It’s been a while, huh? The rumor mill went a little crazy and Steve was his usual prolific self, so this concluding part of my review got put on the backburner. If you need to catch up, part 1 can be found here and part 2 is available here. The collection itself can be found here. Let’s finish this off!
CHAMPIONSHIP ASCENSION CEREMONY – DECEMBER 09, 2013 (19:19)
Daniel Bryan was meant to have had his moment already. On this average December episode of Monday Night Raw, Daniel Bryan was supposed to be a face among a sea of faces. John Cena and Randy Orton were the featured stars. But the crowd didn’t care. They hijacked the while thing and propelled the hometown star into the spotlight.
For this reason, the promo itself is very average. The real selling point is the awesomely electric support shown for Daniel Bryan. It was a positive hijacking that created a truly special moment and was the first step in changing long term plans. I’d recommend watching this, but stick to Daniel Bryan’s moments and skip the promo between Orton and Cena.
BRYAN CONFRONTS BRAY WYATT- JANUARY 13, 2014 (15:42)
I covered this tag team cage match in my Daniel Bryan retrospective from last month. The basic story was that Bryan had joined The Wyatt Family a couple weeks prior, after he struggled to battle 3-to-1 odds. However, with the “Yes!” chant gaining incredible momentum, WWE new the superstar was far too big for the group.
This tag match of The Usos vs Wyatt and Bryan was as basic as they come, purely serving to fill time before the now iconic angle that followed it. The Usos somehow won a cage match via interference disqualification and Bray would seek to teach his new protege another brutal lesson. Daniel would rebel this time, to the explosive ecstasy of the crowd. Dispatching the cult leader with a flurry of kicks, the newly free “Yes Man” would climb the cage and lead the entire arena in a thunderous chant. WWE was beginning to listen.
This segment really is about the story, so if you’re pressed for time, skip to the end of the grappling and watch the aftermath. The match is inoffensive enough, though its ending is baffling.
OCCUPY RAW – MARCH 10, 2014 (17:08)
I’ve always found the build to WrestleMania 30 fascinating. Some dislike it because it can be viewed as WWE desperately trying to save a show after digging in their heels for months. Others declare it to be masterful long term storytelling. Personally, I don’t care. All I know is that we were treated to moments like this. Whether meticulously planned or a hilariously perfect press of the panic button, this one segment transformed the landscape of WrestleMania’s 30th spectacular and it deserves all the credit in the World for that.
For those unaware, Daniel Bryan became tired of waiting for a fair chance at the WWE Championship, and so, he enlisted the help of dozens of “fans” to take over the show and force his demands to be met. The Authority played their part perfectly here. Especially once Triple H was strong-armed into both facing Daniel Bryan at Mania and putting a shot at the main event on the line. His intensity was perfect. If you haven’t watched this video yet, do so now. Highly recommended.
DANIEL BRYAN AND THE CRUSHER – JANUARY 26, 2015 (2:08)
This is the first time I’ve ever written for this site with tears in my eyes. For those wondering, this is a short clip taken from the WrestleMania 30 episode of WWE 24. You can find that here. Look, I’m just going to recommend this and move on. Connor was truly special and deserves to be remembered. Both as the joyful little boy that he was and as a beacon of hope for others. For everything Daniel Bryan accomplished in the ring, nothing can top this.
BRYAN VS. BATISTA VS. ORTON – APRIL 06, 2014 (38:11)
This is another match that I covered in my retrospective of Daniel Bryan’s WWE career. I won’t go too in-depth again. I will say that I found it very interesting that the structure of this match is very similar to WrestleMania 20’s main event. A conspiracy to overwrite history or a sign of WWE knowing when a formula works? Sorry, no Illuminati here folks.
In truth, this is one of the better main events in WrestleMania history. The crowd was only truly alive when Daniel was in the thick of the action, but the story being told of the underdog having to scratch and claw to victory was very well told. The overwhelming emotion when Bryan made Batista tap was palpable. After an arduous journey, the fans finally had what they were clamouring for and a new highlight reel moment was born. If you’re a fan of Daniel Bryan, you’ve watched this already. If you haven’t, just go right now and do it!
DANIEL BRYAN’S WEDDING – JUNE 01, 2014 (3:25)
Obviously this isn’t wrestling related and actually comes from season 2 of Total Divas. Wrestling die-hards will possibly scoff at this choice, but there’s no doubt that this is a great moment in Bryan Danielson’s life and warrants inclusion for that reason alone.
If you’re a fan of the show, revisiting this may interest you. If not, you can very safely skip this video.
DANIEL BRYAN REACHES NEW HEIGHTS – MARCH 29, 2015 (19:19)
This is the 6-Man Ladder Match from WrestleMania 31 for the Intercontinental Championship. This was essentially a peace offering to the restless Yes! Movement. It was also believed to be an attempt to put this Championship on someone equal to John Cena, who was a lock to win the US Championship later on that night. Of course, fate cut any future plans short and this was Daniel Bryan’s last pay=per-view appearance as an active competitor.
The match itself is solid enough, though it pretty much follows the formula that Money in the Bank has perfected by now, being ta chaotic but fun mess. Even watching it live, I remember thinking that Daniel Bryan seemed to be protected to a large degree, with his bumps kept to a minimum. Perhaps WWE had a feeling that Bryan’s body was beginning to fail him?
Daniel was always a lock to win this and the crowd were 100% behind him for the entire match. Once he won, the crowd was satisfied and Bryan had another big moment on his resume. This match is recommended more due to historical significance, rather than the decent in-ring action involved. Just try not to cringe at the homestretch headbutting sequence.
DANIEL BRYAN SAYS GOODBYE – FEBRUARY 08, 2016 (5:34)
This is just the tail-end of Daniel Bryan’s retirement address, which aired exclusively on the WWE Network. There was no talking at this point (besides commentary), which just leaves you with watching someone walk to the the back and a standing ovation. While it was a surreal situation live, this 5-minute video doesn’t really hold up too well now and isn’t a must-see.
I guess it does cap off the collection in a fitting way though and giving promotion to Network exclusives is never a bad thing.
FINAL COLLECTION THOUGHTS
I actually commend this collection for what it set out to achieve. As I said in part one, this selection of videos was deliberately titled “Daniel Bryan’s Greatest Moments”. It did not narrow its focus to matches. It gave us everything. From mat classics, to hilarity, then love and even heartbreak, this collection encapsulated a man far better than any dry list of 5-star matches could. I highly recommend you give all 22 videos at least a chance.
And thus we conclude this 3-part review! That took a while. If you liked this, be sure to bookmark WWENetworkNews.com! Along with reviews, we cover all the breaking news and discuss all of the WWE Network’s hot topics with editorials – even getting your opinion via polls!