WWE: At Survivor Series, Daniel Bryan Showed Why He’s One Of The Best Ever

After watching WWE Survivor Series, there can be no question that Daniel Bryan is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Bryan and Brock Lesnar delivered an absolutely fantastic main event that demonstrated how great they both are.

Daniel Bryan, who only came out of retirement less than 10 months ago, has returned to form in WWE, having an absolutely incredible match with Brock Lesnar. Bryan, known for his ability to draw the audience into his matches through selling, storytelling, and good in-ring psychology, was giving us a PhD dissertation in how to structure a match.

As I watched the match unfold, I started thinking that Bryan was going to do everything in his power to get Brock cheered in the early portions of the match.

Bryan paraded around the ring, drawing boos from the crowd as he mocked Brock, and I thought, just for a second, that if there was anyone that could get Lesnar cheered, it would be him.

However, that didn’t last long as Brock started to maul Bryan, and whatever work that was done to get Brock cheered was quickly undone. I became unhappy at the prospect of Brock simply killing Bryan for 10 minutes and pinning him, but feared that was exactly what was going to happen.

This frustrated me, because I knew what Brock and Bryan were capable of and knew we could have a classic match between the two if they were properly booked to do so.

Thankfully, I was wrong about Brock winning in 10 minutes, and what followed for the next 15 minutes was a great match that highlighted the strengths of both men.

Bryan demonstrated incredible heart, and Brock sold so well for Bryan that both men had me believing, first, that Bryan was getting squashed, and then believing that Bryan was going to win – all in the span of a few minutes.

This is nothing new with me and Bryan’s matches. I’ve been a fan of his since around 2004 when I first watched Ring of Honor. One thing Bryan has always been able to do is draw me in to his matches with the story being told. His selling and subtle builds have always left me in awe by the end of the match. The way he structures his matches shows a perfect understanding of how to play the audience and pull them into what’s happening. Bryan does all the little things so well, and all those little things culminate in a match that is excellent.

The pacing of the match with Brock was perfect. Bryan gave us just enough time to believe that Brock was going to squash him, only for him to make a huge comeback that drew us into believing that he was going to win. Brock Lesnar’s selling at this point is also a major part of why this worked so well, but the pacing Bryan gave us just right.

Since coming to WWE, Daniel Bryan has mastered the WWE style of working, where you build slowly to a finish (though it can be argued that this isn’t even WWE’s style anymore, as many major, modern matches feature little selling and just spots).

Everything done in this match with Brock mattered and played into the story. Brock sold everything Bryan did, and Bryan sold for Brock like every blow killed him. This was a fantastic example of how a big man vs. a small man match should be done.

If anyone has ever doubted Bryan’s skills since his return, they need to take a careful look at his match with Brock Lesnar from Survivor Series. Bryan showed quite clearly that he knew exactly what needed to be done to get this match over, and he did it all perfectly. This was the Daniel Bryan of old that we came to love when he stood up to Bray Wyatt, when he defeated Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista in the same night. This Daniel Bryan hasn’t lost a single step, and is still, by far, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

Tonight, Bryan proved us all right. He showed that he is, not only one of the greatest in-ring performers ever, but one of the biggest stars in wrestling today. If we get more matches like this from Bryan, he might have one of the best runs as WWE Champion in recent memory. One can only hope that this is just the beginning for Bryan. As far as new beginnings go, this is definitely the right way to do it.

So, here’s to Daniel Bryan, one of the greatest wrestlers I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. I hope we get to see a lot more from him for years to come. If anyone deserves to have a long run at the top, it’s him.