5 reasons why Daniel Bryan could win the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 match

The internet is running amok with the rumors of Daniel Bryan making an in-ring return and ot doesn't help when Bryan himself has hinted his much-anticipated comeback. His wife, Brie, has even quoted that Bryan has been medically cleared by the doctors but the WWE doctors are yet to give him a clean chit.

Of course, judging by the WWE's way of surprising fans, this could be a work and Bryan might actually lace up his boots for another run in the company as an active competitor. Given his popularity, it would be a big mistake on WWE's part if he isn't booked straight for the main event and what better way than to make him win the Royal Rumble? Not convinced?

Let's have a look at the reasons that might convince you after all.

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#5 The shock value!

WWE loves to surprise its fans!

As I said earlier, WWE loves its swerves. Vince McMahon has a very firm belief in the power of a well-executed twist. The whole 'Jinder Mahal experiment' was seemingly based on the shock value as no one ever saw him anywhere near the title prior to his lengthy run.

However, in the case of Daniel Bryan, the fans would definitely be stunned in a positive way. Unlike Jinder Mahal, Bryan is a well-accepted face and his victory would be received with open arms and insanely loud pops.

#4 A SmackDown superstar will win the Royal Rumble this time

Vince would be a fool to book Roman as the winner of Royal Rumble again

With the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar match set in stone for Wrestlemania 34, one can easily predict that no one from the RAW roster is going to win the Royal Rumble and challenge the Beast (only if Vince wants to ruin Royal Rumble again, shall Roman Reigns win).

This leaves the competition open for the SmackDown Live superstars. This is the best case scenario for the General Manager himself to win. It's the perfect opportunity WWE needs to reintroduce Bryan into the main event scene without having the need to create a backstory, which is already underway as we speak.

#3 He is perhaps one of the most popular guys

Fans break out into 'Yes chants' in every WWE arena.

The Flying Goat is one of the most popular guys on the roster. Despite being retired from in-ring competition for about two years and taking on a lengthy break before making a return as SmackDown Live GM, fans go crazy whenever his music hits.

The echoing yes chants on a weekly basis are a testament to his popularity. His rise to the pinnacle of WWE, leading to a title victory at Wrestlemania XXX, was one of the best storylines of all time. His organic rise was something that had not been seen since the Attitude Era, therefore, having him in the main event is definitely best for business.

#2 A feud between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan

The main event of the first SmackDown of 2018 had AJ Styles in a match with Sami Zayn. The finish saw Sami Zayn pin the champion, courtesy of some interference from Kevin Owens and the ensuing feud between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. This led to Styles being miffed at Bryan and asking for a handicap match in the heat of the moment. Bryan booked the match for Royal Rumble and left the WWE Champion with some phenomenal rage. This is where WWE needs to be smart and capitalize on the angle.

This could be the start of a dream rivalry between the two indie darlings. Bryan could inadvertently cause Styles to get disqualified at the Royal Rumble PPV, thereby keeping Styles as champion and furthering their feud.

Both Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles are experienced and excellent performers. Judging by the caliber of both the men, the match will be a 5-star classic. The two can have a wrestling clinic with a broomstick and given Bryan's neck, Styles is the safest option.

I found this video on Youtube and despite being years old, you can see how adept these two legends are at putting stellar matches. Although the match took place in front of a very small crowd, their solid work ethic led to a great match. One can be sure that they'll blow the roof off when they square against each other at the grandest stage, the Wrestlemania.

#1 That's what the fans want

Fans will never forget that Bryan did not win the Royal Rumble when they were so behind him on two different occasions.

Isn't that true? For two consecutive Royal Rumbles (in 2014 and 2015) the winner (Batista and Roman Reigns, respectively) has been booed out of the building and it's all because they weren't Bryan.

While in 2014, the fans kept waiting for Bryan to enter and were hopeful till the last entrant, Rey Mysterio, entered to a chorus of boos. The match was taken over by a rowdy bunch of upset fans who panned WWE for not listening to them. In 2015, however, Bryan entered the match but was unceremoniously dumped out of it by Bray Wyatt.

The match went downhill from there on as fans kept on chanting his name and booed every other competitor. If it wasn't clear to the WWE yet, fans desperately want Bryan to win the Royal Rumble. Although WWE has a bad habit of turning a blind eye, here's a chance for them to set the equation with the fans right and give them what they want.

Do you want Bryan to win the Royal Rumble and main event Wrestlemania? Please say, "YES! YES! YES!" in the comments below.