10 Best Daniel Bryan Vs. Samoa Joe Matches To Watch Before WWE SmackDown

Since Daniel Bryan’s return to action inside the four corners of a WWE ring, fans have already been treated to exciting match-ups with some of the company’s top stars, such as Jeff Hardy, Shinsuke Nakamura, and even the current WWE Champion, AJ Styles. Perhaps the most highly anticipated fight will be seen on SmackDown in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, as Bryan will face off with the ever-dominant Samoa Joe.

While Bryan was on the sidelines and acting as the General Manager of the blue brand, Samoa Joe made the jump to NXT and the WWE’s main roster, where he has ran circles around much of his competition. SmackDown’s contest will be the first-ever match between these superstars in the WWE, but what many members of the proverbial Universe may not know is that these men have competed before. In fact, their initial rivalry dates back nearly fifteen years to small arenas, National Guard armories, and even bingo halls.

As it happens, the SmackDown match will be their first time competing inside a ring in over eleven years. 4,190 days, to be exact, have passed since Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe last stood toe-to-toe. Prior to their careers in WWE, they fought in some of the greatest and most varied matches the independent wrestling world has seen.

Check out these storied battles from years past, from technical classics to wild brawls, and even inside a steel cage.

Only a few times did rivals Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe work together as a team, and it was often to the dissatisfaction of both men. However, on 25 March 2006 at Ring of Honor's Best in the World, the American Dragon and the Samoan Submission Machine faced off with two of Pro Wrestling NOAH's best in Naomichi Marufuji and KENTA - now Hideo Itami. It was nonstop action from the opening bell, a match that saw hard-hitting strikes, high-flying risks, and punishing submissions. Despite the undercurrent of animosity between them, Joe and Bryan were able to work cohesively in this battle between promotions.

While Joe and Bryan were the hometown favorites, of sorts, the crowd was electric for KENTA and Marufuji - who were international sensations at the time. The frightening Samoan and the intense American Dragon didn’t back down from the fight and instead brought it to the NOAH team - much to the delight of the red-hot crowd. In the end, however, KENTA was able to score an upset pinfall on the then-ROH World Champion, Daniel Bryan. But there was to be no respect shown between the competitors, even after the bell, as KENTA grabbed Bryan’s ROH title and raised it high. The audience roared, as it was a sign of more to come, but Bryan and even Joe were livid, chasing off the Japanese contingent.