Daniel Bryan Would Have Been Better Fit for Champion vs. Champion Match at TLC

That career-defining moment that awaits the winner of the Randy Orton vs. John Cena champion vs. champion match at WWE TLC 2013 would have been better suited for Daniel Bryan.

Rather than further pad the resumes of Orton and Cena, WWE would have been wiser to use this bout to catapult a new star into the top tier. Instead, the excitement of champion battling champion is drowned out by chants for the wrestler many fans want to see wear gold.

Monday's Raw was framed around the huge announcement for TLC's main event.

Orton stood in the ring with The Authority and claimed to be the greatest Superstar in WWE history. In walked Cena. He challenged Orton to a match, one that would determine WWE's true champion and face of the company.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon made it official.

The reaction to the next pay-per-view's biggest match being announced was chants of "Daniel Bryan" rumbling through the arena. The same chants provided the backdrop to the Orton and Big Show title bout the night before.

What the Fans Are Demanding

WWE fans have been making themselves clear about who they want at the top, but the company isn't listening.

Tweets like these point out the gap between many fans' desire and the decisions WWE is making.

Bryan is not just some "indie darling" who a tiny portion of the paying crowd is rooting for. Fan reactions for Bryan in arenas everywhere WWE travels have been thunderous.

PWMania.com reported that during a Big Show and Orton match in Birmingham, England, "fans erupted with boos and at one point a Daniel Bryan chant broke out." 

He is the underdog who piqued the majority of fans' interest. He is the man many would prefer take on Cena.

It would be a rematch of their great bout at SummerSlam, a battle of an alpha male against a younger lion looking to establish his dominance, a guaranteed classic.

What about SummerSlam disappointingly earning only 298,000 buyrates?

You can't simply blame Bryan for SummerSlam 2013 earning less buys that the previous year's event, per WrestleZone.com. If Bryan's presence was the sole cause of the drop, why isn't Cena getting the blame for TLC 2012 seeing a drop in buys, per CagesideSeats.com, compared to the 2011 event?

2013's SummerSlam numbers, which had Bryan's critics pointing at him, are essentially the same as the numbers from SummerSlam 2011 (301,000), per PWTorch.com. That event was headlined by Cena as well.

The buildup, the undercard and a host of other factors lead to shifts in buyrates. Those numbers alone shouldn't solely determine who WWE decides to push. As much as WWE is subject to fan whims, it has the power to create and highlight stars.

That's what having Bryan win the WWE title to cap off a tiresome journey would have done. Having him win both world titles in a single night would have pushed him even further.

Throughout Orton and Bryan's feud, fans waited for a happy ending that never came. The villain walked out of that war with the championship as Bryan is now battling a clan of monsters in The Wyatt Family.

That positions "The Viper" for a showdown with incredibly high stakes. He doesn't need the spoils of that match any more than Cena does, though.

Learning from the Past

The past gives us examples of the power of giving rising stars great triumphs.

Chris Jericho was once a WCW transfer, a star searching for a path to megastardom. At Vengeance 2001, WWE created a tournament to decide the first-ever WWE unified champ. 

The company could have gone with The Rock or Steve Austin to win that night. Both men had already built their fanbases and composed the core of their Hall of Fame qualifications. WWE went with a different face.

Jericho defeated both The Rock and Austin on the same night, an accomplishment that is forever attached to his name.

Those victories helped establish Jericho as a top-tier wrestler. It led to him being in WrestleMania X8's main event.

It also gave WWE another option for the heart of the spotlight in the future. In 2008, WWE put the World Heavyweight Championship around Jericho's waist. He was a man they could depend on to spark interest.

Jericho would have certainly thrived without becoming the first undisputed champion, but it was an honor that elevated him in the fans' eyes, one that remains the crowning achievement on his resume.

This parallels what Bryan could accomplish in a title versus title match, giving him something to boast about for the entirety of his career, having him benefit from knocking off the established kings.

Going further back, imagine if Andre the Giant had been healthier in 1990 and WWE went with him against Hulk Hogan for WrestleMania VI's main event.

The Ultimate Warrior was gaining momentum, but Andre was already a legend. He would have been a safe bet. Instead, WWE had Ultimate Warrior, who then held the Intercontinental Championship, face Hogan in a title versus title bout.

The result was that WWE created a new top star.

Defeating Hogan in that historic match sent Ultimate Warrior flying forward like he had been tied to the front of a bullet train.

Had it been Andre who dethroned Hogan there, WWE would have done nothing to establish a new top dog. The company would have to remain dependent on Hogan, the way it will have to continue to lean on Orton and Cena.

Bryan could have his Warrior or Jericho moment at TLC, but instead either a man who has won 14 world titles or an 11-time world champ add one more title to their collection.

Bryan's absence from the TLC main event is the remains of a missed opportunity. The victory that awaits either Orton and Cena will be wasted, lost in their already bulging list of career achievements.