8. Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt (Royal Rumble, Jan. 26)
To say the booking behind the Daniel Bryan-Bray Wyatt storyline was uneven, disjointed and, at times, incoherent would be an understatement of massive proportions. Still, there was reason for optimism when it was announced that they would meet one another in singles competition at the Royal Rumble. After all, Bryan was widely considered the best wrestler in the world and Bray had shown flashes of brilliance in extended matches with Bryan and CM Punk. By the time the bell rang on January 26, that optimism would pay off in spades as Bryan and Wyatt delivered the best match of the show and rapidly established themselves as the stars to carry WWE into the future. Wyatt controlled the match but Bryan, as he is prone to do, fought his way back into the match courtesy of his explosive comeback and caught had Wyatt reeling. The Pittsburgh crowd, which would be key in the reevaluation of the WrestleMania 30 card thanks to their unwavering support of Bryan, was solidly behind the leader of the Yes Movement as he appeared poised to pick up a major victory to kick off the show. Unfortunately for them, the determined Wyatt cut off Bryan's onslaught and scored the win with Sister Abigail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewXbzC3qhv4 The loss proved to be little more than a speed bump on the road to WrestleMania for Bryan, who would continue gaining momentum before rolling into New Orleans for the Showcase of the Immortals and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Bray win legitimized him as a top star in WWE. He defeated the former WWE and World champion cleanly and, as a result, would be taken seriously as competition to other main event-level wrestlers. His next target, John Cena, would provide him with the biggest exposure of his career and lead to a months-long feud that continues to this day.
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.
