Bryan vs. Wyatt at 2014 Rumble

[Deleted]

I'm watching the 2014 Royal Rumble (actual Rumble match just finished lol) and I want to discuss the opening match with Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt, because that match is awesome!

(I want to only specifically talk about Bryan vs. Wyatt, not the Rumble match...that topic is more stale than a years old bag of bread.)

I don't ever see this match brought up much, which is a shame.

It has an incredibly hot crowd and is definitely one of Wyatt's top 5 matches ever, let alone one of Bryan's best.

That running tornado ddt off the ring apron to the floor by Bryan was insane!

[Juice]

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2018 0:41:56 GMT -5 Juice said:

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

Yeah.

Regardless of the finish, I think the actual match is pretty good. Plus, we're years removed from the match, so it doesn't really bother me. Bryan eventually prevailed after this show anyway, so it doesn't affect my outlook on the match itself. At the time, yeah, I didn't like what happened, but now I can say the match is good.

[romanstylesiii]

This feud was hot enough to main event Mania.

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2018 0:41:56 GMT -5 Juice said:

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

I think most liked it until Rey showed up at 30 and they realized that was them writing Bryan out of the Rumble.

Personally I love the match. Great stuff and I really loved how brutal the finish was. For two people that had feuding for 4 months or so and had all the twist and turns, it worked great.

[Malibu Stacy]

Excellent match, one of my favorites to re-watch. And I say that not because of my thing for Bray, I readily agree he's had more than his share of stinkers.

[msc]

Bray's best match. Alas, it was really ought to have been Chapter 1 in what should have been a great feud to carry on - ie, Bray as an early challenger for Bryan's title etc - but that never happened due to injuries and circumstance.

[Cvslfc123]

Jan 25, 2018 0:41:56 GMT -5 Juice said:

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

They had to make Bray look strong so he could put over the young and upcoming John Cena at WrestleMania 30

[Gerard Gerard]

It'd made sense for like 5 minutes because you assumed it was a card to play post-Mania after Bryan won the Rumble and WM, but then they took the most circuitous route to having Bryan win and the whole thing came off baffling. At the time, it felt like Bryan was a credible stepping-stone for Wyatt to segue into Cena and that was all they say Bryan good for until the whole 'YES' movement thing.

The match itself was brilliant and really emphasizes the loss of Bryan as an active performer. Whenever he was in the ring, you could just switch off and enjoy some wrestling.

[Bang Bang Bart]

Jan 25, 2018 0:41:56 GMT -5 Juice said:

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

I think the hate came from people expecting DB to be in the Rumble to pull double duty.

[111111]

I'm sure I brought this match up the other day in a thread where someone was asking about Bray's wrestling ability is an example of what he's capable of with the right opponent.

Haven't seen the match in years but from what I remember bray wrestled like a maniac in it. It's the only Bray Wyatt match that has made a lasting impression on me.

Think it's due a rewatch

[Instant Classic]

Brays best match to date.

[Slanted and Enchanted]

Jan 25, 2018 0:41:56 GMT -5 Juice said:

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

If I recall, nobody was angry at Bray after the Royal Rumble PPV which was a testament to how hot he also was back in 2014. The ire went to Rey (of all people) for being #30, Batista for winning the thing, and most importantly the WWE Corporate entity as a whole. Wyatt was good and still as hot as ever. Just a few weeks later we would get that legendary Wyatt/Shield encounter.

[freeze Austin]

Jan 25, 2018 9:53:21 GMT -5 Bang Bang Bart said:

Jan 25, 2018 0:41:56 GMT -5 Juice said:

Is this the one Bryan lost clean and everyone hated it because of the finish?

I think the hate came from people expecting DB to be in the Rumble to pull double duty.

Yeah, it was a great match and I didn't have a problem with it at that time because I thought it could've been used by Bray to claim #1 contender status after Bryan won the title. The backlash came from Bryan doing the job but then not winning the Rumble to close the show. They were ultimately able to salvage it at WM30, but that Rumble forever gives an insight into how the company truly views him.

[Deleted]

I remember being some enthralled by this match that I ended up showing it to my mom, who hasn’t watched wrestling since the 90s. Daniel Bryan got over with her so huge during that match that by the end of it, she was mad that he lost.

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2018 11:49:59 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

Brays best match to date.

Easily!

Bryan kicking the shit out of Bray in the cage in the lead up to this is one of the loudest pops I've ever heard.

[GuyOfOwnage]

If only they could've put the belt on Bray a few years earlier, I would've had that match main event WM instead of blowing it off at the Rumble.

[sarkerpolseng]

Crazy to think that Bryan was in two of the best curtain jerkers ever, just two months apart.

[Woo]

Bray beating Daniel was the right call. Bryan should have gone on to win the Rumble and the belt at Mania. Bray should have beaten Cena at the Mains and then faced Bryan at Backlash. He even could have come at at the end of Mania XXX ala'Owen at X to stared daggers at Bryan.