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Zulu warriors with shields, a detail from an 1847 drawing

A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer.

Shields vary greatly in size, ranging from large panels that protect the user's entire body to small models (such as the buckler) that were intended for hand-to-hand-combat use. Shields also vary a great deal in thickness; whereas some shields were made of relatively deep, absorbent, wooden planking to protect soldiers from the impact of spears and crossbow bolts, others were thinner and lighter and designed mainly for deflecting blade strikes.

In prehistory and during the era of the earliest civilizations, shields were made of wood, animal hide, woven reeds or wicker. In classical antiquity, the Migration Period and the Middle Ages, they were normally constructed of poplar, lime or another split-resistant timber—covered in some instances with leather and/or reinforced with a metal boss, rim or banding—and carried by foot soldiers, knights and cavalry.

Shape wise, depending on time and place, shields could be round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular or scalloped. Sometimes they took on the form of kites, flatirons or figures-of-eight, or had rounded tops on a rectangular base with perhaps an eyehole inserted. The shield was held by a central grip or by straps which went over or around the user's arm

Often shields were decorated with a painted pattern or an animal representation and these designs developed into systematized heraldic devices during high-medieval times for purposes of battlefield identification. Even after the introduction of gunpowder and firearms to the battlefield, shields continued to be used by certain groups. In the 18th century, for example, Scottish Highland fighters liked to wield small shields (known as a targe), and as late as the 19th century, some non-industrialized peoples employed them (such as Zulu warriors) when waging war.

In the 20th and 21st century, shields have been used by military and police units that specialize in anti-terrorist actions, hostage rescue, riot control and siege-breaking. The modern term usually refers to a device that is held in the hand or attached to the arm, as opposed to an armored suit or a bullet-proof vest.

Prehistory and antiquity[link]

Greek soldiers of Greco-Persian Wars. Left: Greek slinger. Right - hoplites. Left hoplite's shield has a curtain which serves as a protection from arrows.

The oldest form of shield was a protection device designed to block attacks by hand weapons, such as swords, axes and maces, or Ranged weapon sling-stones and arrows. Shields have varied greatly in construction over time and place. Sometimes shields were made of metal, but wood or animal hide construction was much more common; wicker and even turtle shells have been used. Many surviving examples of metal shields are generally felt to be ceremonial rather than practical, for example the Yetholm-type shields of the Bronze Age or the Iron Age Battersea shield. The shield was used to make the Greek Phalanx formation.

Size and weight varied greatly. Lightly armored warriors relying on speed and surprise would generally carry light shields that were either small or thin. Heavy troops might be equipped with robust shields that could cover most of the body. Many had a strap called a guige that allowed it to be slung over the user's back when not in use or on horseback. During the 14th-13th century BC, the Sards or Shardana, working as mercenaries for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, utilized either large or small round shields against the Hittites. The Mycenaean Greeks used two types of shields: the "figure eight" or "fiddle" shield, and a rectangular type, the "tower" shield, curved on the top. They were made of wood and leather, and were of such a large size that a warrior could hide completely behind his shield. The Ancient Greek hoplites used a round, bowl-shaped wooden shield called an aspis. Examples of Germanic wooden shields c350 BC - 500 AD survive from weapons sacrifices in Danish bogs.

The heavily armored Roman legionaries carried large shields (scuta) that could provide far more protection, but made swift movement a little more difficult. The scutum originally had an oval shape, but gradually the curved tops and sides were cut to produce the familiar rectangular shape most commonly seen in the early Imperial legions. Famously, the Romans used their shields to create a tortoise-like formation called a testudo in which entire groups of soldiers would be enclosed in an armoured box to provide protection against missiles. Many ancient shield designs featured incuts of one sort of another. This was done to accommodate the shaft of a spear, thus facilitating tactics requiring the soldiers to stand close together forming a wall of shields.

Middle Ages[link]

A portrait probably made by a Mughal artist.The courtier dressed in floral robes facing left and carrying weapons and a black shield.

In the early European Middle Ages, simple round shields made from linden-wood wood covered on both sides by leather were typical. Over time, these were displaced by the kite shield, which was rounded at the top and tapered at the bottom. This gave some protection to the user's legs, without adding too much to the total weight of the shield. Kite shields were commonly used by cavalry as well.

