| “ | Yes! Yes! Yes! | „ |
| ~ Daniel Bryan |
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler who currently works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is married to Brie Bella He is best known for his time with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Daniel Bryan. He is also known by his ring name, and later nickname, the American Dragon.
In professional wrestling, Danielson is an eight-time world champion, having won the ROH World Championship in Ring of Honor (ROH) once, the PWG World Championship twice in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the WXW World Heavyweight Championship once in westside Xtreme wrestling, and the World Heavyweight Championship once and the WWE Heavyweight Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship three times in World Wrestling Entertainment. In addition, he has won the FIP Heavyweight Championship once in Full Impact Pro, the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship once in Pro Wrestling Noah and is officially recognized as the final ROH Pure Champion, as he unified the Pure title with the ROH World title in 2006. He also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Curry Man.
Until 2009, Danielson primarily competed on the independent circuit. ROH was generally regarded as his home promotion, but he also worked in FIP, PWG, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He has also worked internationally, most notably in Pro Wrestling Noah through ROH's involvement in the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance, a global organization of cooperative promotions that allow their competitors to travel abroad to other companies. He also competed in a handful of matches in WWE before signing an actual contract with the company in 2009. On August 23, 2009, ROH announced that Danielson had signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Danielson made his debut as a WWE contracted wrestler on January 4, 2010, in a dark match prior to Raw, defeating Chavo Guerrero.
Career in WWE[]
Daniel Bryan competing in his first televised WWE match against Chris Jericho
Arrival at NXT & Nexus[]
Daniel Bryan made his WWE debut as a contestant on "WWE NXT" in February 2010 (Which was a show similar to American Gladiators before it became a improved version of FCW in June 2012) when he competed in his first match against Chris Jericho on the first episode of NXT. Bryan had The Miz as his WWE Pro back then and The Miz would be disappointed in Bryan after he lost against Jericho. Bryan would also head on to being the first NXT competitor eliminated from the NXT show.
Daniel Bryan making his return to WWE at the 2010 SummerSlam PPV
After NXT season 1 finished with Wade Barrett as the winner, Bryan aligned with The Nexus. in June 2010, Bryan, along with the Nexus (All NXT season 1 competitors were in the group. such as Heath Slater, Skip Sheffield, Darren Young, and the NXT season 1 winner, Wade Barrett) interrupted a match John Cena competed in and destroyed everything in sight. Bryan then got fired after this (Non Kayfabe) due to "Non-PG" acts as he choked Justin Roberts with his tie. After this, the Nexus announced that Daniel Bryan is kicked out of the Nexus. in August 2010, Bryan returned to the WWE in the 2010 SummerSlam event as the Second Member of "Team WWE" which was formed by John Cena, Chris Jericho, Edge, R-Truth, John Morrison & Bret Hart in order to stop the Nexus from raising more hell and terror.
United States Champion & Money in the Bank[]
Daniel Bryan during his reign as the United States Champion
After the events of SummerSlam 2010, Daniel Bryan then joined the Raw Roster and then set his sights on the United States Championship which was held by his former WWE Pro, The Miz (Whom has berated Bryan on several occasions). in the Night of Champions 2010 event, Daniel Bryan captured the US title from The Miz and reigned as the US Champion until March 2011 where he was beaten by Sheamus on Raw for the title. Bryan tried to retain his title back from Sheamus at WrestleMania 27 and the Raw after that event, But failed on a few occasions. in April 2011, Daniel Bryan then got drafted to SmackDown and started feuding with Ted DiBiase Jr & Cody Rhodes.
Daniel Bryan winning the Money in the Bank briefcase
Few months later in the Money in the Bank 2011 PPV, Daniel Bryan competed in a Money in the Bank match and won the match, thus being Mr Money in the Bank. Bryan originally intended to cash in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 28, but decided to keep the wait shorter. He attempted to cash in on Mark Henry in November 2011 with the help of Big Show but then got beaten up by Mark before the match could even start. then in TLC 2011, after Big Show won the Heavyweight Championship, Mark Henry assaulted Big Show. Bryan then seized the opportunity by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Big Show and immediately went for the pin and took the title from Big Show. after this, Bryan got a girlfriend known as AJ Lee.
World Heavyweight Championship & Heel Turn[]
Bryan at TLC 2011 after pinning Big Show to become the World Heavyweight Champion
in January 2012, Bryan had a match with Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship and tried to coward away from Big Show. Big Show started chasing Bryan and then accidentally tackled AJ Lee, which made Bryan extremely enraged. After this incident, Bryan slowly started acting like a heel towards Big Show (but wasn't really a heel) which lead to Big Show lashing out on Bryan. in the 2012 Royal Rumble event, Daniel Bryan had to overcome the odds as he faced Big Show & Mark Henry in a Steel Cage match where you can only win by pin fall, submission, leaving the cage via door, or climbing over the steel cage (which Bryan did to retain his title).
