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

While no one knew the heights to which each man would climb within the wrestling world — and especially in WWE - Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, and AJ Styles were already tremendous stars on the independent scene. In fact, they were arguably the three biggest stars outside of WWE in 2004 when they met in a three-way match for the IWA Mid-South promotion. It was the finals of the annual Ted Petty Invitational tournament — an event which showcased the top wrestlers of the independent scene, named after ECW legend Rocco Rock of Public Enemy.

It was a dream match never seen before and yet to be seen again, and unsurprisingly, it didn’t just not disappoint but exceeded expectations. It was fast-paced and hard-hitting, featuring flurries of offense from each man. It seemed that any of the three competitors could walk away with the victory, but unfortunately for both Bryan and Joe, it was not to be. The match and night ended with AJ Styles reigning supreme and securing his place in the record books as the 2004 Ted Petty Invitational champion.