5 times Daniel Bryan stole the spotlight in WWE

#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.

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#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.