5. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania, April 7)
The opening match at WrestleMania 30 was, in many ways, the main event. For months, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon did everything they could to keep Daniel Bryan out of the WWE title picture. They tormented him, beat him down, tested his will. But Bryan never gave out. Determined to prove that he could hang with any star, that he could succeed at any level, Bryan fought through the disappointment and despair and secured himself a match against Triple H at the biggest show of the year, thanks to the impassioned support of the fans. The biggest match of the Aberdeen native's career, a bout eight months in the making, Bryan vs. Triple H was the best match of a great show. Earning his nickname "The Cerebral Assassin," Triple H targeted the injured arm of Bryan, picking it apart for the majority of the match. He pulled out holds and maneuvers fans had never seen the COO use before. Rather than give into the pain, Bryan withstood Triple H's onslaught and eventually caught him with the running knee for the pinfall victory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_86--WkORc The win earned Bryan his shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship later in the night. For Triple H, the match proved that The Game was still capable of delivering a show-stealing performance. His work was smart, simple-yet-affective and did a tremendous job in putting Bryan over as a world-beater. Some matches are built to over the course of months but fail to live up to expectations. That was not the case for Bryan vs. Triple H, which proved to be a great, old school professional wrestling match between two guys who are legitimate ring generals.
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.
