Ranking Every WWE Title Match At WrestleMania Worst To Best

2. WrestleMania XXX - Randy Orton Vs. Batista Vs. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan WrestleMania XXX
WWE

Five years before Kofimania was running wild, it was Daniel Bryan and the Yes! Movement that was the talk of the wrestling world as we headed into WrestleMania XXX.

A match that he was never meant to be in, this was D-Bry's big moment in the spotlight as WWE finally caved to the groundswell of fan pressure - no, fan demand - that Bryan should be in the main event of WrestleMania and challenging for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

To get a spot in that show-closing contest, mind, the Washington native had to first defeat Triple H in the PPV's opening bout. Bryan did just that, getting the W in a great match that saw Hunter on fantastic selling form. For the main event, it was Bryan going up against World Heavyweight Champ Randy Orton and Royal Rumble winner Batista, with the two former Evolution buddies emphasising the underdog nature of the American Dragon's task by working together to take him out.

With a worked shoulder injury, Bryan made the triumphant babyface comeback against all odds, tapping out Batista for the win in a match that also featured interference from Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and corrupt referee Scott Armstrong.

They may have been hesitant to ever get there, but WWE did all they could on this night to make Daniel Bryan feel like the bonafide top talent that many fans had long already viewed him as.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.