Projecting Daniel Bryan's Road Back to the WWE Championship After Loss to Rusev

It may not seem like it at the moment, but a sequel to Daniel Bryan's rise to the WWE mountaintop has begun.

Bryan is too popular, too talented and too connected with the WWE fanbase not to be world champion again. The crowd will have to be patient, though. The sight of Bryan hoisting the WWE Championship above his head amid a shower of confetti isn't going to happen immediately.

The ultimate comeback is on its way, but WWE is going to want to milk it.

An early chapter of that story unfolded when Bryan lost to Rusev on Tuesday's SmackDown. Bryan looked set to join Braun Strowman and The Miz as the next entrants in the upcoming men's Money in the Bank ladder match. He just had to make it past a man often booked as a doormat in a qualifying match.

That's not how things went, however. A thunderous kick to the chin felled Bryan, and The Lion of Bulgaria scored an upset that stunned the Baltimore crowd.

So what's ahead for Bryan now that it will be Rusev rather than him battling for a shot at the WWE Championship at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view?

A pessimist might start to imagine Bryan drudging in the midcard and getting the shaft from WWE brass. Could the company be so inept as to not realize the powerful connection Bryan has with fans and undervalue him again as it did years ago? 

As Pro Wrestling Journal columnist Ciaran James pointed out, it's too early to panic:

Bryan's absence from the Money in the Bank ladder match, his feud with Big Cass and failure against Rusev are all part of a familiar narrative. The leader of the Yes! Movement will triumph in the end. 

But he will have to fall more before he starts the climb to championship contention to maximize the drama of the journey.

More Defeats Ahead

Bryan is set to crash into a wall named Big Cass.

The recent SmackDown addition is poised for a major push. He's back after recovering from an ACL injury, and the amount of spotlight he's received since ditching Enzo Amore suggests WWE has big plans for him.

At Backlash, Bryan managed to defeat Big Cass, but the heel assaulted him after the bell.

WWE isn't going to let Big Cass fall to Bryan again. It will slow his momentum to fail in his first feud post-injury. Instead, Bryan will be his stepping stone, the man who helps him generate heat by breaking fans' hearts.

It won't be the only David versus Goliath story Bryan will star in, either.  

Samoa Joe is a primetime heel in need of a victim. After using him as Roman Reigns' antagonist, WWE will likely look for ways to elevate the powerhouse. Joe has proved he belongs in the world title hunt, and Bryan is an ideal foe to get him back there.

The more Bryan struggles, the more satisfying his eventual coronation will be. So, it's a safe bet Bryan's win-loss record suffers in the short term.

Showdown with The Miz 

There's an obvious route to take with Bryan after his collisions with the monstrous Big Cass and Samoa Joe. He and The Miz have enough bad blood to fill a Buick.

Back when Bryan was SmackDown general manager and not cleared to compete, he often fell out with The Miz. A number of times on Talking Smack, The A-Lister laid into his boss, insulting him without repercussions.

That is about to change. Bryan is wrestling again. The Miz has moved back to SmackDown after a run with Raw. 

There's now a red-hot rivalry to tap into. Reality of Wrestling announcer Brad Gilmore among those hyped about the possibility:

WWE looks to be wisely taking its time diving into it, however. At Money in the Bank, The Miz will be busy trying to win the men's ladder match. Bryan has Big Cass in his sights for the moment.

When Bryan finally does make The Miz pay, it will be a moment worthy of a spot high on either the SummerSlam or Survivor Series card.

That win would allow Bryan to shake off his previous losses and start to focus on the WWE Championship. Beating a former WWE champ, especially one thriving as The Miz is currently, will be a boost to the bearded underdog.

Before long, Bryan would be shooting up the ranks with a dream match on the horizon.

'Yes'-tleMania II

Bryan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE title at WrestleMania would be gold.

Thankfully, that's a bout WWE is likely to build toward. Nakamura has been tremendous as a heel. Bryan is the ultimate babyface. They are both top-notch in-ring performers. It's a perfect setup for The Show of Shows.

Credit: WWE.com

To get to that point, the company may opt to give Bryan the Royal Rumble victory fans have been anticipating for years.

In 2014, Bryan was the hottest thing going, but WWE went with Batista as the Rumble winner. The next year, WWE again miscalculated what the fans wanted and went with Reigns. Those booking fumbles will only make Bryan's 2019 victory that much sweeter.  

Nakamura, meanwhile, looks to be closing in on the WWE Championship. The King of Strong Style is in the middle of an increasingly personal feud with AJ Styles. It's easy to imagine Nakamura dethroning him before long.

That will help set up the Bryan vs. Nakamura thriller, a potential keystone match for WrestleMania 35.

Bryan completing his comeback by conquering Nakamura on WWE's grandest stage is a moment WWE simply can't pass up. The warrior will have fought his way up a steep hill. The good and gutsy will have prevailed just like WrestleMania XXX when Bryan and the fans in New Orleans shared an unforgettable celebration.