Opinion: Daniel Bryan vs The Miz might steal the show at Summerslam
In August 2016, Daniel Bryan was a retired professional wrestler and The Miz, despite being the Intercontinental Champion at that point had been bland and uninteresting for years. But all that changed on an episode of Talking Smack, a generic talk show that had been created just to fill time on the WWE Network.
When Daniel Bryan called The Miz a coward for his wrestling style, The Miz would go on an epic rant calling out Bryan for his premature retirement and not leaving the WWE in order to wrestle again. Whether that promo was scripted or a straight shoot, it was brilliant.
It would go on to revive the stagnant career of The Miz and push him to the peak of his popularity. The Miz went from someone the WWE Universe didn't care about to one of the most respected performers on the roster.
And when Daniel Bryan announced his comeback earlier this year, anticipation reached fever pitch for this contest. A few years back, it would be absurd to think that The Miz would be the most popular choice of opponent for a returning Daniel Bryan ahead of the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. But that is what happened and the fans are going to get the match that they have been asking for this Sunday at Summerslam.
The Daniel Bryan vs The Miz rivalry truly began in 2010 when Daniel Bryan was The Miz's rookie on the inaugural edition of NXT back when it was set up like a reality show. The Miz would try to teach Daniel Bryan how to wrestle despite the fact that Bryan had been one of the best wrestlers in the world for years by that point of time and light years ahead of The Miz in terms of wrestling ability.
And while they did have a match in 2010 for The Miz's United States Championship at Night of Champions, they have never really had a high profile singles match. Back then, neither of them were the superstars that they are today.
Both men have reached the pinnacle of pro wrestling in their respective careers. The Miz was in the main event of WrestleMania 27 while Daniel Bryan won the WWE Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 30 beating Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista on the same night. One day, both of them are surely going into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In terms of history and longtime storytelling, no other match at Summerslam compares to this match except for AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe. But while Styles and Joe have wrestled each other multiple times over their storied careers, The Miz and Daniel Bryan's paths have not crossed much despite being in the same company for all this time. All that changes this Sunday when the two longtime rivals finally get to punch each other in the face.
In an era when everything in the WWE seems scripted, there is something about this rivalry that feels very real. It seems the two men do not like each other and that translates into their on-screen interactions.
The fans have waited for almost a decade for this showdown. And when these two enter the ring this Sunday at Summerslam, they are sure to steal the show.