As body armour improved, knight's shields became smaller, leading to the familiar heater shield style. Both kite and heater style shields were made of several layers of laminated wood, with a gentle curve in cross section. The heater style inspired the shape of the symbolic heraldic shield that is still used today. Eventually, specialised shapes were developed such as the bouche, which had a lance rest cut into the upper corner of the lance side, to help guide it in combat or tournament. Free standing shields called pavises, which were propped up on stands, were used by medieval crossbowmen who needed protection while reloading.

In time, some armoured foot knights gave up shields entirely in favour of mobility and two-handed weapons. Other knights and common soldiers adopted the buckler (origin of the term "swashbuckler"^[1]). The buckler is a small round shield, typically between 8 and 16 inches (20-40 centimeters) in diameter. The buckler was one of very few types of shield that were usually made of metal. Small and light, the buckler was easily carried by being hung from a belt; it gave little protection from missiles and was reserved for hand-to-hand combat. The buckler continued in use well into the 16th Century.

In Italy, the targa, parma and rotella were utilized by common people, fencers and even knights. The development of plate armour made shields less and less common as plate armour eliminated the need for a shield. Lightly armoured troops continued to use shields after men-at-arms and knights ceased to use them. Shields continued in use even after gunpowder powered weapons made them essentially obsolete on the battlefield. In the 18th Century, the Scottish clans used a small, round shield called a targe that was partially effective against the firearms of the time, although it was arguably more often used against British infantry bayonets and cavalry swords in close-in fighting.

During the 19th Century, non-industrial cultures with little access to guns were still using war shields. Zulu warriors carried large lightweight shields made from a single ox hide supported by a wooden spine, these were called Ishlangu.^[2] This was used in combination with a short spear (assegai) and/or club.

Although the size of shield would vary due to personal preference and role, most were thin compared to common belief (a misconception aided by the depiction of heavy shields in films). When used in fighting, shields were most effective when used to cause glancing blows. By deflecting a sword blow to the side, rather than blocking it head on, the attacker could be rendered open to a counterattack. This technique allowed the shield to be made lighter and more easily wielded, while reducing the amount of energy and risk of injury posed to the shield-bearer.

Modern era[link]

Law enforcement shields[link]

A police officer utilizing a ballistic shield NIJ Level IIIA

NIJ Level III

U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) fire a shield-equipped Minigun

Shields for protection from armed attack are still used by many police forces around the world. These modern shields are usually intended for two broadly distinct purposes. The first type, riot shields, are used for riot control and can be made from metal or polymers such as polycarbonate Lexan or Makrolon or boPET Mylar. These typically offer protection from relatively large and low velocity projectiles, such as rocks and bottles, as well as blows from fists or clubs. Synthetic riot shields are normally transparent, allowing full use of the shield without obstructing vision. Similarly, metal riot shields often have a small window at eye level for this purpose. These riot shields are most commonly used to block and push back crowds when the users stand in a "wall" to block protesters, and to protect against shrapnel, projectiles, molotov cocktails, and during hand-to-hand combat.

The second type of modern police shield is the bullet-resistant tactical shield. These shields are typically manufactured from advanced synthetics such as kevlar and are designed to be bulletproof, or at least bullet resistant. Two types of shields are available. 1. Light weight level IIIA shields that stop hand guns and submachine guns. 2. Heavy Level III and IV shields that stop rifle rounds. Tactical shields often have a firing port so that the officer holding the shield can fire a weapon while being protected by the shield, and they often have a bulletproof glass viewing port. They are typically employed by specialist police, such as SWAT teams in high risk entry and siege scenarios, such as hostage rescue and breaching gang compounds, as well as in antiterrorism operations. Tactical shields often have a large signs stating "POLICE" (or the name of a force, such as "US MARSHALS") to indicate that the user is a law enforcement officer.

Gun shields[link]

With the widespread use of machine guns in World War I and in subsequent conflicts, battlegrounds were swept with automatic weapons fire. While soldiers who are in foxholes or trenches are protected from this fire, soldiers who are manning mounted machine guns were vulnerable to being hit. Since WW I, there have been a variety of attempts to install armored gun shields on tripod-mounted machine guns or vehicle-mounted weapons to protect machine gunners. Transportation devices with mounted guns that may have gun shields to protect the gunner include jeeps, Humvees, armored cars, and boats.

