Best Potential WrestleMania 31 Bouts for Daniel Bryan If Not Moved to Main Event

WWE will either appease Daniel Bryan fans with who it chooses to pit against him at WrestleMania 31 or amplify their post-Royal Rumble rage.

A loud contingent of fans wanted Bryan in the main event, colliding with Brock Lesnar. That's not happening unless WWE rearranges the top of the card like it did last year.

Should the company stick with Roman Reigns vs. Lesnar, it can't just toss Bryan another match. Finding a big enough star and a tempting enough opportunity for him is key to quelling the unrest that began with Bryan's elimination from the Rumble.

The current rumored plan won't cut it.

PWInsider Elite reports (h/t Wrestling Inc) that WWE is currently leaning toward having Bryan face Sheamus at WrestleMania. That's too much of a repeat; it would mark his third WrestleMania bout against The Celtic Warrior.

Bryan needs a fresher challenge, one that the agitated audience will see as an opportunity and not a leftover after the other matches are booked.

Throwing him in the ring with stars more popular among diehard fans is the better move. Foes who have great chemistry with him make sense as well. 

Working with the assumption that Undertaker will be busy with Bray Wyatt and that Sting will collide with Triple H, as WWE has teased, the following are the best options (in no particular order) remaining on the table. Each man offers the chance for an instant classic, and each of these battles with Bryan would be well-received.

Great Options That Won't Be Taken

• Shawn Michaels
• John Cena
• Kurt Angle

Michaels is retired. And unlike so many other wrestlers, he has stuck to that status. WWE would be wise to at least inquire whether The Heartbreak Kid would change his mind, but that's not something worth counting on.

That's too bad, because that would be an incredible match.

Bryan's history as Michaels' student and the victim of his superkick at Hell in a Cell 2013 would make the buildup to that bout a breeze. Plus, these two men both have a reputation for creating classics. 

Angle vs. Bryan would be a technical wrestling showcase for the ages. Even at this point in his career, one has to bet that Angle would rise to this moment and electrify opposite Bryan.

He's not going to be around, though. After rumors of a potential Angle return to WWE, he re-signed with TNA, per ImpactWrestling.com.

Cena and Bryan excelled against each other at SummerSlam 2013. There's a great story to tell in which Cena wonders if Bryan has his number while Bryan looks to prove that his last win was no fluke.

Cena's star power would make this the kind of major opportunity that would pacify some upset fans. Make this for the No. 1 contender's spot for a title shot post-WrestleMania, and it feels even more significant.

The trouble is, WWE is clearly heading toward a Cena vs. Rusev feud. They are now set to battle at Fast Lane, but that's likely to be only the first of their collisions.

Dolph Ziggler

A showdown with Dolph Ziggler doesn't have the sizzle that battling a top-tier star would, but the promise of stellar in-ring action would help balance that out.

Ziggler is not yet the kind of star who battles atop the WrestleMania card. His story of being held back despite immense talent is similar to Bryan's. 

There's an appeal there for fans to see two guys many folks are passionate about get an opportunity to prove why they belong higher on the WWE ladder. That's the ideal narrative to tell here. Bill it as a "proving ground" kind of match, and hint that winning it assures the victor consideration for the championship.

It would certainly be fun once the bell rang. Both men have a penchant for delivering big matches, and this one promises to be powered by a fast pace and all-out approach.

The Showoff is up for the challenge. Ziggler tweeted that if Bryan wanted to steal the show at WrestleMania he was right there with him.

Chris Jericho

Bringing back Chris Jericho would provide Daniel Bryan with an opponent who would thrive with him in the ring. Plus, that match wouldn't feel like undercard filler like a bout with Sheamus would.

Bryan's history with Jericho is something that hasn't been tapped into nearly enough. Jericho was his first adversary in the WWE, the veteran who fended off the rookie in his debut.

Circling back to that provides a compelling passing-the-torch story. WWE has hurt Jericho's aura in recent runs, though, by having him lose so often. 

That's potential fodder for the pre-match narrative. Jericho could say he needs to test himself to see if he is still one of the company's best. He could choose Bryan as his benchmark, hinting at walking away from WWE if he can't beat the bearded warrior.

The match itself would be excellent.

Some of Jericho's best work has come against smaller guys like Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit and Ultimo Dragon. There's no doubt that he and Bryan would have everyone else on the card nervous that they'll steal the show.

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins has a date with Randy Orton at some point, but a clash with Daniel Bryan has "instant classic" written all over it.

When they battled as respective members of Team Hell No and The Shield, Bryan and Rollins had the most chemistry of all those enemies. Their speed and reckless approach to the mat game made for fun action. That would be the case again, only with both men's star power significantly greater this time.

Rollins has emerged as WWE's most consistent heel. He's convincingly cold, comes off as both nasty and crafty and has nailed each big-match opportunity WWE has handed him.

Rather than have Bryan move down the card to face Sheamus, letting him take on a man who has roosted in the main event over the last few months would be the smarter move. Plus, Rollins is a guy whom most diehard fans support.

This would be seen as a celebration of these two men, not a consolation prize.

The Rock

This ranks as the hardest match on the list to pull off. The Rock isn't confirmed for WrestleMania and hasn't wrestled for two years.

WWE must have a serious sit-down with him, though, and try to sell him on locking horns with Daniel Bryan. That's just too good of a match to not pursue.

First off, it would be rich with star power. The Rock is at a level at which very few men reside. Booking him against Bryan is a compelling generation-versus-generation battle. 

Perhaps Bryan could be jealous of Roman Reigns and doubt whether he can handle the WrestleMania spotlight. The Rock could comes to Reigns' defense, eventually sparking a feud between him and Bryan.

The action would be great, too. The Rock's showmanship and Bryan's mat skills would make for magic. Add to that the fact that this would be Bryan's biggest match to date, and his fans couldn't be mad if WWE goes this route.

This would be the ultimate peace offering for the angry, unsettled section of the crowd.