Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy: 5 ways their SmackDown match could end
Two of the most skilled wrestlers of this century, Jeff Hardy and Daniel Bryan will go one-on-one with each other for the first time this year on the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown. The former WWE Champions will try to secure a place in the Intercontinental Championship tournament final with a victory on Friday night.
Jeff Hardy and Daniel Bryan's journey in the tournament
After the company stripped Sami Zayn off the Intercontinental Championship, WWE announced an eight-man tournament on SmackDown to crown a new champion. Jeff Hardy won his quarterfinal match against his nemesis Sheamus, while Daniel Bryan defeated his ally Drew Gulak to progress to the semifinals.
These two Superstars have clashed twice in a singles match. Daniel Bryan won the first match via submission in 2018, whereas their second fight ended in a disqualification. 'The Charismatic Enigma' has never defeated his upcoming opponent one-on-one and he will look to improve his win-loss record against Bryan this Friday night.
Given that these two men are incredibly talented, their clash promises to be a blockbuster. Here are the five possible endings to this match.
#5 Jeff Hardy beats Daniel Bryan clean
Jeff Hardy has been a fan-favorite for years now. However, he has not been so successful on SmackDown after he joined the brand in 2018. The ladder match specialist had a mediocre reign with the United States Championship, while he had to relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team Championship just a few weeks after winning them. Hardy deserves a stellar run as with a Championship on the Blue brand.
With the Intercontinental title vacant on SmackDown, WWE could capitalize on the situation and book Jeff to win it. A clean win over Daniel Bryan would provide him with a ton of momentum ahead of the finale.
The high-flying Superstar is currently engrossed in a rivalry with Sheamus, a veteran who has won every title in Vince McMahon's company except the mid-card belt on the Blue brand. After this tournament, their feud could get a new angle with 'The Celtic Warrior' chasing the crown he has never captured.
A clean defeat against Jeff Hardy would not hurt Daniel Bryan much. Instead, it would allow him to transition into the tag team division because Drew Gulak has reportedly re-signed with WWE. The New Day needs new opponents for their titles, and the pair of Bryan and Gulak could fill up that empty spot.