Non-martial applications[link]

Many non-martial devices also employ shielding of a kind—not usually a single device worn on an arm but various protective plates or other insulation positioned where needed. Space craft have heat shields to ensure a safe re-entry. Electronics uses shielding to reduce electrical noise and crosstalk between signals. Better-quality patch cables used in audio and electronic music have shielding to reduce interference and noise. People and systems that must work in the presence of ionizing radiation (X-rays) such as dentists, hospital technicians, and patients undergoing X-rays are protected with lead shielding clothing.

A "shield" is also a design term used to describe emblems that resemble a heraldic shield. Movie studio Warner Bros. uses a shield emblazoned with WB as its logo. The Looney Tunes cartoons, released through Warner Bros., open with the WB shield zooming through concentric circles.

Media[link]

This section looks like an image gallery. Wikipedia policy discourages galleries of random images of the article subject; please improve or remove the section accordingly, moving freely licensed images to Wikimedia Commons if not already hosted there.

• 

  Wall painting depicting a Mycenaean Greek "figure eight" shield with a suspension strap at the middle, 15th century BC, National Archaeological Museum, Athens -The faces of figure eight shields were quite convex. The cited "strap" may be the ridge on the front (so denoted by the visible pattern of the ox hide) of the shield.

• 

  A hoplite by painter Alkimachos, on an Attic red-figure vase, c. 460 BC. Shield has a curtain which serves as a protection from arrows.

• 

  Reenactment of an early Imperial Roman legionary shield array

• 

  Sword and buckler combat, plate from the Tacuinum Sanitatis illustrated in Lombardy, ca. 1390

• 

  Ceremonial shield with mosaic decoration. Aztec or Mixtec, AD 1400-1521. In the British Museum

• 

  Drawing from the Codex Manesse showing jousting knights on horseback carrying shields

• 

  Australian Aboriginal shield, Royal Albert Memorial Museum

• 

  Nias ceremonial shield

See also[link]

• Aspis
• Buckler
• Heater shield
• Kite shield
• Scutum (shield)
• Escutcheon (heraldry)

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Drummond, James. "Notes on Ancient Shields and Highland Targets" Archaeologica Scotica Vol 5 (1890)
• Schulze, André(Hrsg.): Mittelalterliche Kampfesweisen. Band 2: Kriegshammer, Schild und Kolben. - Mainz am Rhein. : Zabern, 2007. - ISBN 3-8053-3736-1

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shields

Look up shield in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Myarmoury.com, The Shield: An Abridged History of its Use and Development.
• Baronage.co.uk, The Shape of the Shield in heraldry.
• Era.anthropology.ac.uk, Shields: History and Terminology, Anthropological Analysis.
• Hadesign.co.uk, The Buckler, The Sussex Rapier School.
• Classical Greek Shield Patterns.

Daniel Bryan
Bryan addressing the audience in a promo.
Ring name(s)	American Dragon[1] Bryan Danielson[1] Daniel Bryan[1][2]
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3]
Billed weight	210 lb (95 kg)[3]
Born	(1981-05-22) May 22, 1981 (age 31)[4] Aberdeen, Washington[4]
Resides	Las Vegas, Nevada[1][5]
Billed from	Aberdeen, Washington[1][3]
Trained by	William Regal[6][7] Texas Wrestling Academy[4][7] Rudy Boy Gonzalez[1][7] Shawn Michaels[1][3][7] Tracy Smothers[1] Masato Tanaka[1]
Debut	October 4, 1999[8]
Website	BryanDanielson.net

Bryan Danielson^[4] (born May 22, 1981)^[4] is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE and appearing on its SmackDown brand. Danielson works with WWE under the name Daniel Bryan. He has also been known by the ring name, and later nickname, the American Dragon.^[4][9]

In professional wrestling, Danielson is former Ring of Honor World champion,^[10] a two-time Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World champion,^[11] a one-time Westside Xtreme Wrestling Heavyweight champion,^[12][13] a one-time FIP Heavyweight Champion and a one-time World Heavyweight Champion in WWE.

