7 Dream Daniel Bryan Matches WWE Fans Deserve to See After in-Ring Return

Daniel Bryan's retirement speech in 2016 was one of the most emotional moments in WWE history, and the one he gave to announce his return to the ring on SmackDown was just as special.

Something about Bryan connects him to the WWE Universe in a different way from every other Superstar on the roster.

His in-ring ability is on par with the best and his character is more like his real self than most wrestlers, which makes it easy to like him.

The moment he announced he had been cleared to return by every doctor he has seen got everyone thinking about who they would like to see him face.

The past few years have seen several big names join the company who Bryan has either never faced or hasn't been in the ring with since his days in the indy scene.

This article will look at seven dream matches WWE can now make a reality with a healthy Bryan.

Finn Balor

Way before Finn Balor and Daniel Bryan were winning matches in a WWE ring, Fergal Devitt and Bryan Danielson fought on the indy scene.

It has been several years since they have faced each other, and both men have gone on to have great careers in different ways.

Bryan and Balor are the perfect opponents for each other due to their similar size and background, but even more importantly, they would put on an incredible match.

When The Balor Club meets The "Yes!" Movement, the WWE Universe is going to have a hard time deciding who to cheer for.

Kevin Owens

Like Balor, Kevin Owens crossed paths with Bryan outside of WWE many years ago. Their rivalry took place in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, an indy promotion known for having featured many current WWE mainstays.

Owens and Sami Zayn attacking Bryan on Tuesday's SmackDown set in motion a potential tag team match with Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 34, but we have yet to see anything made official.

Once that program is over, KO would be an excellent choice for Bryan's first singles feud. If you need any proof, just look back at the magic Owens created with Chris Jericho.

Bryan and Y2J are completely different people, but Owens has been able to have entertaining storylines with just about everyone WWE has paired him with.

Owens and Bryan are indy darlings who spent years working around the world before making it to WWE. Those similarities alone are enough to put them together.

Sami Zayn

Speaking of the attack on Bryan, Zayn would be another ideal candidate to fight the SmackDown general manager in an extended singles program.

Many people thought Zayn would be the answer to Bryan's retirement. He was another man-of-the-people babyface who could tear the house down with any opponent.

For one reason or another, Zayn's singles run never took off on the main roster, and he was relegated to midcard status until partnering with Owens and turning heel. He is now one of SmackDown's most valuable players and an enemy of those in power.

Their previous matches in indy promotions were a lot of fun, so just imagine what they can do with several years' more experience under their belts.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the first WWE Superstars to congratulate Bryan on being cleared by doctors, but his tweet also indicated he is hungry for a match with the SmackDown GM.

Bryan worked in Japan on many occasions, but his career never lined up with Nakamura's so they could have a singles match.

Bryan and The Artist are almost the exact opposite of each other, and those pairings often make for the best rivalries. The American is the down-to-earth good guy with a bushy beard and the Japanese is the flashy, charismatic rock star with unorthodox dance moves.

It wouldn't matter if either one of them worked as a heel because the fans would just be happy to see a dream match such as this take place.

Cedric Alexander

If WWE really wants to make 205 Live a better program, having Bryan work with the cruiserweight division for a short time could help bring eyes to the product. One cruiserweight who would be the perfect opponent for him is Cedric Alexander. 

A lot of cruiserweights have shown how good they can be, but something about Alexander makes him stand out from the rest of the roster.

Everything he does in the ring is performed with perfect precision, and he is more creative than he is usually given a chance to show.

Bryan and Alexander would steal the show from anyone with a 15-minute match. If revamping the cruiserweight division is still a priority, The Beard could be the key to making it happen.

Hideo Itami

Another member of the 205 Live roster who would make a great rival for Bryan is Hideo Itami because he is someone else with pre-WWE history with the SmackDown GM that the company could exploit.

When he was working as Kenta, Itami and Bryan had several matches in different promotions. The Japanese Superstar ended up injuring the American's eye in a particularly physical encounter.

Reigniting their feud in WWE would not only help establish Itami on the main roster, but it would also give the company the chance to delve deeper into their past.

The company has loosened its policy on acknowledging other promotions in recent years and has even used footage licensed from others when creating video packages.

This feud could take place on 205 Live, but it would be better suited for Raw or SmackDown.

AJ Styles

AJ Styles shares an almost identical journey with Bryan, and that makes them ideal opponents for a major feud.

Both men signed with WWE early in their careers and ended up being released shortly after. Then they both made names for themselves on the indy scene as two of the greatest performers in the world.

Bryan made it back to WWE first and ended up winning multiple world titles before being forced to retire. Styles had just joined the company when this happened, so a dream match between the two seemed out of the question.

Now that Bryan is cleared to compete, he and The Phenomenal One can give WWE fans the showdown of a lifetime, hopefully at WrestleMania 35. 

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Which members of the WWE roster do you hope Bryan gets to face when he starts competing again?