Analysing Best WrestleMania Plans for Daniel Bryan If He Loses at WWE Fastlane

With such an important crossroads for the WWE WrestleMania 31 main event on the horizon at WWE Fastlane this weekend, talk is rife about what the likely outcome will be for Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan.

A win for Bryan would upset the apple cart in terms of the original plans for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between Reigns and Brock Lesnar, that much is for sure.

So it's important to contemplate a WrestleMania main event without Bryan in the picture—even if there is an overwhelming demand for him to square off against Lesnar.

A match against the current WWE champion certainly seems like something that needs to happen in the near future, but Bryan's immediate destiny could be away from that match if he loses to Reigns.

Of course, it's possible that even with a defeat at Fastlane, Bryan still ends up in the match in some way.

A controversial defeat—just like his controversial exit from the Royal Rumble—may only lead to increased fan demand for Bryan to get justice. Therefore, the WWE may roll with the idea of featuring a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania, which would at least cover all the bases in terms of pushing Reigns and satisfying Bryan's fans.

There's even an outside chance that Bryan could be involved in the match as a special guest referee—but that's a move that the WWE is unlikely to go with these days, especially with arguably their biggest star.

It's universally accepted that Bryan has to be wrestling at WrestleMania in a credible match, so it's probably best to disregard the prospect of him acting as official.

So, when you look beyond Reigns and Lesnar, what else is there for Bryan to work with further down the card?

Seth Rollins will no doubt be feuding with Randy Orton when he returns to the company, which rules out that option.

It's from there you start to look back at Bryan's most recent, high-profile feuds. Bray Wyatt is another member of the WWE roster who Bryan has worked a great program with—not least the "Daniel Wyatt" phase that ended with a great swerve last year.

From there, Bryan was plunged back into working with The Authority—a rivalry which seems to be bubbling under the surface to this day. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon always seem keen to scupper Bryan's success whenever possible, and that, along with Bryan's massive popularity, has made for a nice mix.

You get the feeling that Bryan vs. The Authority still has legs, but with Triple H looking like going toe-to-toe with Sting in the immediate future, that option seems unlikely.

But if the WWE book one of their returning stars right in the coming weeks, perhaps Bryan's next feud could be with someone who he has a rich WrestleMania history with.

WrestleMania 28 seemed to be where Bryan's popularity and relationship with WWE fans really began in earnest, and it was centered around his incredible loss to Sheamus in the opening bout of the night.

That 18-second squashing is still lodged firmly in the memory of many Bryan fans—especially after the bizarre no-contest between the two a year prior at WrestleMania 27.

It seems logical that the WWE will roll with Sheamus as a heel when he returns from his injury layoff, and if they're looking for a great foe to launch him back into TV with, Bryan would be perfect.

Bringing Sheamus in as hired muscle for The Authority would be a sound start, not least because Big Show and Kane aren't really excelling in the roles at the moment. From there, you can have the Irishman cost Bryan his match at WrestleMania. Imagine that for an effective return to TV as a heel.

The revival of this match that ended so controversially at WrestleMania three years ago could be the perfect addition to the WrestleMania card, especially with Sheamus working for The Authority. 

If Bryan comes up short at Fastlane against Reigns, a return to working with Sheamus would be a smart piece of booking indeed.