Daniel Bryan showing off his title after assaulting Big Show & Randy Orton
Then in February 2012 during Big Show's match with Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan then completely turned heel by hitting Randy Orton with his championship belt and then attacked Big Show. Bryan then kept talking about how he was a "Vegan". Bryan continued with his arrogance until WrestleMania 28 where he lost against Sheamus in 18 seconds due to being distracted by kissing AJ Lee. after this, Daniel Bryan got furious with AJ Lee and broke up with her. then Bryan tried to become champion once again by facing Sheamus at Extreme Rules 2012 but failed. After the events of WrestleMania 28, Sheamus would tease Bryan about how he lost in 18 Seconds.
WWE Championship Pursuits[]
Daniel Bryan & CM Punk before their match at Over the Limit 2012 began
in May 2012, Bryan then jumped ship from SmackDown to Raw and then targeted the WWE Championship which was held by a competitor he knew very well, CM Punk. Bryan went on WWE Championship pursuits in Over the Limit 2012, No Way Out 2012 & Money in the Bank 2012, but failed in all 3 of those listed events. in late May 2012, Kane got involved in the frenzy between Bryan & CM Punk. then in June 2012, Daniel Bryan's former girlfriend, AJ Lee starts to find an interest in both CM Punk & Kane and tries to sabotage Bryan from winning the championship.
Bryan asking out AJ Lee
In July 2012 after the Money in the Bank event, Daniel Bryan then reunited with AJ Lee and engaged with her, only for AJ Lee to set up Bryan in the 1000th episode of Raw which was the week after Bryan asked out AJ again. the week after the engagement, the WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon decided to make AJ Lee the new GM of Monday Night Raw, which had Bryan extremely furious due to being set up. after AJ got promoted to Raw GM, She then put Daniel Bryan on an Anger Management class along with Kane. their therapist, Dr Shelby would try to make Bryan & Kane a team. Bryan & Kane wouldn't get along well, which resulted to them continuously arguing. In September 2012, Bryan and Kane won the Tag Team Championships after beating Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, but they would still argue with each other. Bryan & Kane wouldn't want to be Co-Champions with each other, so one of them would say "I'm the Tag Team Champions" and take both the Tag Team belts and show it off. Throughout the months, Bryan & Kane would start to get along. then the team of Bryan & Kane were declared to be known as "Team Hell No''. Daniel Bryan and Kane were also forced to "Hug It Out" on Raw. during these events, Daniel Bryan would go from a heel to a tweener.
Team Hell No[]
Team Hell No with the Tag Team Titles
In October 2012, Team Hell No would be disrespected by Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes who were formed as "Team Rhode Scholars" and try to claim the titles from Team Hell no at the 2012 Hell in a Cell event, but failed. but they would still disrespect Daniel Bryan & Kane (even insisting that Dr Phil is a better Doctor & Therapist than Dr Shelby). they would continue until January 2013 at the Royal Rumble PPV where Team Hell No beat Team Rhode Scholars.
Bryan kicking Damien Sandow during the Tag Team Championship match in Hell in a Cell 2012
In late November 2012, Team Hell No had become a target by a group of newcomers known as The Shield (the team of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns). The Shield would ambush Team Hell No continuously. in December 2012, Team Hell No aligned with Ryback (another victim of The Shield's attacks) to stop The Shield from "fighting injustice". they tried to do so at TLC 2012 but failed after Roman Reigns destroyed Daniel Bryan with a Powerbomb from the top rope into a table. in Late February 2013, Bryan and Kane would be targeted by the team of Dolph Ziggler, Big E Langston & Daniel Bryan's ex girlfriend, AJ Lee. Kaitlyn would help Bryan & Kane in case AJ Lee distracted them. the team of Dolph Ziggler & Big E Langston then faced off Team Hell No until a tag team match for the Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 29 which was won by Team Hell No.
Feud with The Shield & Face Turn[]
Team Hell No at WrestleMania 29
in May 2013, Team Hell No were confronted by enemies they were familiar with, The Shield. The Shield challenged Team Hell No for the tag team titles at Extreme Rules to which Team Hell No accepted. in the 2013 Extreme Rules PPV, The team of Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins defeated Daniel Bryan & Kane and thus becoming the new tag team champions. during that event, Dean Ambrose beat Kofi Kingston for the United States Championship.
Daniel Bryan hitting Cesaro with a German Suplex
After the Extreme Rules event, The Shield left with three golden belts. then Daniel Bryan decided to make a change and team up with Randy Orton to regain the Tag Team Championships from The Shield but couldn't get the job done. In July 2013, Team Hell No officially broke up. after they broke up, (This is where the big story begins). Daniel Bryan would set his sights on the WWE Championship. first, he was put in a Money in the Bank match along with Randy Orton, CM Punk, Christian, Kane (Who couldn't be in the match due to injury), Sheamus, and the returning Rob Van Dam. however, the match was won by Randy Orton
WWE Championship Victory & Feud with The Authority[]
Daniel Bryan hitting John Cena with the Running Knee during their SummerSlam 2013 match
in mid July 2013, the WWE Champion, John Cena got to choose his SummerSlam opponent, and decided to choose Daniel Bryan because Bryan became extremely popular and the crowd started chanting "Yes Yes Yes". Vince McMahon decided that the Raw GM, Brad Maddox would be the special guest referee, but that request was turned down by Triple H as he declared himself as the special guest referee and assaulted Maddox. in the 2013 SummerSlam PPV, Daniel Bryan faced John Cena in an epic match for the WWE Championship with Triple H as the referee. Bryan won with a new finisher known as the "Running Knee".
