5 Opponents Who Would Be a Perfect Match For Daniel Bryan
By Bryan Heaton
AJ Styles
Like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles was a big part of the early days of the Ring of Honor promotion. In January 2006, Styles challenged ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson in a losing effort. Though Styles never won the title, he nevertheless left a mark on the company, returning after a roughly eight year absence to much acclaim.
In January 2016, The Phenomenal One made his surprise debut in WWE as the third entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Fast forward to today, and Styles is the reigning WWE Champion in his second reign. He’s a former two-time United States Champion as well. And who else has held both of those championships? A guy named Daniel Bryan.
Something else both superstars have in common? A knack for putting on a match that gets called one of the best of the night, or even year. They both come up big when it counts – pay per views, flagship shows, whatever the case may be.
The difference between Styles and Samoa Joe is that AJ’s in-ring style is more similar to Bryan’s. Both work a fast-paced, technically based style. Putting the two together in the ring seems like a no-brainer. It may be something to look for further down the road, though – it wouldn’t be a good look for an authority figure to book himself a world championship match. Just ask Triple H.
The history both Styles and Bryan have competing in Japan, though at different times, is also something to work into a future WWE match. It worked when Styles faced Finn Balor for the first time last fall. And there’s another superstar in WWE with a history in Japan who has wanted a match against Bryan for some time…