As well as these World Championships, Danielson also won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship once in Pro Wrestling Noah and is officially recognized as the final ROH Pure Champion, as he unified the Pure Title with the ROH World title in 2006.^[14] He also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Curry Man.^[4]

Until 2009, Danielson primarily competed on the independent circuit. ROH was generally regarded as his home promotion^{[citation needed]}, but he also worked in FIP, PWG, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He has also worked internationally, most notably in Pro Wrestling Noah through ROH's involvement in the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance, a global organization of cooperative promotions that allow their competitors to travel abroad to other companies.^[15] He also competed in a handful of matches in WWE before signing an actual contract with the company in 2009.^[1][16]

In June 2010, shortly after the end of the first season of the WWE NXT show in which Danielson participated, WWE announced that he had been released from his contract.^[17] He returned to WWE in August at SummerSlam, and won the WWE United States Championship the following month.^[18][19] On July 17, 2011, Bryan won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match.^[20] On December 18, 2011, Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Big Show to become World Heavyweight Champion.^[21][22]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early career (1999–2004)[link]

Danielson's first exposure in wrestling was as a backyard wrestler competing for Backyard Championship Wrestling (BCW) under his real name with the nickname "The Dagger". There he won the promotion's Heavyweight Championship.^[1] After Danielson graduated from high school in 1999, he decided to pursue wrestling professionally and initially attempted to train at Dean Malenko's wrestling school. Due to its subsequent closure, however, he instead trained under Shawn Michaels and Rudy Gonzalez at the Texas Wrestling Academy.^[23][7] Danielson debuted in Michaels' promotion, the Texas Wrestling Alliance (TWA), and on March 21, 2000, he won his first professional wrestling championship, when he teamed with Spanky to win the TWA Tag Team Championship by defeating Jeromy Sage and Ruben Cruz.^[4]

Bryan Danielson during his early years on the independent circuit.

As Danielson continued to tour the country, he was signed to a developmental deal by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to work in their developmental system where recently signed performers train and refine their skills before debuting on WWF's television programming, and was assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW). There, Danielson gained exposure, and was trained by WWF competitor William Regal. In a 2012 interview, Danielson credited Regal as being instrumental in the development of his career.^[7] It was during this time that Danielson adopted his well-known moniker "American Dragon".^[24] WWF severed its ties with MCW in 2001, releasing Danielson from his contract, but not before he won the MCW Light Heavyweight Championship and the MCW Tag Team Championship with Spanky.^[4] Danielson returned to the company on later dates after it was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment to compete on its secondary programming, Velocity and Heat, initially as enhancement talent before being allowed to compete in longer matches; he once wrestled future WWE Champion John Cena in a losing effort.^[25][26]

Danielson also toured Japan with the promotion, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) with fellow trainee from the Texas Wrestling Academy, Lance Cade, competing in several tag team matches.^[1][8] He returned to the country after his release from the WWF, competing in Japan's premier promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). In NJPW, he used his American Dragon persona, and donned a red, white, and blue mask reminiscent of a dragon.^[27] As a part of the junior heavyweight division, Danielson had success in both singles and tag team competition in the company, the latter of which culminated on March 12, 2004 when Danielson (sans mask) won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with Curry Man from division veterans, Jado and Gedo, on the Hyper Battle tour.^[28]

Ring of Honor[link]

Founding father (2002–2005)[link]

In 2002, Danielson joined the independent promotion, Ring of Honor, where he is acknowledged as a "Founding Father" of the company by fans,^[29] as he was one of the wrestlers who made the company prominent during its inception, and competed in the main event of the company's debut show, The Era of Honor Begins, in a three-way match against Low Ki and Christopher Daniels.^[30] He continued to have critically acclaimed matches in the company that would last for extended periods of time with numerous wrestlers, including a match with Austin Aries that lasted for eighty minutes.^[31] One of the more notable rivalries he had in the early years in the company was with Homicide; the two embarked in numerous matches with a variety of stipulations, culminating in a steel cage match at The Final Showdown, which was won by Danielson.^[32]

Danielson posing in 2004.

At that time, Danielson had long been regarded as the best wrestler in ROH to have never held a major title belt; despite winning the company's inaugural Survival of the Fittest tournament in 2004, championship gold constantly eluded him. It came to the point where, in 2005, Danielson announced in the company's newsletter, the ROH Newswire, that he had quit ROH after being frustrated by his inability to defeat Austin Aries for the ROH World Championship. It was later revealed Danielson had become frustrated in general with professional wrestling and planned to take some time off to evaluate his career options.^[33] Danielson had several dates booked in Europe and Japan, however, leading fans to believe that the periodical was likely a storyline claim for Danielson's absence during this period. In May 2005, rumors started that Total Nonstop Action Wrestling was interested in signing Danielson, and he also had some more tryout matches with WWE at that time, but none of these events led to anything, as he remained in ROH.^[1]

