On the July 19th edition of Smackdown, Bryan was victorious in a match against Wade Barrett. This match was supposed to occur on Raw, but due to time constraints, it was cut. It was the first time Bryan was in action since being named Cena’s opponent so it only made sense for him to win. In fact, this was only the beginning of Bryan’s winning streak.
On the July 22nd edition of Raw, Bryan and Cena opened the show to sign the contract for their upcoming match. Raw general manager Brad Maddox mediated the signing and acted against Bryan. Prior to Bryan entering ringside, Maddox made it known that he was uncertain if Bryan had what it takes to defeat Cena. The WWE Champion supported his decision to choose Bryan and made it known that he believed Bryan earned and deserved this opportunity. Surprisingly, the contract signing did not end with any battling.
Maddox would announce a gauntlet match for Bryan later on in the night, but did not reveal who the opponents would be nor how many of them there would be. After Bryan made his way to the ring for the gauntlet match, Zeb Colter and the Real Americans entered. Bryan’s first opponent was Jack Swagger. There was never any doubt in the outcome of this match, as Bryan would force Swagger to tap out to the Yes Lock.
Bryan’s next opponent was the other Real American Antonio Cesaro. This match was an indy wrestling fan’s dream. Two former Ring of Honor stars colliding in the main event of Raw. Cesaro and Bryan delivered a classic, which WWE then included in its top matches of the three-hour episodes of Raw.
Bryan came out victorious once again and would then face his final and biggest challenge yet in the form of Ryback. Two former original Nexus members facing off in the final match of Raw was another sight to see. Ryback would eventually put Bryan through a table, giving the number one contender for the WWE title the win. Cena would emerge and save Bryan for any more beatings by Ryback. Cena’s assistance would lead to Maddox booking Cena versus Ryback and Bryan versus Kane next week on Raw.
It seems as though WWE is doing a great job of building Bryan up for his match against Cena at SummerSlam. He needs to be booked strong to have any chance of winning. WWE is also bringing some reports on how Vince McMahon has felt about Bryan into the storyline. I hope to see Bryan win the WWE title next month, as he is so popular among the WWE Universe that Cena doesn’t need to remain champion.
With a little over three weeks until SummerSlam, can anyone else beat Daniel Bryan and become the WWE Wrestler of the Week? Check out Camel Clutch Blog each and every Friday to find out.
Who do you think deserved WWE Wrestler of the Week this week? What do you think Daniel Bryan’s chances are against John Cena at SummerSlam? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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