Daniel Bryan's career may be up in the air now - and his future anyone's guess - but rewind to 2013 and fans were eager to see him at the top of the card. Bryan's rise to the main event scene in WWE is a classic underdog story, one underpinned by a series of top drawer performances from the man himself. Locking horns with John Cena at SummerSlam '13, hopes were high that Daniel Bryan would finally get what he deserved. In one of the most cruel finishes to a WWE Pay-Per-View in living memory, the company pulled the rug out from underneath their own fanbase. Far from being a poor ending however, it only left people more eager to see Bryan succeed, which is excellent story-telling. Beating Cena clean during the match itself, Bryan had the WWE Title handed to him by Special Guest Referee, Triple H. Suddenly, Triple H laid Bryan out with his trademark Pedigree move. Then, fittingly out of nowhere, Randy Orton appeared, cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase and defeating an already-battered Daniel Bryan. The finish may have been convoluted, but the actual match between Bryan and Cena should not be overlooked. This is where Daniel Bryan proved he belonged alongside guys like Triple H and John Cena.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
