This Day in Wrestling History (Sept 15): Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton

On This Day In History: 15th September 2013
By Divyan Mehta

Night of Champions 2013 took place on the 15th of September and emanated from the Joe Louis arena in Detroit, Michigan. The Night of Champions event was one of the most anticipated events on the WWE calendar during its existence, as it was the night that every title in WWE was defended. Of course, with that format there is a huge possibility of multiple title changes, which is always exciting.

However, in addition to the events’ prestige, Night of Champions 2013 will be remembered for something else. On that night, Randy Orton defended his newly one WWE Championship against the fan favourite, Daniel Bryan. With The Authority (Triple H and Stephanie) behind him, Randy Orton was full of confidence and he had every right to be. Somehow, Bryan managed to overcome the odds stacked against him and walk away as the new WWE Champion.

In the context of the storyline, The Authority couldn’t have been more upset that Daniel Bryan had become the champion due to the adulation he had been receiving from the crowd for the six months prior to the match. However, behind the scenes, WWE had already built the foundation, which allowed Bryan to become the top babyface in the company. When Bryan won the championship, he did so because of a fast count from the official, Scott Armstrong. The Authority would strip Bryan of the championship the next night on Raw.

The next eight months of WWE programming would consist of The Authority putting roadblocks in Bryan’s path to prevent him from becoming WWE Champion. He eventually won the championship at WrestleMania 30, beating Batista and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat match.

Four years later, Night of Champions 2013 remains to be a historic event because it’s where Daniel Bryans’ ascension to the main event scene really began. In my mind, the ovation he received from the fans when he won the title on that night solidified the fact that he deserved to be in the main event spotlight. Sadly, on the 8th of February 2016, Daniel Bryan announced his immediate retirement from in-ring competition due to serious injuries. However, Night of Champions 2013 will always be looked upon with great fondness as it was pivotal in the rise of Daniel Bryan.