World Champion (2005–2006)[link]

Danielson defeated James Gibson for the ROH World Championship at Glory by Honor IV on September 15, 2005.^[4][34][35] The rest of the year saw Danielson have many successful title defenses, competing against all comers, even those from other companies, such as Pro Wrestling Noah star Naomichi Marufuji, at Final Battle 2005.^[36]

At the beginning of 2006, Chris Hero, a representative from Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), invaded ROH and targeted Danielson; this led to the two exchanging words over the Internet before having a match together with nearly the entire roster of both companies embarking on an interpromotional feud.^[37] Danielson became personally invested in this feud, and invaded CZW himself,^[38] which led to him having physical altercations with a number of CZW wrestlers. Hero intensified the rivalry, leading to the two wrestling at ROH's Hell Freezes Over event, where Danielson successfully defended the ROH World Championship.^[39] He soon filled the vacant slot on ROH's five-man team which participated in one of CZW's more popular attractions, a steel cage match called the Cage of Death, a ten-man tag team match that would have a man from each team start out in the cage, with one more random competitor entering into the match after an allotted amount of time. During the match he turned on his team by assaulting his rival, Samoa Joe, before leaving the match and effectively abandoning his involvement in the animosity between the two promotions.^[40] As the interpromotional hostility with CZW heightened, Danielson also defended against challengers from the rival company, who had signed an open contract for any CZW wrestler willing to challenge for the ROH World Title. Former champion Samoa Joe also challenged Danielson during his constant defenses, only to have their match end in a sixty-minute draw.^[41]

Danielson in the ring in 2006.

Ring of Honor, while having the ROH World Championship, faced the issue of having another title with seemingly equal value, the ROH Pure Championship. Danielson and the ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness had a match to unify the titles. They met at April 29 in a match fought under pure wrestling rules and McGuinness left Danielson outside the ring after a chair shot to win by count out; this would be enough to win the Pure Title but not Danielson's World Title. Consequently they had another unification match in McGuinness' native England where ROH declared there would be a winner, with a title changing hands by count out and disqualification, and a draw would force a restart.^[42] Danielson won the match on August 12 and retired the Pure Title as its last champion.^[43][44] During a match with Colt Cabana on August 26, Danielson received an injury; he separated his shoulder,^[4] tearing two tendons in it, and tore another tendon in his chest, which led to his next few matches being cancelled.^[1] Danielson returned at Glory by Honor V: Night 2, and was challenged by KENTA, a guest competitor from Pro Wrestling Noah, due to the two company's talent exchange agreement; Danielson again retained his championship. At Final Battle 2006, Danielson's fifteen-month title reign finally ended after losing to Homicide, and he subsequently took time off from wrestling in order to heal his shoulder.^[4][34]

Later years (2007–2009)[link]

On May 11, Danielson made his return to the company at Reborn Again where he defeated Shane Hagadorn and Adam Pearce in separate matches. On May 12 Ring of Honor filmed its first pay-per-view, Respect is Earned, which had Danielson team with ROH World Champion, Takeshi Morishima, to take on Nigel McGuinness and Kenta; Danielson's team scored the win, as Danielson made Kenta tap out to his signature submission hold, the Cattle Mutilation. Danielson made his return to contention for the ROH World title by defeating Nigel McGuinness at Domination, which would appear on the company's next pay per view, Driven.^[45] This allowed him to, now as a heroic character, challenge Morishima for the title at Manhattan Mayhem in a losing effort;^[46] he also suffered a legitimate detached retina.^[47] Following a subsequent surgery, Danielson returned with intent to challenge Morishima once more, leading to a match at Man Up that had the referee stop the match due to Danielson being unable to respond to him.^[48] Danielson exacted revenge, albeit by Morishima getting disqualified, at Rising Above against his rival by assaulting him before Morishima returned to Japan.^[49] Morishima returned to the company at Final Battle 2008, in a match billed as a "Fight Without Honor", which allowed both men to use weapons, which Danielson won.^[50] Danielson noted in a March 2012 interview that the biggest sense of validation he ever had at that point was at Final Battle 2008 because he and Morishima managed to sell out 2,500 people in New York City.^[51]

