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Over the course of his WWE career, Daniel Bryan -- now known as Bryan Danielson in AEW -- established himself as one of the most beloved Superstars on the roster. His popularity stemmed from the fact that he was the ultimate underdog. Despite having seemingly insurmountable obstacles placed in front of him on and off-screen, Bryan found a way to triumph.
WWE management never saw him as a main eventer due to his size and indie background, but he proved them wrong on countless occasions. Even when they tried to overlook Bryan, the audience often forced their hand and made it clear that they wanted to see The American Dragon featured in a prominent position.
To his credit, Bryan never disappointed whenever he was given the opportunity. He was consistently entertaining in the ring and eventually grew into one of the most compelling promos in professional wrestling.
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As his WWE tenure drew to a close, Vince McMahon developed an enormous amount of respect for the former World Champion and did everything in his power to retain him.
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With that being said, here are five times Daniel Bryan stole the spotlight in WWE:
#5 The fans were outraged by Daniel Bryan's loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28
WWE had plans to push Sheamus as one of its biggest babyfaces in 2012. He won the Royal Rumble and set his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship, which was held by Daniel Bryan.
Bryan won his first title after cashing in Money in the Bank on the Big Show and was subsequently booked as a cowardly champion. The audience felt that he deserved to be presented better and didn't quite take to Sheamus. When the Irish star won the belt in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28, there was a significant backlash.
The following night on RAW was the start of the "Yes" chants and the beginning of Bryan's rise to becoming a megastar.
#4 Daniel Bryan's second WrestleMania main event
At WrestleMania 37, Daniel Bryan was once again inserted into the world title match. Edge, another returning legend, initially earned the right to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship after winning the Royal Rumble match.
Bryan won an Elimination Chamber match to earn a title shot, but he was worn down and easily defeated by Reigns after the bout. There was a rematch between the two at Fastlane but The American Dragon fell short once again after Edge attacked both men with a steel chair.
Since he'd been unfairly denied on two occasions, Bryan was added to the main event of WrestleMania, which instantly became a Triple Threat match. All of a sudden Edge's redemption arc suddenly became another Daniel Bryan underdog story.
Even though Reigns ultimately retained the title, Bryan was the fan favorite heading into the match.
#3 Daniel Bryan came out of retirement at WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was a show built around Ronda Rousey's first professional wrestling match as well as a clash between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. While there was a great deal of excitement about Rousey's in-ring debut, there was also some negativity as the fans grew weary of Reigns.
However, once Daniel Bryan came out of retirement, he was the center of attention and WrestleMania 34 became a must-see event. His in-ring return tied nicely into Shane McMahon's feud with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and gave him two quality opponents to wrestle.
#2 Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan stole the show at WrestleMania 35
In 2018, Daniel Bryan turned heel and won the WWE Championship from AJ Styles. He called himself the "new Daniel Bryan" and began portraying a militant environmentalist who criticized the fans for their profligacy. He even crafted a new belt out of entirely sustainable materials.
During this run, Bryan reached his zenith on the microphone and was once again the most entertaining performer in WWE, winning the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Best on Interviews" award for 2018. He served as a tremendous foil for Kofi Kingston, who was on a quest to become the first African-born WWE Champion in history.
Bryan and Kingston had the best match at WrestleMania 35, eclipsing several legends on a stacked card. Many fans were in tears after the New Day man won the title and Bryan played his part in making the moment feel special.
#1 The fans chose Daniel Bryan over Batista in 2014
On the last RAW of 2013, Daniel Bryan joined the Wyatt Family after losing a gauntlet match to the trio. He was the hottest character in professional wrestling at the time and the decision was met with a great deal of disappointment. However, Bryan had other plans in mind and was merely looking for an opportunity to get his hands on Bray Wyatt.
When he turned on the Wyatt Family, he received one of the biggest pops in recent memory. WWE miscalculated the extent to which the audience was invested in him and had Batista win the Royal Rumble. The fans instantly turned on the Guardians of the Galaxy star and voiced their support for Bryan. WWE had no choice but to give The American Dragon his moment at WrestleMania 30.
