3. Match Of The Year?
Bray Wyatt's in-ring debut vs. Kane at SummerSlam left much to be desired. The two competed in a Ring of Fire match, in which the ring was surrounded by fire (duh). For whatever reason, be it Wyatt's inexperience, first time jitters, the limits of the match's gimmick or just an overall lack of chemistry, it was viewed as a huge disappointment by fans and those within the company. Luckily this didn't shake management's faith in Wyatt and they once again thrust him into a top angle on a big stage. He targeted Daniel Bryan and had seemingly converted the popular star and convinced him to join the family. Opinions differ or whether the angle was meant to play out the way it did or if it was aborted due to the negative reaction (and YES! chants at mainstream sporting events). But two weeks later Bryan turned on the family during a cage match, ending Raw with a memorable segment that will play in highlight reels forever. That led to a match between the two at the 2014 Royal Rumble. And what a match it was. Bray bounced back from some lackluster performances to take part in what could potentially end up being the match of the year. It doesn't hurt that his dance partner was Bryan, who despite what CM Punk would have you think is arguably the best worker in the world. To top it off Bray went over clean in the middle in a surprising booking decision. The match showed that under the right circumstances Bray Wyatt can have awesome matches.