Daniel Bryan’s Underdog Story Resumes at WWE WrestleMania 34

Daniel Bryan is getting back in a WWE ring at WrestleMania 34 and fans are holding their collective breath. Everyone knows that Bryan had an uphill fight to reclaim his pro wrestling career and now he finally has it. But the moment he takes his first bump in the match, fans will surely be on the edge of their seats.

But aside from his physical well being, it’s Daniel Bryan’s immediate future that has fans talking. His tag team outing at WrestleMania with Shane McMahon is a great way to get him back in the groove, but what happens after the final bell rings?

The storyline pitting Bryan and McMahon against each other seemed to drag on forever. Fans knew something was odd about the whole thing, mostly because there didn’t seem to be the possibility of a payoff.

After all, Bryan was on the shelf. If Shane did screw him over and ultimately side with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, what could Daniel do about it? He couldn’t get his revenge. What sort of revenge would there even be? The entire situation seemed pointless.

So this was about more than just keeping Bryan on TV and fans knew it. There just was no other reason to create such heat between him and Shane other than an eventual return to action for Bryan. Now he’s heading back to the ring and speculation is running rampant.

That speculation centers on what will happen on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Many fans believe that Shane will indeed turn his back on Bryan. Nothing good has ever come from Bryan trusting a McMahon and that is the very fact that made this partnership curious from the beginning.

Why would Bryan come back to WWE in an authoritative capacity when that meant working directly with the McMahon family? The move to get Bryan back in a highly visible role was obvious and fans surely loved seeing him there. But it was never logical for his character.

A Shane McMahon betrayal of Daniel Bryan at Mania is definitely logical. It can be said that Shane played Bryan the entire time and that he only did what was best for business. Of course if that does happen, then both Raw and SmackDown Live will feature a heel McMahon at the helm. What need would either of them have for a babyface General Manager?

Another possibility is that Bryan himself will actually turn heel. Maybe this entire storyline has led to that twist. If so, then the same fans that cheered his return could boo him out of the Superdome. He hasn’t been an antagonist since the days before Team Hell No. Perhaps this is the best time for Daniel to get back to his rule breaking ways.

But the biggest problem with that theory is obvious. Daniel Bryan is not a heel anymore. It’s just not who he is. The entire underdog concept centers on the character’s ability to connect with the fans as a sentimental favorite. He can only be the scrappy fighter battling the odds if fans buy in. The moment that connection is gone is the moment when that character can betray his supporters.

However that is just not the case with Bryan. He’s been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He realized his world title dreams and he lost his career. Through it all, the fans stayed by his side. They believed in him when WWE had no plans for him. They had his back then and they have his back now.

A heel turn would be nothing more than a swerve for the sake of a swerve. There would be no reason for it and Bryan’s character would suffer because of it. This is Daniel’s time to shine, to once again realize his dream. But where will that dream take him?

Win or lose at WrestleMania, Bryan should get back to a regular schedule in the ring. That does not mean he needs to be full-time however and WWE may not even need him to be. But for fans that have waited for this moment, there’s a list of big name Superstars that Bryan needs to face.

AJ Styles tops the list, followed closely by Shinsuke Nakamura. Of course Owens and Zayn are two Superstars that must be dealt with and WrestleMania 34 will probably not be the end for them when it comes to Bryan’s return. But the big question is will Bryan once again become the WWE champion?

It’s entirely possible that this return could be the year-long road to WrestleMania 35 for Bryan. There’s every reason to believe that Bryan will once again become red hot when he gets going as an active wrestler again. Unless WWE just doesn’t book him or somehow mishandles this second chapter, Bryan should once again become must-see television.

But whether or not he will be on a path that leads him back to the company’s biggest championship is unknown. Bryan is undoubtedly happy just to get back in the ring once again. However considering how far he’s come and how hard he’s fought, it’s impossible for fans to not want the best for him.

Next: WrestleMania 34 Live Review, Highlights, Grades, and Analysis

Daniel Bryan’s story is one of inspiration. He knew what he wanted and he never stopped fighting until he got it. Now that he’s back, the fight continues. Fans wouldn’t have it any other way.