Daniel Bryan is a future WWE Hall Of Fame headliner who is a huge fan-favorite. He's one of WWE's greatest ever underdog wrestlers, a man who has had a career packed full of incredible highs and some almighty lows.
During his career, Bryan has proven himself to be a tremendous in-ring talent, having put on some amazing matches. He has been able to compete at WrestleMania eight different times to date. Much like his career on the whole, Bryan's WrestleMania track record is very varied, with some amazing matches and some very forgettable ones. Within this list, we will rank them all from worst to best.
8 Lumberjack Match: Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus (WrestleMania XXVII)
No, this isn't the one you're thinking of. This match actually took place the year before and was technically Daniel Bryan's first WrestleMania match, although he and Sheamus were bumped to the pre-show.
While this was originally set to be a Lumberjack Match for the United States Championship between Bryan and Sheamus, it quickly ended up turning into a random battle royal featuring everyone who was at ringside. Despite the fact they were meant to be on the main card, neither Sheamus or Bryan actually won the match. The battle royal victory went to The Great Khali, of all people. This was definitely a match to forget for Bryan.
7 Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus (WrestleMania XXVIII)
Just one year later, and Daniel Bryan and Sheamus found themselves on the main card competing to become World Heavyweight Champion. Fans were expecting a fun and physical battle between them.
Instead, they were given 18 seconds in the opening match. After a quick kiss of death from the tricky AJ Lee, Bryan walked straight into a Brogue Kick and it was over before everyone had even found their seats. When you rank this against other WrestleMania matches Bryan has had, this is one of the worst. However, in the grand scheme of things, it was the best thing that could have happened to him, as it kickstarted the Yes Movement.
6 Team Hell No vs Dolph Ziggler & Big E Langston (WrestleMania 29)
This was effectively Daniel Bryan's first proper WrestleMania match. He was finally being given a decent amount of time to compete and certainly made the most of the opportunity, as Team Hell No continued their excellent tag team run.
Kane and Daniel Bryan were never meant to be a long-term project together as a tag team, but the chemistry they had just led to things escalating. By the time WrestleMania 29 came around, everyone was firmly invested in them as a duo. Big E and Dolph Ziggler provided the perfect mirror opponents for Team Hell No, and while this wasn't the longest tag team match, they made the most of the time they had and put on a fun bout.
5 Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (WrestleMania 34)
In terms of pure emotion, this certainly ranks up there. This moment was something that no wrestling fan thought they would ever see, as Daniel Bryan returned from what was supposedly a career-ending injury to compete once again.
To see him back in the ring was a very emotional moment for fans. Even though they would have loved it no matter what, Bryan showed no signs of ring rust. He and Shane McMahon competed against two of the very best (in Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn), Bryan was straight back in the swing of things, reminding everyone why he is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time.
4 Ladder Match: Daniel Bryan vs Luke Harper vs Dean Ambrose vs Bad News Barrett vs R-Truth vs Stardust vs Dolph Ziggler (WrestleMania 31)
Ladder matches at WrestleMania are always fun. It is just an instant recipe for success. This bout was no different, as the seven men all battled in a fantastic opening match for the Intercontinental Championship.
Bryan had only just returned from his first lengthy absence and fans were certainly glad to see him back in the ring, with Bryan winning the Intercontinental Title here after a crazy headbutting war with Dolph Ziggler. The match was complete carnage (as to be expected from a ladder match with huge high-flying moves taking place) and people being put through ladders. It was like a fight scene in an action movie, providing a very hot start to WrestleMania 31.
3 Daniel Bryan vs Triple H (WrestleMania XXX)
The first of two matches Daniel Bryan had at WrestleMania XXX, this bout saw him take on Triple H in what is considered by many to be one of the greatest WrestleMania opening matches of all time.
The outcome of this match might have been fairly predictable (in the sense that everyone knew Bryan was going to at least get to the main event spot or the crowd would have rebelled against the entire show), but that didn't stop them from convincing people that Triple H could have taken the win. Everyone wanted to see Daniel Bryan topple The Authority and with this match. Sure enough, Bryan got to have his moment, beating Triple H in what was an amazing back and forth match.
2 Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston (WrestleMania 35)
This is one of the biggest moments not just in WrestleMania history, but in the history of the entire company. Kofi Kingston's historic victory speaks for itself.
However, while this was certainly Kingston's WrestleMania moment, that doesn't happen without an excellent opponent. Bryan certainly did himself and the event justice. Everyone wanted this to be a classic and that is exactly what it was. Bryan offered just enough offence to make people think it wouldn't happen for Kingston, only for the new champ to eventually pull through after a hard-hitting, fast-paced battle.
1 Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton vs Batista (WrestleMania XXX)
Could it really have been anything else in this place? It doesn't matter how many more WrestleMania matches Daniel Bryan has, nothing is ever going to top this moment. It was one of the greatest main events in the history of the show.
With everything against him during the build-up to this show, this was the moment where Daniel Bryan finally came out on top, beating the odds to finally become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. While the moment itself was unforgettable and would be enough to top this list, the match itself was also fantastic, with all three men playing their roles perfectly. Everybody thought, one last time, that Bryan wouldn't achieve the dream.