10 Best Daniel Bryan Matches Since His WWE Return

Bryan/Styles in the late 2010s was the dream match, the contest that everyone wanted to see it when Bryan returned. They'd wrestled before in the 2000s but both men had grown considerably in the years since, and the prospect of the two facing off again was a tantalising prospect for fans everywhere. While we got a few stellar TV matches, their finest work together came from the TLC PPV where in Bryan’s first title defence as the newly heel WWE champion, he crafted a breathtaking epic alongside Styles that ranks up with both men’s finest work in the company.

The match started a little slow for some people's liking, with lots of Bryan mind games as he tried to mess with the former WWE champion before the pace picked up. Bryan's heel offence is one of the most captivating things in professional wrestling, with every move he gave to Styles being visceral and compelling. The sequence of Styles applying the Calf Crusher on Bryan and making the crowd genuinely tense around the possibility of a tap out was fantastic, creating genuine tension for every fan of the Planet's Champion who wanted to see him retain.

With the match gaining momentum to a beautiful extent, the fact that Bryan managed to outsmart and pin his seasoned opponent with a small package of all things was a reminder that the American Dragon was back, and was ready to embark on the heel run of his life. While their Royal Rumble match was slightly underwhelming, this was a beautiful contest and worthy of the acclaim it received from fans and critics alike.