WWE: 12 "Can't Miss" Matches From 2013

by Chad Matthews

1. Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena (Summerslam, August 18th) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qvxhmpRibE Further context may be necessary for some critics, but if you are reflecting back on 2013, it is hard not to list Daniel Bryan winning the WWE Championship clean in the middle of the ring from the "Golden Boy" (John Cena) as the #1 moment/match of the year. The match itself was outstanding, every bit as good as the two preceding matches listed, but in a different way. Bryan stepped up on the biggest stage of his career and hit a homerun, while Cena gutted through an injury that required surgery just days after the match. As much as Bryan showcased his ability to be a showman, Cena displayed a knack for grappling that we had rarely seen. They challenged each other to excel, as excellent members of the pro wrestling fraternity should do. The underlying story of the match was that Bryan had become so overwhelmingly popular with live audiences all over the world that the WWE had no choice but to push him. Since they unceremoniously decided that Sheamus should beat him in 18-seconds to end his World Heavyweight Championship reign at WrestleMania XXVIII, the WWE had experienced a groundswell of support for Bryan. Massive chants of "Yes!" or "No!" - Bryan's catchphrases - provided the audio soundtrack to matches that Bryan was not even a part of. The WWE higher ups had been smart in their use of Bryan since April 2012, keeping him in a position to be a major part of the show even when not challenging for their top title. Once the WrestleMania 29 dust settled and the returning stars had gone back to their other activities, a main-event spot opened up that the WWE wisely decided to use on Bryan. At Summerslam, they decided to have all of Bryan's supporters put up or shut up. They said, "We're going to give this guy to you despite the fact that he does not fit any traditional mold for a main-event player in this business €“ it's up to you to validate what we're about to do." Defeating "The Man" at the second biggest PPV of the year was a good way to justify such fervent fan support of Bryan, despite the post-match happening that cost him the title immediately after winning it. Bryan, in the face of adversity, had emerged as one of the WWE's go-top guys.

 
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"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition. Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.