Underdog Fan Favorite: Daniel Bryan
Even though he’s been gone for nearly a year, Daniel Bryan is still without a doubt the most popular superstar in the company. Most fans want to see Bryan thrust right back into the main event picture, as he was never really granted a proper title run due to injury.
It makes sense to have Bryan win and go on to WrestleMania too. Last year, Bryan defeated the Authority to capture the gold. He will likely have to go through an even more destructive obstacle in the form of Brock Lesnar if he returns to the main event this year, setting up the ultimate David vs. Goliath matchup.
Reigns is obviously a made man, but the company has the opportunity to set up a one-on-one matchup between perhaps the most popular wrestler in the world today (Bryan), and one of the most popular athletes in the history of combat sports (Lesnar). This will be the matchup fans want to see, and they could be a little upset if they don’t get it. Let Reigns have another year to work on his promos, develop more than 4 moves, and gain more main event experience before unnecessarily pushing him into the main event of WrestleMania and potentially causing the fans to turn on him.