Over the coming months Danielson worked with Austin Aries again as friendly rivals, exchanging victories^[52] including a match on pay-per-view at Take No Prisoners, which was won by Danielson. Danielson also aided Aries by becoming his partner in order to take on The Age of the Fall as revenge for Aries. The two wrestled all members of the group in a series of different stipulation matches, as well as teaming together frequently to challenge members Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.^[53]

As part of ROH's agreement with Pro Wrestling Noah, the company held a show in Japan on September 14 titled the Tokyo Summit, where Danielson wrestled GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and won the championship. Following his victory, he was interviewed, and announced that Noah would allow him defend the title in Ring of Honor,^[54] with his first defense being at Glory By Honor VII, defeating Katsuhiko Nakajima, a competitor from the Kensuke Office, another member promotion of the GPWA.^[55] This would ultimately be his only successful defense, however, as he would return to Japan on October 13 to lose the title to Kenta.^[56] Following his loss, Danielson challenged McGuinness for the title at the next ROH pay per view, Rising Above in a losing effort.

Ring of Honor made its national television debut with the program, Ring of Honor Wrestling, and Danielson made his television debut in the main event of its third episode by defeating Austin Aries.^[57] The following episode to feature Danielson had him wrestle Tyler Black, which ended in a draw. This was the start of a rivalry between the two that was highlighted by Danielson's respect for Tyler, even claiming Black would be the top star in the future, with Danielson's antithesis being that would not happen for a while, leading to the two have many more matches that kept the notion of neither man truly being better.^[58] At this point, as well, Danielson became more involved in trying to win the ROH World Tag Team title, so, out of respect to his rival, had chosen Black to be his partner.^[59] The two attempted to win the title multiple times, leading to a conflict, dismantling the partnership.^[60]

On August 23, it was announced Danielson signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment; prior to joining the company, he embarked on a farewell tour with ROH known as The Final Countdown Tour, which saw him challenge Aries for the title again in a losing effort.^[61] On September 26 at Glory by Honor VIII: The Final Countdown, he won his last match in the company against Nigel McGuinness, who was also having his final match with the company.^[62]

Independent promotions (2003–2009)[link]

Aside from competing primarily in ROH, Danielson has also competed in a multitude of other independent promotions, both in the United States and abroad. In 2003, Danielson also toured the United Kingdom for British promotion, All Star Wrestling. While he was in the UK, Danielson won the World Heavy Middleweight Championship on May 6 in an 8 Man One Night Tournament in Croydon defeating James Mason. He spent the next 6 months in the UK, working for ASW, FWA, WAW and Premier Promotions.^[4] He returned several times over the next 5 years, working for various promotions. In February 2005, at New Dawn Rising, Danielson made his debut in ROH's sister promotion, Full Impact Pro (FIP), teaming up with Rocky Romero in a match against Austin Aries and Homicide.^[63] The next night at Dangerous Intentions Danielson competed in a losing effort against CM Punk,^[64] which led to a brief feud between the two.^[65] Danielson's biggest success came in 2006 by winning the FIP World Heavyweight Championship,^[66] holding the belt for eleven months before losing it to Roderick Strong.^[4] Danielson wrestled his last match for FIP in December 2006 at Florida Rumble, in a losing effort to Erick Stevens.^[67]

Danielson competed in PWG's annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament in 2008, losing in the semi final to Chris Hero.

Danielson has also wrestled in the California-based promotion, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG). He made his debut in November 2003 at An Inch Longer Than Average, in a losing effort to PWG Champion Frankie Kazarian.^[68] He continued to appear in PWG over the next couple of years, winning the PWG World Championship in 2007, and holding it for six months before taking an eleven-month hiatus from the company. He made his return to PWG at the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles tournament. In May 2009, he made another appearance teaming with Paul London, referring to himself as American Dolphin in a parodied manner.^[69] On September 4, 2009, at Guerre Sans Frontières, during his last night in PWG, Danielson defeated Chris Hero to win the PWG World Championship for the second time and immediately vacated it afterward.^[11]

Following his return from his injury in 2007, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) published a video of Danielson stating his intent to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, as the establishment that sanctioned the title at the time, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, was relinquishing the title back to the NWA.^[70] A tournament, titled Reclaiming the Glory, was held to determine the new champion with Danielson making his way to finals, scheduled to compete face Brent Albright on September 1, but due to the eye injury he sustained at Manhattan Mayhem,^[71] the NWA announced he withdrew from the tournament with and Adam Pearce replacing him; Danielson was appointed the referee of the match.^[1]

