One of the Greatest Builds of all Time Needs a Winner

During their most recent feud, Daniel Bryan and the Miz clash in the ring when a toy baby was used to get the better of Bryan. Courtesy of the WWE.

By Matthew Klink (@klinkmatt)

August 16, 2018

Historically and creatively, Daniel Bryan and the Miz is one of the greatest feuds of all time. I am talking at about  being on the same level as Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold and the Rock, Hogan and Sting, Cena and Edge, Gargano and Ciampa (haha! I like poking the bear that is wrestling purists).

If you don't believe me, ask yourself when was the last time a feud was given eight years to grow? When was the last time a battle, such as this, was two years in the making? When was the last time two humans (and I mean their non-wrestler lives) were motivated and moved in such drastically different ways (Daniel Bryan hitting the indie circuit and the Miz getting famous from the Real World)?

If you're still not excited for this match or want to know more, the WWE did their own version of an ESPN 30 for 30 and presented us with a look back at their relationship. Going all the way back to 2010 and showing us every step and battle the individuals had together and in their personal lives. Take a few minutes and watch.

(All of these videos, of course, are from the WWE's YouTube page and are of their own production.)

As you can see, this is a feud that wasn't put together in a matter of weeks. And hey, we can all be honest here. There may not have been a plan to have these guys fight at THIS SummerSlam, but the animosity between these two is so palpable, that there wasn't any way this could be ignored.

If this feud is to end after SummerSlam, that would be somewhat of a let down. The WWE definitely sees the potential here and if we've already waited a couple years since the Talking Smack incident, why not wait a little longer for the true culmination? Why not wait...till this bout is for the WWE Championship?

So how do you get to the WWE Championship? I'll get there. Don't worry!

First, let's analyze the the other side of the coin. The easy way for this match to end would be in a clean fight, where the two superstars could showcase their wrestling talents and the better man would win. Furthermore, if this is a "Cinderella story", that would mean the winner is Daniel Bryan. Bryan moves on from the Miz, vindicated, and they never see each other again...

These two can put on a great, clean, technical, and emotional match. There is no doubt from anyone there. But what I do doubt is whether the WWE is ready to send these two in opposite directions. I also doubt if its in the Miz and his character to not throw in some shenanigans and tomfoolery. This has gone on too long and there is so much money, interest and potential there. Continuing this feud SHOULD be the way to go, but there are things (like the video production and time spent in building the feud for this SummerSlam) that are telling me its over.

One obstacle in the way of my desire to keep this feud going is whether or not Daniel Bryan would still be wrestling for the WWE come September. Its not fun to have these conversations, but Daniel Bryan has been dragging his feet, in regards to signing a new contract (according to the'fabulous' Dave Meltzer). Should this be the end of the Daniel Bryan era in the WWE, then this feud does end at SummerSlam.

Daniel Bryan leaving the company would mean less money for doing the thing he loves, but I don't think that matters to him anymore. His wife is making tons of money. He's already earned a ton over the last 20 years. And he's an indie darling at heart. He'd be able to see his family more, work his own schedule, and probably be bigger than Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega ever dreamed to be. Its not what I would do or hope he does. But I can see it being more appealing to Bryan.

When thinking about a winner and loser, its Bryan (possibly) leaving that makes predicting this match so easy. The Miz was rated as Rolling Stones wrestler of the year in 2017, has his own reality show, and is really becoming a true face for the company (while still playing the heel on TV). The Miz loves the WWE and he'll be here forever. Which is why Daniel's contract dispute is the reason the Miz is walking away victorious.

The Miz would absolutely blow up as a bad guy if he was to beat the fan favorite, Daniel Bryan. Especially if this was the match that knocked him out of the door. The WWE has proved before that they don't necessarily pass out legacy victories very often. If you can name one or two, reflect on how many matches there have been all time and then I'll forgive you for your stupidity. The WWE's formula is always about putting the next guy over (and we'll probably see that play out multiple times in one night, at SummerSlam). The Miz isn't new, but if he's here to stay and Daniel isn't, why not make a super heel?

On top of that, if Daniel was to stay and this feud was to go on longer, then you can't let Daniel win it. The Miz has to win and use that signature victory to gloat and propel himself upward on the card. That where the WWE Championship finally comes into play. I already mentioned the amount of attention the Miz is getting outside of the WWE. To me, that is always a sure sign of a future WWE Champion. If he moves up the card, he'll find a way to win that title. Its in his character. He'll win...finish a feud with AJ Styles...and then lead us into WrestleMania season as the WWE Champion. It writes itself...

I'll admit, I've thought way too far in the future when figuring out who should win here, but with the G1 Supercard looming in the wings for the next WrestleMania, the WWE has to do something huge and for the hardcore fan, to hold their status. No more Hulk Hogan. No more Stone Cold. No more Rock. Wrestling. Pro...freaking...wrestling. At least for half of the show.

So hopefully this Sunday won't be the end of the feud and it also won't be the end of Daniel Bryan's career with the WWE. Regardless of the outcome for either of those hopes, the Miz is walking away victorious this Sunday. 

We are fully booked booked for SummerSlam! I am loving this card. If you haven't made plans yet, don't forget to be on your couch on August 19th for the biggest show of the summer! Catch up with the Brothers of Discussion Analysis of every match here on BODPodcast.com

Carmella vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship
Ronda Rousey vs Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women's Championship
AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship
Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Title
Dolph Ziggler vs Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship
Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens for the MITB Briefcase
The Bludgeon Brothers vs the New Day for the SmackDown Tag Titles
The B-Team vs The Revival for the Raw Tag Titles
Baron Corbin vs Finn Balor
Daniel Bryan vs The Miz
Rusev and Lana vs Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega
Sunday, August 19th, 7PM EST

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