DETROIT — As if it wasn’t already clear, Daniel Bryan is not the type of guy who takes “No!” for an answer.
Disrespected by WWE COO Triple H, disrupted by The Shield and disgraced by WWE Champion Randy Orton at every turn, Bryan had been belittled by the powers that be since the moment the WWE Title was snatched away from him at SummerSlam. But at Night of Champions, the irrepressible Superstar refused to be denied.
Finally given a fair chance in a match that Triple H vowed would have no interference, Bryan defeated the man who was hand selected as the “face of WWE” to once again win the WWE Title. Repeatedly told that he was too small, too unorthodox and too alternative to be a WWE Champion, WWE’s “Yes!” Man proved his corporate doubters wrong in the place where champions are truly born — the ring.
Still, if Bryan’s insides were burning with contempt for Orton and WWE brass, he didn’t let his anger overwhelm him. Beginning the bout at a measured, confident pace, the submission specialist targeted the WWE Champion with wrenching armlocks and blistering strikes. The rabid “Yes! Yes! Yes” chants from the WWE Universe may have caused a less experienced Superstar to speed up and tire himself out early, but Bryan was clearly working with a game plan.
Still, the deliberate stride seemed to benefit The Viper early on. Always clinical in his approach to the mat game, Orton slowly picked apart his challenger with sinister stomps and an ugly clothesline that undoubtedly earned Bryan a trip to the dentist. For a moment, it seemed as though Bryan may have lost his nerve. As Orton gripped his opponent by the beard and crwhacked him with a headbutt, the spirited Superstar’s fire was nowhere to be found. And then something clicked.
Suddenly moving in fast-forward, Bryan outsmarted the champion with a backflip off the top rope before connecting with a hurricanrana, a missile dropkick and a gutsy dive to the outside. The momentum was decidedly in Bryan’s favor before The Viper connected with a DDT from the apron to the arena floor.
Calling upon some deep reserve of willpower, Bryan pulled himself back into the ring only to face more punishment at the hands of WWE’s Apex Predator. Narrowly avoiding an RKO, Bryan connected with a dropkick, which knocked the champion into the official who tumbled out of the ring, unconscious.
With a new referee now in the ring, the battle continued with both Superstars showing obvious signs of wear. A tightly cinched in “Yes!” Lock seemed to spell the end for the WWE Champion, but, somewhat impossibly, Orton grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold.
The momentum shifted repeatedly from there until both combatants found themselves struggling for position on the top rope. Bryan managed to hook The Viper in the tree of woe and teed off with a series of kicks that may well have rearranged Orton’s internal organs. He then scored with a unique superplex that sent the champion flying while Bryan remained atop the turnbuckle. Launching himself across the entire length of the ring with a spectacular flying headbutt, the fan favorite came within a millisecond of winning the title.
As champion and challenger continued their physical chess game, the original referee returned to the match. At that point, Bryan dodged an attempted RKO, scored with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head and then launched his knee directly into Orton’s forehead. Just as he had defeated John Cena at SummerSlam, the wildly popular Superstar beat The Viper to once again become WWE Champion.
As an ecstatic WWE Universe in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena cheered their hero on with chants of “Yes! Yes! Yes!” it became clear that all was right in WWE. No puppet masters. No corporate maneuvering. No outside interlopers. Just one man proving (again) that he had what it takes to be a champion. Maybe that’s what’s best for business.
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