WrestleMania 28: 15 Dream Opponents for Daniel Bryan

One of the main event matches of this year's installment of WrestleMania 28 will be Sheamus challenging World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. If this match is anything like they've had in the past, we're certainly in for a treat.

Now as we look forward to WrestleMania 28, it cannot be helped to imagine who we would like to see our favorite WWE wrestlers face off with. In this case, I'd like to present a list of 15 dream, but also somewhat plausible, opponents for the American Dragon.

Chris Jericho

Let's start this list off strong with one of the greatest wrestlers of all time—Chris Jericho.

If I'm not mistaken, Daniel Bryan and Y2J have only met once in the past. In the main event of the debut episode of NXT, Jericho defeated Bryan in the main event in what was, in my opinion, a match of the year candidate.

I would like nothing more than to see an extended feud between these two. As a matter of fact, I would love to see Daniel Bryan enter the fray of CM Punk vs. Jericho after WrestleMania.

Seeing as Bryan has a legitimate claim to being the "best wrestler in the world," it would be interesting to see a triple threat between him, Punk, and Jericho.

Kharma

Speaking of Jericho, I'm sure he will tell you there is no shame in wrestling a woman.

Personally, if they had an interesting story behind it, I would actually enjoy a confrontation between Bryan and Kharma. One of the most interesting things would be that, as far as size is concerned, Kharma could be a legitimate threat to defeat Bryan.

William Regal

If you haven't seen Daniel Bryan and William Regal's match from Superstars last year, do yourself a favor and go look it up on YouTube. Now.

Like with Jericho, Bryan has only had one match with Regal. It's a given that they'd have unbelievable matches, but I would also like to see a teacher vs. student story unfold between the two of them. Also, if anyone deserves a short run against Bryan and his World Heavyweight Championship, it's definitely William Regal.

Christian

In my opinion,  Christian is a guy that can have an excellent match with anyone. That said, given Daniel Bryan's ring prowess, I would expect these two to have great chemistry.

In addition, Bryan is a perfect target for a babyface Christian's sarcastic promos. So while they'd have phenomenal matches, I believe their verbal battles would be equally enjoyable. 

Alberto Del Rio

Despite having wrestled in a mask for so long, Alberto del Rio has some of the best facial expressions of any wrestler in the WWE. Add that to the fact that del Rio shines in the ring with smaller wrestlers, such as Rey Mysterio, I'm sure he and Bryan would have great matches.

Plus, I'd like to see which hold is better—del Rio's Cross Arm Breaker or Bryan's LeBell Lock.

Justin Gabriel

A feud between Justin Gabriel and Daniel Bryan wouldn't be one remembered for the promos along the way, but the in-ring action would certainly be exciting!

So far on this list, I've been referencing Bryan's remarkable mat wrestling skill. Let's not forget that Bryan is very agile and isn't afraid to leave his feet. Gabriel builds his offense around his aerial assaults. The two would complement each other very well, I'm sure. In addition, Bryan also has the ability to slow down the pace with his submission-based offense.

Sin Cara

Like Justin Gabriel, Sin Cara also is a high flyer. While his WWE career thus far has been underwhelming, I still am confident that Sin Cara has what it takes to make a splash in the WWE as its premier luchador. 

That said, when he comes back from his injury, I'd love to see him face off against Bryan. I feel that these two could put on a great, fast-paced match. Perhaps they could have the kind of chemistry Benoit and Mysterio had, but to a lesser degree.

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio, like Christian, can have a phenomenal match with just about everyone. Mysterio can most definitely hold his own technically. He is also able to kick the pace of the match into overdrive.

While Sin Cara and Justin Gabriel can have fun, fast-paced matches with Bryan, Mysterio is on a level of his own. His combination of luchador mastery and technical wrestling skill could make Mysterio vs. Bryan a candidate for Match of the Year. 

Tyson Kidd

Tyson Kidd, in my opinion, is one of the WWE's most underutilized talents. As the last graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Kidd excels in the art of technical and submission wrestling. In addition, he's shown superb charisma in his recent babyface turn on NXT.

I would really love to see Bryan and Kidd meet in the ring. The chain wrestling between these two would be phenomenal. It would be great to watch what interesting counters they come up with for each other's submissions. And which hold is stronger: the Sharpshooter or the LeBell Lock?

Antonio Cesaro

Antonio Cesaro, formerly known as Claudio Castagnoli, is one of the most talented wrestlers in FCW. Plain and simple, Cesaro is among wrestling's elite. He made a name for himself as part of the Kings of Wrestling, along with Chris Hero, now known as Kassius Ohno.

Personally, I'd like to see Cesaro as part of a faction led by Bryan, but I wouldn't complain to see them square off against each other!

Kassius Ohno

Like his former partner, Ohno is also a phenomenal competitor. Once his time in FCW is up and it's time for him to debut on the main roster, it would be quite the treat to see him wrestle fellow ROH graduate Daniel Bryan.

Ohno enjoys knocking his opponents out while Bryan is partial to kicking their heads off. Even more interesting than who would win is who would be able to stand after the match!

Seth Rollins

Another former ROH wrestler and current FCW talent, Seth Rollins is on the cusp of debuting on WWE television. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rollins make an instant splash as a WWE Superstar, and competing with the World Heavyweight Champion would be the way to make said splash.

I'd venture to say that, while his past with Bryan isn't as extensive as Cesaro's or Ohno's, Rollins and Bryan would still have amazing in-ring chemistry. Simply put, they have what it takes to tell a compelling story with their wrestling alone.

Richie Steamboat

Richie Steamboat, the son of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is the last of the developmental FCW wrestlers that I would love to see take on Daniel Bryan.

More than anything, I would to see Bryan and Steamboat go hold for hold. These two could truly show how wrestling is an art form. Perhaps we could see them face off in a 15-minute Ironman Match, as Steamboat has experience in those as the current FCW 15 Champion.

CM Punk

Within the last month or so, Punk and Bryan have met in the ring a handful of times. These bouts didn't determine whether the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion is superior, mostly because the matches were overshadowed by the feuding general managers.

One thing that I truly wish for is a legitimate Punk vs. Bryan feud somewhere down the road. We've seen how well they can tell stories through wrestling in their arbitrary encounters. What I want to see is what they can do, through both wrestling and talking, with a compelling story behind them.

Shawn Michaels

Michaels is probably the least plausible person on this list, seeing as he was retired by The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26. While I firmly believe we've seen the last of Michaels as a competitor, it wouldn't be the first time someone comes out of retirement.

Shawn Michaels played a huge role in training Daniel Bryan. In addition, Michaels is arguably the greatest competitor ever and Bryan is right up there as a top competitor of this generation. Combine their immense wrestling talent with the teacher vs. student dynamic they could have, and you have a recipe for a legendary match up. 

We can dream, right?

Conclusion

There aren't that many people that Daniel Bryan can't have a good match with. As a fan of the art of professional wrestling, this is a wishlist of 15 people I honestly believe Bryan can tear the house down with.

As one of the best wrestlers in the world today, Bryan brings out the best in his opponents. I firmly believe that the "American Dragon" can have a Match of the Year contender with any of the 15 wrestlers mentioned here.

Thanks for reading. As always, I appreciate any feedback on my writing. Feel free to spark a conversation with me regarding what was discussed in this column by commenting or reaching out to me on Twitter @MikePW247. Also, be sure to tune in to This Very Ring every Sunday night at 11 p.m. ET to listen to myself and Stan Grubb discuss all things pro wrestling.