In 2009, Danielson's contract with Ring of Honor expired;^[5] this opened up Danielson to travel to other companies more freely while competing in his home promotion. He made his debut with Philadelphia-based promotion, Chikara to compete in their King of Trios tournament, which saw him team with Claudio Castagnoli and Dave Taylor in a contingency called Team Uppercut.^[72] In the same year, it was announced Danielson would compete in Dragon Gate USA in their second show, which saw him lose to Open the Dream Gate Champion Naruki Doi.^[73]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2009–2010)[link]

Bryan at a Raw house show in 2010.

On August 23, 2009, ROH announced that Danielson had signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).^[74] Danielson made his debut as a WWE contracted wrestler on January 4, 2010, in a dark match prior to Raw, defeating Chavo Guerrero.^[75] Later that week it was reported that Danielson had requested to go to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), the WWE developmental territory, to acclimate himself to his new work environment and work what he saw as "ring rust".^[76] He made his debut at the FCW television tapings on January 14, where he was defeated by Kaval.^[1] At the February 11 tapings, Danielson was renamed Daniel Bryan.^[2] He later indicated that he was given a list of ten possible names to use in the WWE and "Daniel Bryan" was one of them, while "Bryan Danielson" was not on that list.^[77]

On February 16, it was announced that he would be wrestling on the first season of the WWE NXT show, using the name Daniel Bryan, with The Miz as his storyline mentor.^[78] He made his debut on the inaugural episode of NXT on February 23, losing by submission to the World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho. After the match, Bryan was attacked by The Miz for disrespecting him earlier in the show.^[79] Over the next several weeks, Bryan failed to win a single match, but despite having a win-loss record of 0–5, he was ranked first in the inaugural Pros' Poll on the March 30 episode of NXT.^[80][81] After losing five more matches on NXT, Bryan earned his first victory on the May 10 episode of Raw by pinning Santino Marella in an eight-on-four handicap match.^[82] The following night on NXT, he was eliminated from the show, along with Michael Tarver, as neither man had confidence in themselves to win the competition.^[83] Later that night, in an interview, Danielson said that the elimination might be the end of Daniel Bryan, but that Bryan Danielson will be fine.^[84] Despite his elimination, he appeared on the following episodes of NXT, being interviewed by Matt Striker and attacking both Michael Cole, who had constantly belittled him on commentary, and The Miz.^[85][86]

On the May 31 episode of Raw, Bryan defeated The Miz in a singles match, and after the match, he threw The Miz into Cole, who was commentating at ringside.^[87] The following week on Raw, the season one NXT rookies interfered in the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk, attacking both competitors, the announce team, and the ring announcer Justin Roberts, before dismantling the ring area and surrounding equipment, turning Bryan and the other rookies heel in the process.^[88] On June 11, 2010, WWE announced that Danielson was fired from WWE.^[17] It was reported by the Wrestling Observer that Bryan was released as WWE felt that Bryan's act of strangling ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie during the segment on the June 7 episode of Raw was too violent for their TV-PG programming.^[89] Danielson noted that WWE apologized to him for his release, claiming that they "had sponsors they had to deal with".^[7] His release was put in a storyline, where the rest of the NXT rookies kicked him out of the group for showing remorse for his actions and declared that Bryan will never return to the WWE again.^[90]

Return to the independent circuit (2010)[link]

Danielson wrestled for EVOLVE after his release from the WWE in 2010.

