Daniel Bryan's 5 Best Matches As A Heel (& 5 Best As A Babyface)

Daniel Bryan is one of the best in-ring talents of his generation. Bryan has been a beloved babyface for the majority of his outstanding WWE career, but portraying a heel has been just as important with Bryan putting on sublime matches in both roles.

Bryan made a name for himself on the independent scene, but he became one of the most exciting acquisitions in WWE history once he joined WWE in 2010. The leader of the Yes Movement dominated 2013 as he was finally viewed as a credible main eventer.

However, he also has to give credit to his run as an arrogant heel which saw Bryan hold the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in late 2011. Sadly, injuries derailed Bryan's WWE career, but thankfully he returned in 2018 and another unexpected heel run saw Bryan continue to deliver at an extremely high level.

10 Babyface: Daniel Bryan Vs. Randy Orton - Night Of Champions (2013)

Daniel Bryan was screwed out of the WWE Championship by Triple H who nailed him with his patented Pedigree which allowed Randy Orton to capture the WWE Title at SummerSlam 2013 after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase.

Orton and Bryan collided at Night of Champions with fans desperately wanting Bryan to win the match. Moreover, Bryan and Orton have tremendous in-ring chemistry together and it is one of the most overlooked rivalries with the two putting on a solid match. Bryan captured his second WWE Championship by landing his Running Knee on Orton, although referee Scott Armstrong fast-counted Orton which saw Bryan reluctantly vacate the title the following night on Raw.

9 Heel: Daniel Bryan Vs. Sheamus - Extreme Rules (2012)

Another forgotten match in a catalog of Daniel Bryan's remarkable matches was his World Heavyweight Championship rematch with Sheamus at Extreme Rules 2012. Bryan was embarrassed at WrestleMania XXVIII when he kissed AJ Lee and Sheamus planted him with a Brogue Kick, which saw his three-month reign come to a halt emphatically in 18 seconds.

This match at Extreme Rules should have been what their match at WrestleMania should have been. The pair had a Two Out of Three Falls match, with Bryan inflicting pain on Sheamus. Nevertheless, it was more heartbreak for Bryan to endure as Sheamus successfully defended the title.

8 Babyface: Daniel Bryan Vs. The Miz - SummerSlam (2018)

The animosity between Daniel Bryan and The Miz made their feud compelling television. Miz was Bryan's mentor in the inaugural season of NXT back in 2010 and the two never co-existed. Miz has had his fair share of critics to contend with but at SummerSlam 2018, Miz had one of the best matches in his career to date with Bryan.

They put on a wrestling clinic at SummerSlam, going 23 minutes strong which had fans on the edge of their seat. Miz's wife Maryse had a close-up look in the front row, but she had a huge say in the outcome of the match. She handed Miz a pair of brass knuckles, and Miz clocked Bryan with them. The Hollywood A-Lister scored and salivated at his success, which was one of the biggest wins in his career.

7 Heel: Daniel Bryan Vs. Brock Lesnar - Survivor Series (2018)

Daniel Bryan unexpectedly turned heel and captured his fourth WWE Championship from AJ Styles on the SmackDown before the 2018 Survivor Series. Bryan inserted himself in the champion versus champion clash against Raw's Universal Champion Brock Lesnar which stopped Styles going head-to-head with Lesnar for the second year in succession.

Despite both men being heels, they had an excellent match. Lesnar systemically dominated Bryan with Bryan having hardly any offense. Every time that Bryan managed to get the upper hand, Lesnar made Bryan look good until The Beast put him down. Nevertheless, The Beast Incarnate prevailed, but it was one of Bryan's best matches as a newly-minted villain.

6 Babyface: Daniel Bryan Vs. AJ Styles - SmackDown (6/12/20)

Every time Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles met, their matches were magical. Unfortunately, their match on the June 12, 2020, edition of SmackDown in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic had no fans present to witness this enthralling encounter for the vacant Intercontinental Championship.

Bryan was determined to regain the Intercontinental Championship which he held briefly back in 2015 before he had to vacate the title due to neck injuries. The two went back-and-forth in their battle, showing what they are made of by lasting over half an hour. Ultimately, Styles captured the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in his career in a superb war of attrition.

5 Heel: Daniel Bryan Vs. CM Punk - Money In The Bank (2012)

CM Punk was the undisputed MVP of 2012 as he became the first man since Hulk Hogan to hold the WWE Championship for one calendar year which is a remarkable achievement. However, the Straight Edge Savior needed partners to dance with and Daniel Bryan was one of the best for him to feud with.

The two stole the show at Over The Limit, but there was a small caveat with soon-to-be Raw General Manager AJ Lee overseeing proceedings as the special guest referee in their clash at Money In The Bank. Bryan and Punk had a physical match under No Disqualification rules which saw both men pull out the stops to win. Bryan shifted his attention from the World Heavyweight Title to the WWE Championship. Despite a valiant effort from Bryan, it was not enough for him to unseat Punk as WWE Champion.

4 Babyface: Daniel Bryan Vs. John Cena - SummerSlam (2013)

John Cena handpicked Daniel Bryan to be his next challenger for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2013. Bryan's popularity was unmatched and if he could be on every segment, fans would be happy with that.

This match captivated audiences who were roaring for Bryan with Big Match John accustomed to receiving a chorus of boos. WWE COO Triple H was the special referee in this hotly anticipated WWE Championship encounter. Bryan stepped up to the plate and he dethroned the most polarizing figure in WWE for his maiden WWE Championship reign with his patented Running Knee.

3 Heel: Daniel Bryan Vs. AJ Styles - TLC (2018)

AJ Styles was hellbent on regaining the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan at TLC 2018. Bryan and Styles were two of the most talented in-ring performers on SmackDown and fans were excited to see their rematch.

Styles dominated portions of this match and Bryan resorted to using heelish tactics. However, Bryan was not ready to let his WWE Championship reign end abruptly, with The Phenomenal One coming up short after Bryan rolled him up for a monumental victory.

2 Babyface: Daniel Bryan Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Batista - WrestleMania XXX (2014)

Fans booed the 2014 Royal Rumble match with Batista winning his second Rumble from the 28th position. They were bitterly disappointed to not see Daniel Bryan appear, but he overcame Triple H in the opening bout at WrestleMania XXX to book his place in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship triple threat match with reigning champ Randy Orton and Batista.

Bryan had to work exceptionally hard for his WrestleMania moment as Batista and Orton put him through the announce table with a jaw-dropping Batista Bomb and RKO combination. Bryan forced Batista to submit to the Yes Lock, resulting in confetti falling on the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Bryan rejoiced with the fans celebrating in one of the best endings in WrestleMania history which D-Bry fully deserved.

1 Heel: Daniel Bryan Vs. Kofi Kingston - WrestleMania 35 (2019)

Arguably, the greatest WWE Championship match in WrestleMania history emanated from MetLife Stadium at WrestleMania 35 which saw Daniel Bryan defend the WWE Championship against Kofi Kingston. Kofi put in a stellar performance at Elimination Chamber 2019 which saw him almost come out on top against Bryan and fans were desperate for more.

Bryan had the fans on his side five years earlier, but this time he was booed. Kofi rose to the occasion in the biggest match in his lengthy WWE career. The two had the match of the night which lived up to the expectations. Ultimately, Kingston finally claimed the WWE Championship which had eluded him for so long, but credit has to be given to Bryan for putting on a magnificent match.

NEXT: 10 Most Emotional WWE World Championship Victories In WWE History