If he gets the opportunity this year against Bryan, he'll definitely put on a clinic for the ages.
From a storyline perspective, his inclusion in the title match makes sense as he never got a chance to compete for the biggest prize in WWE, despite proving his worthiness. It would make for a great babyface moment, as Mustafa Ali's story is one of truly hard work and determination.
#4 Kevin Owens
Fans were a bit amused to see the 'Prizefighter' Kevin Owens return to WWE this past week on SmackDown Live, replacing Kofi in the title match against Bryan at the Fastlane PPV. Owens was handpicked by the Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon, to replace Kofi, calling Owens a blockbuster pick to challenge the WWE Champion.
It's difficult to judge whether Owens is a babyface or a heel, as he behaved more like a babyface, but the way he was inserted into the title picture was a heelish move.
There were rumors circulating online that Kevin Owens was the initial pick to challenge Bryan at WrestleMania 35. Maybe, Bryan pulls off a win at Fastlane via shenanigans, leading to Owens getting another opportunity at WrestleMania. Owens as a babyface, fighting for his family, can work well as a story to drive fan interest. He is highly entertaining on the mic, and a talented wrestler too.
It was at last year's WrestleMania that Bryan made his triumphant return to a WWE ring against the team of Owens and Zayn. So, with the tables turned around in the heel-face dimension, it would make for an interesting match-up. Owens could also call upon his best-friend Sami Zayn, who is ready to return soon, to fend off the threat of Rowan.
#3 Bray Wyatt
'The Patriarch of the Wyatt Family' was teasing his return to WWE TV quite recently on his official Twitter handle. The last time we saw him, he wrestled Baron Corbin on 27 December at a RAW live event in Columbus, Ohio. Everyone has been highly anticipating his return ever since, and it's only time before we see the 'Eater of Worlds' on our TV screens again.
From a storyline perspective, Wyatt makes sense, as Bryan has recruited his brother Rowan to his environmental cult. With Luke Harper also set to return soon, things could get interesting quite quickly. Wyatt and Bryan also share a history, as Bryan himself was a former Wyatt Family member. The promo battles would be quite compelling between the two.
Bray Wyatt is a former WWE Champion in his own right, and he needs a big feud to have a strong comeback. He is no slouch in the ring and can hang with the very best. Fans have always felt that WWE has never quite used the 'Bray Wyatt' character effectively, and a feud with Bryan could very well be the way to turn things around.
#2 John Cena
We haven't heard anything about John Cena ever since he was ruled out of the Royal Rumble match. WWE would definitely want one of it's biggest crossover stars to perform at their biggest show of the year. A clash between Cena and Bryan would definitely put more eyes on the WWE product, as they are two of the biggest stars in the company.
Cena chasing his 17th WWE Championship, and Bryan denouncing him as an unworthy challenger would make for engrossing TV. Cena loves WWE more than anything, and he would want to teach the man who threw the illustrious WWE title in a trash bag, some lessons about respect.
They tore the roof off the Staples Centre back at SummerSlam 2013 when Cena and Bryan went head to head in a gripping encounter. The tables have turned this time around, as Bryan, the ever-loved babyface has now become a detestable heel, with fans routing behind Cena to topple him.
They also share some history via their family ties, as Daniel Bryan is the brother-in-law of Nikki Bella, Cena's ex-girlfriend. WWE could use this angle to put more spice into this feud.
WrestleMania 35 needs a blockbuster encounter, and Cena vs Bryan could very well be the match that steals the show.
#1 Kofi Kingston
It's shocking to know that Kofi, despite being in the WWE for 11 years, has never gotten a one-on-one opportunity for the biggest prize in the WWE, and it looked as if he may never get one. But all that changed after Kofi of the New Day, replaced Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship.
After his stellar performance in the gauntlet match and an incredibly amazing showing in the Elimination Chamber match, there is no match that makes more sense, other than - Kofi vs Bryan at WrestleMania 35.
One cannot imagine the frenzy the New Jersey crowd would go into if Kofi were to pin Bryan to win his maiden WWE Championship. After all the perseverance and grit that Kofi has shown all these years, he is definitely the #1 choice in the eyes of the fans to dethrone Bryan.
Kofi was about to get his opportunity at the WWE Fastlane PPV, but it was snatched right out his hand, by none other than Vince McMahon, replacing him with Kevin Owens. Fans were downright dejected and agitated by this announcement, but there is a feeling that Kofi will be involved in the WWE title picture, come WrestleMania.
