SummerSlam 2018 Daniel Bryan v The Miz

It’s a match that has been years in the making, born in the ambitious environment of the original NXT, growing in the fires of mutual contempt and now destined to be settled in a highly-personal showdown at The Biggest Event of the Summer. Daniel Bryan will go one-on-one with The Miz at SummerSlam.

From the moment Miz was selected to be Bryan’s Pro in the original NXT competition, a fierce resentment ignited between the two competitors, one that would lead to Bryan winning his first United States Title from his outspoken adversary in 2010. For there, the conflict would only intensify from year to year.

Perhaps the most impactful moment between Bryan and Miz was, ironically, not in the ring, but in a war of words that took place during a 2016 episode of Talking Smack. Forced to retire due to injury, Bryan had since become the General Manager of SmackDown LIVE, where Miz was the reigning Intercontinental Champion who didn’t feel he was getting the respect he deserved. During the blue brand’s post-show, Bryan shared his opinion that The A-Lister took a “soft” approach to the ring. In response, Miz fired back with a tirade on Bryan that still rings loud today. Unable to compete at the time, however, the GM could do nothing more than walk away, but you never say never in WWE, and it was only a matter of time before the rivals would be at it again.

Refusing to give up on his dreams of once again lacing up his boots, Bryan returned to active competition in 2018, and one of the first things he did as a competitor was ask new SmackDown LIVE GM Paige to bring the then-Raw Superstar back to Team Blue.

Now, after a few twists and turns involving other competitors, it seems the two Superstars are once again on a collision course, which became apparent when Miz held a eulogy of a defeated Team Hell No and claimed that Bryan was “destroying his legacy.” In response, Bryan attacked him and laid waste to everything in sight.

Then, when Bryan confronted Miz again the following week, The A-Lister used a fake baby to get the jump on him and drilled his nemesis with a Skull-Crushing Finale, which resulted in Bryan challenging Miz to a match at SummerSlam. In response, Miz appeared on SmackDown LIVE from the TitanTron, and he and Bryan engaged in a jaw-dropping verbal exchange. However, after a weekend of consideration, The Awesome One accepted the challenge from the set of Miz & Mrs., setting the stage for one of the most highly-anticipated showdowns in recent memory.