On the last Raw of 2014, Daniel Bryan announced that he would enter the 2015 Royal Rumble match in the hopes of getting a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania—and in doing so, he made the main event of the pay-per-view a lot more interesting.In truth, Bryan shook up the battle royal simply by entering. Up until his announcement, it seemed all but certain the untested Roman Reigns would be the last man standing and go on to claim his first world title reign at WrestleMania 31.
However, with Bryan in the mix, that looks less likely. Last year, we saw how fans refused to stick to WWE's script when Batista won the Rumble instead of Bryan—a mistake you would think the company would refrain from making two years in a row. With Roman Reigns set to be the golden boy of a burgeoning new generation, putting him in direct competition with fan-favourite Bryan seems like a risky strategy. If Reigns eliminates Bryan from the match, you can bet the rowdy Philadelphia crowd will make its thoughts known.
Unless Reigns is set for a major character shift, he's not yet established enough to deal with that sort of fan backlash. Just as Sheamus and Batista have experienced in the past, a win over Daniel Bryan in WrestleMania season could be enough to stall Reigns' progress.
That's why Bryan's mere presence changes the whole tone of the Rumble. The ascent of Roman Reigns has been clear for anyone to see, almost to the point of being flatly obvious. There's now a sense of unpredictability to proceedings, and the Rumble match itself will benefit from that—no matter who wins it.
Of course, there's still a good chance that Reigns will be the winner, but the fact it's no longer a certainty adds some of the spice the Royal Rumble thrives on. It's never been the case that any of the 30 men could realistically win, but having more than one potential victor makes it much more exciting.
Furthermore, the Rumble is a perfect environment for an underdog such as Bryan to shine. With the Authority back in power, his injuries only just healed and 29 other competitors vying for position, the deck is stacked against him—and that's exactly the situation that brings out his best work.
It'll certainly be interesting to see just how much of the match Bryan is able to wrestle. With WWE being cagey about the gravity of his injury, it's difficult to guess just how long he's been able to train and how close to 100 per cent he really is. Regardless, his appearance in the ring will be a moment to remember. A surprise return might have had more immediate impact, but a crowd that knows its going to see the long-absent Bryan will likely build itself into a frenzy before he even steps foot in the ring.
By offering excitement in the match itself and an air of unpredictability in regard to its outcome, Daniel Bryan has added a zest to the Royal Rumble match we wanted last year. Whatever plays out on January 25, it'll be a better match and show in general for Bryan being a part of it.
Projecting How Daniel Bryan Will Shake Up Battle Royal
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