Daniel Bryan and The Miz: Destined to Meet at SummerSlam

Daniel Bryan attacked The Miz on the July 17 edition of WWE SmackDown Live. Miz was in the middle of a mock funeral for Team Hell No when the Yes man decided to crash the party. The Miz did escape but it’s clear that the time has finally come for a massive showdown and that showdown will likely happen at SummerSlam.

It was only a matter of time until this happened. The Miz took issue with Bryan since Daniel became the SmackDown General Manager and the heat between them only escalated from there. The Miz has always believed he’s the best in the WWE locker room. But he also believed that Daniel was an overrated Superstar that did not deserve the amount of spotlight he received.

From a character perspective, it was only logical that Miz went after Bryan. As the GM, Daniel held The Miz’s fate in his hands. A heel like The Miz could not deal with that, anymore than he could deal with a talent of Daniel’s caliber telling him what to do. Miz’s ego is matched only by his insecurity and that was apparent in his dealings with Bryan.

Watch Bryan attack Miz on SmackDown:

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Of course from a fan standpoint, the heat between Daniel and The Miz made no sense. Not only was Bryan one of the bosses on SmackDown Live, he was also incapable of getting physical with anyone again. Daniel was on the shelf and not allowed to compete. So why pick a fight with him?

There could be no payoff of any kind for a feud between Miz and Daniel Bryan. Miz’s macho posturing would get him nowhere in the long run. Bryan could not get too upset over Miz’s antics because there was just no way to stop it. Daniel Bryan had a job to do as SmackDown GM and he could not let Miz get in his head. This feud was to be a war of words and nothing more.

It did seem as though WWE was dangling a carrot in front of the fans. Why go to those lengths for the sake of a few headlines, when the company knew that’s all it would be? Many fans began to wonder if once again, WWE Creative had simply just run out of ideas. Or was there truly a reason for the issues between Bryan and Miz that no one really knew about?

Of course now it appears that it was all done by design. While it’s unknown whether or not anyone inside WWE knew Daniel Bryan would indeed be medically cleared to compete, it does seem convenient that he had a ready-made opponent waiting for him.

But the bad blood between them took time to come back to the surface. Daniel returned to active competition at WrestleMania 34 on April 8 and the physical confrontation on SmackDown took over three months to happen. Perhaps throwing them together in a feud right away was not the best move for Daniel Bryan. Why not save it until the time was right? Evidently that’s exactly what happened.

Watch Daniel’s interview:

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Now it appears that Daniel Bryan versus The Miz is going to happen and there’s no better time for it than SummerSlam on August 19. SummerSlam is one of WWE’s biggest nights of the year and the company needs marquee match-ups to sell the event. There may be no better match for the blue brand right now than Bryan and Miz. But what does this feud mean for both men?

Daniel’s WWE contract will reportedly expire on September 1. However WWE is already advertising him for several events after that date, which means he’s likely going to re-sign with the company. Many fans have been waiting for that to become official because once it is, the possibilities for him should open up. WWE may or may not have plans to elevate Daniel back to the world title picture. But his supporters would surely love to see it happen.

Bryan’s rise in 2014/2015 is the stuff of legend in Vince McMahon’s company. It was a long road to the top for him and it was a journey he believed he would never make. WWE didn’t seem to believe in him and there was never a true effort made to do anything with him.

Simply put, WWE did not want Daniel Bryan on top. He never fit the mold of what the company looked for in a world champion. While part of that notion was storyline, part of it was real as well. In fact WWE mixed fiction and reality in the Daniel Bryan story to the point that no one knew the difference anymore. Either way, WWE could not ignore the reality of Daniel’s popularity which continues to this day.

Bryan only rose to the world championship when the machine got behind him. If that happens now, he will be on his way to the top once again. A WWE Championship match between him and AJ Styles at WrestleMania 35 could be epic. It would likely steal the show. But what about The Miz?

Watch Miz implode on Bryan in 2017:

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Many regard The Miz as one of the premier talents in the industry. It’s a fact that the majority of the WWE faithful agree on, just as they agree that Miz deserves the WWE title once again. Miz was underrated at one time but that’s not the case anymore. Fans know what he can do in the ring. They see his talent and they know he should wear the gold. So how does that factor into his feud with Daniel Bryan?

Does The Miz versus Daniel Bryan need the WWE Championship to get over? The belt may not be in the mix now. But if either man wins the strap later this year, then the match at WrestleMania 35 could indeed be Miz and Bryan for the WWE title. Their fans would surely love to see that happen. But does the same go for the company?

The truth is there’s enough drama between Daniel Bryan and The Miz to get them to SummerSlam and beyond. It’s a feud that has been brewing for quite some time and one that has enough fire to hook the fans and keep them interested. Miz has earned his spot and Bryan continues to prove he’s back on track. Each man wants to be the best and they will surely deliver their best when the time comes.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Windows Phone, Amazon Android and online at boinkstudios.com

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