#5 The fans hijack Raw for the first time
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Owing to his immense popularity, and the realisation that John Cena would soon be forced to take time off to repair an elbow injury, Daniel Bryan was made number one contender for the WWE Championship at Summerslam 2013. John Cena had actually picked Bryan as his opponent, and this decision, at least in kayfabe terms, ended up backfiring on the champ, as Bryan scored an unlikely clean victory over Cena to become WWE Champion for the very first time.
This match also sparked one of WWE’s best PG era storylines when Triple H, the guest referee, turned on Bryan and allowed Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank Briefcase. Bryan effectively became the company’s top babyface in Cena’s absence, fighting against the evil forces of the Authority and The Shield.
In an angle that saw art imitating real life, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H began voicing all the concerns about Bryan that many had been saying to him throughout his career. He was too small to be WWE Champion and didn’t have the right look to become the poster boy of WWE. Triple H called him a ‘B-Plus’ player and did everything he could to keep him away from Orton’s title.
After John Cena returned from injury, he was instantly given the World Heavyweight Championship, and it wouldn't be long before the WWE started making plans for a grand title unification angle. With Orton as the WWE Champion at the time, the stage was set for the PG era’s longest rivalry to reach another historic instalment as John Cena and Randy Orton would fight for ultimate supremacy in the company – or at least this was the case in Vince McMahon’s head.
During an in-ring segment where former WHC and WWE Champions were in the ring, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon attempted to set the scene for the upcoming bout between Orton and Cena. In a carefully pre-planned speech, Triple H spoke out the prestige of the two belts, and how important this match was going to be in terms of WWE milestones. What they hadn’t accounted for, however, was that standing in the ring was the fan favourite Daniel Bryan, who much to the chagrin of the audience, was left out on the periphery.
The fans in attendance started chanting for their hero, leading each other in a rendition of 'Daniel Bryan' and 'YES' whenever Triple H tried to speak. The chants became so loud that the authority had no choice but to acknowledge it.
After several attempts by Mark Henry and Shawn Michaels to calm everyone down, Stephanie and Hunter were forced to stand in silence and let the energy of the crowd naturally recede. This was the culmination of years of pent up frustration with the WWE product, and the dominance of John Cena and Randy Orton in particular. They had clearly found themselves a hero to channel their frustrations through, and that hero turned out to be Daniel Bryan.
This was an equally special moment for Bryan in non-kayfabe terms, as it marked the final time his father saw his son live in a WWE ring. Bryan's father passed away soon after WrestleMania the year after, and Bryan personally thanked the crowd during his retirement speech for making the moment so special.
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