10 Best Daniel Bryan Matches Since His WWE Return
We are so lucky to have Daniel Bryan back.
Daniel Bryan is one of the greatest wrestlers in history. From his legacy defining ROH title reign, to his classic WWE run leading up to his world heavyweight title victory at WrestleMania XXX, to his heartbreaking retirement in the early stages of 2016, Bryan cemented himself as an all time talent and as someone who connected with crowds on a visceral level. He is a genius within the squared circle and we are lucky to have someone with his talents back in the ring full time.
The moment when he announced he was coming back to the ring, after two years of forced retirement, is many people's favourite moment in wrestling history. Since coming back, Bryan has not only proven how good he always was, but is arguably even better than ever. While not always given the opportunity to have defining classics, Bryan's latest WWE run has been filled with brilliant matches and some of the best work of his entire life.
We are fortunate to exist in a world where any of these matches are possible, let alone all of them. Wrestling is often heartbreaking and disappointing, but getting to witness the return of a legend like Daniel Bryan and see him thrive like he'd never been gone? That's special beyond words. Thank you Bryan.
10. Daniel Bryan Vs. Buddy Murphy - Smackdown (20 August 2019)
Current Raw tag team champion Buddy Murphy had a fluctuating 2019, with the best parts of his year spent defending the Cruiserweight Championship against opponents like Akira Tozawa, and the worst parts being spent largely forgotten when called up to the main roster. His luck shifted eventually when coming to Raw, having an excellent series of matches with Aleister Black and eventually joining Seth Rollins' stable. But the first stages of Murphy's success on the main roster came in his involvement with the Roman Reigns storyline at the time, and two scintillating matches with Reigns and Daniel Bryan.
Bryan's notorious selflessness in ring allowed Murphy to get a clean pinfall victory over him, after an incredibly competitive and entertaining match. While the momentum of the win wasn't properly capitalised on by SmackDown writers, the match in isolation was a miraculous sight to behold. Bryan quite simply proved himself as the best wrestler in the world, using his trademark offence and technical expertise to grind down the younger Murphy. Murphy's speed and viciousness meant that he kept giving it his all despite the ferocity of Bryan's approach, eventually being able to work the American Dragon down with knee strikes and the Murphy's Law.
While this match is not the most iconic of Bryan's 2019 SmackDown losses to upcoming superstars, it is a testament to how good Bryan is that it felt like Buddy was a guaranteed megastar after this loss. If Murphy's success continues, thank Bryan and Roman for helping him get over with the universe at large.