1. WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena - SummerSlam 2013
The most must-see match in Daniel Bryan's WWE career is his SummerSlam 2013 showdown with John Cena, and it is not really all that close. The consummate underdog, a Superstar never supposed to achieve greatness in Vince McMahon's company, battled the franchise star of the promotion in one of the most emotionally charged main events of the decade. Fans in Los Angeles were very vocal in their support for Bryan, who out-wrestled Cena throughout the course of the five-star classic, then exploded across the squared circle with a knee to the face. Three seconds later, he was the new WWE champion in one of the most rewarding moments longtime fans of his had ever experienced. It was a crowning moment for a man who proved doubters wrong from the moment he entered the sport. He overcame the odds, fought through pain and injury and finally achieved his dream of standing atop WWE as the most respected star on the roster. Sure, he dropped the title to Randy Orton moments later as a plot device that would fuel the product for months later, but no one can erase the raw emotion that one felt watching him deliver a knee to the establishment and take its title away in a match as beautifully artistic as any Bryan has ever delivered.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
