10 Wrestling Matches Neither Wrestler Could Afford To Lose

5. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE Fastlane 2015)

Daniel Bryan Roman Reigns
WWE.com

There's no way Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns would've happened at Fastlane 2015 had fans not publicly railroaded WWE into satisfying their eternal need to see Dan do well. Reigns was the chosen poster boy, the Royal Rumble winner and was deemed the right man to face Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 31.

Before getting there, he'd work the ludicrously over Bryan.

Fans booed Roman heavily and sided with Daniel, which posed a massive dilemma for Vince McMahon and his creative team. Could they really continue slapping people over the head with Reigns if those same fans didn't want him? Would they be better off repeating 'Mania XXX's trick and putting Bryan in the headline mix?

It was a weird situation, but it made for an exciting match. Roman, with Rumble success in his back pocket and hoping to become top babyface, couldn't lose. Daniel, still a darling of the people, was also in a precarious spot. Looking back, it's hard to know if it was win-win or lose-lose here.

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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.