Daniel Bryan Defeats Big Cass Via Tap out at WWE Money in the Bank 2018

For the second consecutive pay-per-view, Daniel Bryan got the better of Big Cass, as the leader of the Yes Movement prevailed Sunday at Money in the Bank.

Bryan likely had the match won after hitting Cass with the Yes Knee. However, he wasn't content to earn the victory by pinfall and instead went to lock in a heel hook on Cass' left leg. Bryan had worked on the leg all match, so Cass had little choice but to tap out.

Many were pleasantly surprised by what Bryan and Cass delivered to kick off the pay-per-view card:

Bryan and Cass have been at odds ever since Cass returned from injury on SmackDown Live shortly after WrestleMania 34.

While Bryan made his in-ring return at WrestleMania after three years on the shelf because of injury, Cass made it his stated goal to spoil Bryan's comeback tour.

He went a long way toward accomplishing that goal when he eliminated Bryan in the Greatest Royal Rumble after Bryan had set the all-time endurance record for most time spent in a single Rumble match.

Bryan got some revenge on Cass at Backlash, however, as he forced the 7-footer to tap out despite constantly bringing up his physical superiority in the weeks leading up to the match.

Things got even worse for Cass after that when Bryan put him in a heel hook on a subsequent episode of SmackDown Live, leading to Cass spending a couple of weeks on crutches.

It initially looked as though Bryan was going to replace Cass in a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Samoa Joe, but Cass was able to return to make it a Triple Threat.

Joe won that contest by making Bryan pass out, and Cass was there to pick up the scraps, as he laid out Bryan with a big boot.

Cass' actions prompted SmackDown general manager Paige to book a rematch between Bryan and Cass at Money in the Bank since neither Superstar managed to qualify for the ladder match.

Although there wasn't much hype surrounding their bout at Money in the Bank since it was such a stacked card filled with matches that have major title implications, the rematch between Bryan and Cass was important in its own right.

Since Bryan and Cass are two of the top Superstars on SmackDown Live, it can be argued that Sunday's match was a launching pad of sorts in terms of positioning one of them to be a contender for the WWE Championship.

With Bryan now having two wins over Cass to his credit, he may be trending toward a potential title shot at SummerSlam.

Even if that doesn't happen, Bryan is back on track after some recent losses, and there is little doubt that he will be a key part of the blue brand in the coming weeks and months.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).