Bryan refusing to shake Triple H's hand
During Bryan's celebration, Randy Orton arrived and cashed in his money in the bank. before Orton could cash in, Triple H turned heel and pedigreed Daniel Bryan. Orton as well turned heel as he joined forces with Triple H in order to create "The Authority" . Bryan would start feuding with the Authority but paused the feud in Late October 2013 as newcomer, Bray Wyatt alongside the Wyatt Family would ambush Daniel Bryan. CM Punk would then come to Bryan's aid for a short time to fight off the Wyatt Family, but then Punk had to deal with The Shield since he was feuding with them. Bryan would get ambushed by the Wyatts on several occasions. Bryan had no choice but to join the Wyatts.
The Yes Movement[]
Bryan battling Bray Wyatt at the Royal Rumble 2014 PPV
in January 2014, Daniel Bryan, alongside Bray Wyatt fought off The Usos in a steel cage match and won. after the match, Bryan removed his Wyatt Family attire and started attacking Bray Wyatt, which lead to a match at the 2014 Royal Rumble ppv which was won by Bray Wyatt. in February 2014 after the Royal Rumble event however, Bryan would then become a contestant for the 2014 Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship along with Sheamus, John Cena, Christian, Cesaro & Randy Orton. the match was won by Orton thanks to the help of The Authority and Bryan's former teammate, Kane (Who sold out and joined the Authority, thus turning heel).
Daniel Bryan alongside The Yes Movement occupying Raw
In March 2014, Daniel Bryan demanded to be in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania to which Triple H & Stephanie McMahon kept refusing, then Bryan brought over a group of his fans to which he referred to as "The Yes Movement" and started occupying Raw. due to this, Triple H had no choice but to make a match at WrestleMania between himself and Daniel Bryan. The Winner gets added to the the main event of WrestleMania was confirmed to be Batista vs Randy Orton.
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Daniel Bryan wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 30
Daniel Bryan won his match against Triple H and also overcame the odds and beat Batista & Orton to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The night after WrestleMania, Bryan defended his championship against Triple H. Triple H brought over Randy Orton, Batista & Kane to help him out in the match, but then The Shield arrived to even the odds.
Various Feuds and Injuries[]
Daniel Bryan retaining the WWE World Heavyweight Titles in a extreme match against Kane
Bryan would then feud with his former Team Hell No teammate, Kane. during their feud, Kane would try to kidnap Brie Bella, and injure Bryan by hitting the tombstone piledriver on him onto steel steps and the announce table. Kane would continue to taunt Bryan until their match at Extreme Rules 2014 (which Bryan won). The night after that event, Kane would injure him and keep him out of action for several months. in June 2014, Bryan vacated the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. A ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was then made at Money in the Bank which was won by John Cena.
Bryan making his in-ring return at a SmackDown event in 2015
Bryan would then appear at the 2014 Money in the Bank event to confirm that this isn't the end of his career. Bryan was then confronted by Bo Dallas who tried to motivate him. in December 2014, Bryan announced that he would be competing at the 2015 Royal Rumble match. In the January 15th, 2015 edition of SmackDown, Bryan made his return to in-ring competition and went one on one against the same person who almost ended his career, Kane.
Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns shaking each other's hands after their match
That same night, Bryan teamed up with Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose to take on three members of the Authority (Which were Seth Rollins, Big Show & Kane). Bryan competed in the Royal Rumble match, and then got eliminated by Bray Wyatt. then Bryan challenged Roman Reigns at the 2015 Fastlane event with Reigns' WWE World Heavyweight Championship match spot against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania on the line. The match was won by Reigns. after the match, Reigns & Bryan gave each other a handshake.
Daniel Bryan after winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31
Bryan would go on to compete against Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, Bad News Barrett, Stardust, R-Truth & Luke Harper at WrestleMania 31 in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship match. Bryan won the match and became the new IC Champion, and thus adding a new name to the list of grand slam champions. Bryan then feuded with Sheamus (who turned heel after WM31) & Bad News Barrett for a short time. Daniel Bryan would then team up with John Cena to battle the team of Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, which was his final match.
Retirement & Post-Wrestling Career[]
Daniel Bryan after announcing his retirement from professional wrestling
In the February 8th, 2016 edition of Raw, Daniel Bryan announced his retirement from professional wrestling. Bryan then made his return in July 2016 and was handpicked as the SmackDown Live General Manager by Shane McMahon. Bryan would star in the "Total Bellas" series which would premier in October 5, 2016.
Heroic acts[]
To be heard with Kane during their anger management
Protected The Undertaker with Kane from The Shield
To break free from Bray Wyatt's mind control by making a Face Turn into betraying Bray Wyatt in the process
Became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the first time
Became the WWE Intercontinental Champion for the first time at Wrestlemania 31.
He saved his friend Kane from "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt by ripping this latter's hair off.
Gallery[]
