Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles at 'Crown Jewel' is a Great Move for WWE

Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles are on a collision course for the WWE Championship at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. The big event is happening on November 2 and is shaping up to be a major night of action for the company. That’s especially true of the top title, which will get the respect it deserves when AJ and Daniel take the stage.

But this is more than just a championship match on foreign soil. This one is about getting Daniel Bryan back to the main event spotlight that he’s fought so hard for. It’s also about reminding everyone of just how good the champ really is.

It’s not that fans need to be reminded of course. AJ has been on top of his game over the past year and will soon reach 12 months as WWE champion. It’s obvious that the company has full confidence in the Phenomenal One and that’s how it should be. Of all the established veterans that WWE has signed, Styles is arguably the most ideal choice to steer the ship.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing however, especially in the beginning. Fans surely remember what it was like when AJ first came to WWE. He had a tremendous buzz around him and because of that, he had a lot to live up to. Everyone knew he would. It was clear that Styles was ready for his moment and no one masters the moment better than AJ does.

Watch Bryan’s post Super Show-Down interview:

Daniel Bryan is coming for AJ Styles' WWE Title at WWE Crown Jewel: WWE Exclusive, Oct. 6, 2018

But it did seem that Styles was off to a slow start. WWE’s critics had plenty of opportunity to complain over the situation and that’s exactly what they did. AJ Styles may have been the best in the business, but he was working for WWE now. He had to play by their rules and fall in line, just like everyone else.

However those early struggles seem like a lifetime ago. AJ not only fit in, he rose above the company as well. He’s the same man he was before he joined WWE and now he has the validation of the world’s largest pro wrestling company to back him up. Styles is no longer the legend of the independent circuit. He’s AJ Styles and he is the WWE champion.

But with each new challenge comes more questions. Will AJ lose the belt this time? Is WWE ready to move on? That question was asked when AJ faced Shinsuke Nakamura and it was also asked when Samoa Joe stepped up. The WWE fanbase has faith in AJ but that faith is tempered with the knowledge that the company can put the brakes on at any moment.

So now that he’s moving on to Daniel Bryan, AJ has yet another chance to show up as only he can. Styles never phones it in and he never has. He takes more pride in his work and has more respect for his opponents than to ever take the night off. Styles knows that by elevating his opponent, he elevates the match and thus elevates himself in the process. AJ is indeed a highly intelligent professional in and out of the ring. Of course working Daniel Bryan help both men in the long run, which is the point of the whole storyline.

Watch Daniel vs AJ from April:

Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles: SmackDown LIVE, April 10, 2018

Bryan is automatic in the ring and he’s so good that he makes it look easy. The truth is that his style put his career in jeopardy though many fans couldn’t understand how. They had become so accustomed to Bryan’s ring work that perhaps the danger involved had simply been forgotten. Daniel got over between the ropes because of his frenzied pace. It was the controlled chaos from bell to bell that made him a star.

Yes, he is the underdog and yes, people love to cheer for the underdog. But if Bryan had been mediocre in the ring, then no one would have cared. It’s obvious that Daniel has a real passion for the sport and when he fires up, he reaches a whole other level of his game. What makes him such a valuable commodity however is the fact that he does nothing but give in the ring.

Daniel is very unselfish and is willing to put over his opponent at just the right moments. Daniel, like AJ, understands the ebb and flow of a match and better yet, he understands how to manage that flow. When Bryan directs the traffic, everything moves along so much smoother than when anyone else does it. When fans consider Daniel’s sensibility as a wrestler and compare it to that of Styles, then the anticipation of seeing them together has to be enormous.

In a perfect world, the top champion is the best worker. That champion also faces the best talent, giving deserving hands the opportunity to shine above everyone else. When the championship match happens, it’s special. It means something. Otherwise, what is the point of it all? This is the exact scenario that Daniel Bryan is walking into once again.

Watch Bryan and Styles from SmackDown Live:

The Miz tries to stir up trouble between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan: SmackDown LIVE, Oct. 9, 2018

It’s familiar territory for him, as he previously walked into this situation when Randy Orton was WWE champion back in 2013. Though he was hated, Orton was a solid performer who was more than capable of carrying WWE’s top title. He had the company’s trust and he had the right frame of mind as champion. When he and Bryan went to war, it was very similar to what Daniel is facing now in terms of overall intensity.

Randy Orton was a no-nonsense talent and was only concerned with putting on the best match possible. He rarely ever looked silly or foolish and the championship was always the focal point for his character. Though The Authority protected him, Randy still had to deliver and that meant he would always have the last word. It was an old school type of rivalry that propelled both Orton and Bryan to the top of the card. This is what fans can expect with Bryan and Styles.

But does Daniel Bryan deserve to become the new WWE champion right now? While no one has ever doubted his heart and drive to be the best, many feel his connection to the fans is just not the same as it was before. If that is indeed the case, then is he the right man to dethrone AJ?

Perhaps the real point here is the match itself. These are the kinds of moments that Daniel dreamed of when he was on the road to recovery. AJ Styles is a once in a lifetime performer and his impact on the industry is undeniable. The same is true of Daniel Bryan, who is leaving an indelible mark on WWE. When these two men come together on November 2, they will make magic in the ring. It’s a match that will likely steal the show and leave fans wanting more. That’s the reason it’s happening in the first place.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live