10 Great Wrestlers Who Totally Reinvented Themselves

For much of the noughties, Bryan Danielson was considered the king of the indies. Between his astonishing technical wrestling ability and realistic, down-to-earth character work, hardcore audiences couldn't get enough of 'The American Dragon'.

Despite his obvious ability, his lack of an over-the-top character or look left many expecting him to flop hard in the WWE. Beyond a bizarre burial during the first season of NXT, however, the rechristened Daniel Bryan quickly caught on with WWE crowds. By late 2011, the smark favourite was fast becoming a general fan favourite thanks to his hilarious heel work as World Heavyweight Champion.

In a beta test of sorts for his later eco warrior persona, Bryan lectured audiences on a variety of social and environmental issues in between bragging about his world title reign. Appreciating the humour and originality on display, audiences were crushed when D-Bry's run on top was axed in a measly 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII.

In the years that followed, Bryan continued to evolve, fully embracing an eccentric, high-strung babyface role that carried him all the way to the main event of WrestleMania XXX.

In the years since, 'The Planet's Champion' has continued to grow and reboot. From turning heel and sporting a wooden WWE Championship to returning to his 'American Dragon' persona in AEW, Danielson's knack for reinvention has kept him consistently over with fans for over 20 years.