16. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton - WrestleMania XXX
After months of having his championship dreams dashed by the evil Authority, Daniel Bryan arrived at WrestleMania XXX poised for the biggest night of his professional career. In front of 75,000 fans in New Orleans' SuperDome, Bryan first defeated Triple H to earn his spot in the main event of the show. Then, overcoming injuries suffered when he was put through the announce table with a Batista Bomb/RKO combination, he defeated Batista and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat match to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Pyro exploded, confetti fell and fans erupted into chants of "YES!" as their favorite Superstar finally overcame the odds and stood over the wrestling world, the unlikely a reality. By the time Bryan stepped out of the ring to embrace young fan Connor Michalek, the joy that had filled fans had caused their eyes to well up tears. For the first time in years, one of wrestling's legitimate good guys had achieved his dream and did so on the grandest stage imaginable, proving correct the old saying, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog."
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.
