10 Best Daniel Bryan Matches Since His WWE Return

Daniel Bryan’s WWE title reign from November 2018 to April 2019 was the best world championship reign of the 2010s within WWE, containing some of the greatest character work and wrestling of Bryan’s career, somehow managing to generate genuine heat despite being the most beloved wrestler in the company. His work in cementing an extremely filler triple threat on paper as one of 2019’s very best matches cannot be understated. In the interim period between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, it's rare that any substantial title changes happen, and the feud between Bryan and Kofi at WrestleMania itself seemed guaranteed.

Despite the inevitability of a Daniel Bryan win here and the initial negative reactions to Ali being the third entrant of the match instead of Kofi, all three men delivered an utter classic of a triple threat, one of the best examples of the match type in recent memory. There were no clunky moments or issues with communication, and all three men seemed perfectly in sync with one another. All got to use their distinct styles to beautiful effect, with Owens' larger size and power based offence contrasting perfectly with the stiff technical work of Bryan and Ali's ridiculous athleticism.

The match was action from start to finish, being an electrifying wrestling experience that managed to further define Bryan's title reign as one of the best booking decisions of the 2010s. The ending itself, where Bryan counters a top rope move from Ali with a midair Running Knee to the head was a perfect way to show Bryan's skill and viciousness as a champion. It's the sort of match that made all three men look substantially better for participating in it, and is worth going back to rewatch.