After being released, Danielson received several offers to sign with other wrestling companies, being contacted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, albeit indirectly, and some Japanese promotions.^[7] Two weeks after his departure from WWE, Danielson made his return to the independent circuit on June 26, 2010, defeating Eddie Kingston at the Chikara event We Must Eat Michigan's Brain in Taylor, Michigan.^[91] Rather than receiving streamers, the fans instead threw neck ties in light of the Justin Roberts incident in WWE.^[92] The following day at Chikara's Faded Scars and Lines Danielson defeated Young Lions Cup holder Tim Donst in a non–title match.^[93] On July 3 Danielson returned to westside Xtreme wrestling, defeating Wade Fitzgerald and TJP in the round robin stage of the Ambition 1 tournament.^[94] The following day he defeated Tommy End, TJP in a rematch and finally Johnny Moss in the finals of the tournament to win Ambition 1.^[95] On July 17, Danielson debuted in the International Wrestling Association (IWA), being booked to defeat Q.T. Marshall for the IWA Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship.^[96] On July 23 Danielson debuted in the fledgling Evolve promotion, which was originally conceived to be built around Danielson as their top star before he signed to WWE.^[97] In the main event, he defeated Bobby Fish,^[98] while Danielson continued on undefeated the following day by returning to Dragon Gate USA, and submitted Shingo in the dark match main event Return of the Dragon.^[99] After the match Danielson joined BxB Hulk, Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi and PAC as the fifth member of the stable World–1.^[99] On July 30 Danielson returned to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, competing in a match where he defeated Roderick Strong.^[100] On August 7 Danielson unsuccessfully challenged Adam Pearce for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at the NWA Legends Fanfest.^[101]

Danielson wrestling against Bobby Fish for his first ever match in EVOLVE in its main event.

Despite returning to WWE on August 15, Danielson honored most of his independent bookings, making his first appearance on August 20 and defeating Jon Moxley at Heartland Wrestling Association's Road to Destiny.^[102] The following day he was defeated by Drake Younger at Insanity Pro Wrestling's Ninth Anniversary Reign of the Insane.^[103] The day after that Danielson defeated J Freddie at a Squared Circle Wrestling event.^[104] On September 10 he returned to the IWA, using the name Daniel Bryan, and lost the IWA Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship to Dennis Rivera.^[105] The following day Danielson returned to Evolve, defeating Munenori Sawa in the main event.^[106] Later that same night Danielson wrestled for New York Wrestling Connection in a tag team match, where he and Tony Nese defeated Dimitrios Papadon and Alex Reynolds.^[107] On September 25 Danielson returned to Dragon Gate USA and defeated YAMATO in the main event of the evening.^[108] The following day Danielson defeated Jon Moxley.^[109] On October 1 Danielson wrestled the last of his independent matches by defeating Shelton Benjamin at a Northeast Wrestling event.^[110]

Return to WWE[link]

United States Champion (2010–2011)[link]

Bryan (right) wrestling his former NXT mentor, The Miz.

On August 15, 2010, Danielson returned to WWE as Daniel Bryan at the SummerSlam pay-per-view, where he was revealed as the surprise seventh member of Team WWE for the seven-on-seven elimination tag team match against The Nexus, the other NXT season one competitors. At the event, Bryan was one of the two final members of Team WWE, and managed to eliminate two members of the Nexus, but was eliminated by Wade Barrett after his former pro The Miz, whose place he took in Team WWE, attacked him. Despite this, Team WWE won the match.^[18][111] The following night, he was revealed as part of the Raw roster. He feuded with the Miz, with both interfering in each other's matches, and The Miz being aided by Alex Riley, his rookie from the second season of NXT.^[112] At Night of Champions, Bryan defeated The Miz to win the WWE United States Championship, his first championship in WWE.^[19][113]

He then successfully defended the championship two weeks later, by defeating The Miz and John Morrison in a triple threat submissions count anywhere match at Hell in a Cell, and successfully defended it against Ted DiBiase at Survivor Series.^[114][115] On the November 30 episode of NXT, it was announced that Bryan was returning to the show as the Pro to NXT Rookie Derrick Bateman on season four.^[116][117] In late 2010, The Bella Twins began competing for Bryan's affection, leading to them supporting him at ringside and competing in mixed tag team matches together. On the January 24, 2011 episode of Raw, it was revealed that Bryan had been secretly dating Gail Kim, who began accompanying him to ringside.^[118][119] On the March 14 episode of Raw, Bryan lost the United States Championship to Sheamus.^[120] Bryan was originally scheduled to have his rematch against Sheamus for the United States Championship on the main card at WrestleMania XXVII, but the match was rescheduled as a preshow dark match; a lumberjack match that ended in a no contest when the lumberjacks fought among themselves to trigger the start of a battle royal.^[121] Bryan lost his title rematch the next night on Raw, after which he was saved from Sheamus by the debuting Sin Cara.^[122]

World Heavyweight Champion (2011–present)[link]

On April 26, Bryan was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft.^[123] Bryan debuted for the SmackDown brand on the May 6 episode, when he lost to Sheamus.^[124] Cody Rhodes then started a feud with Bryan by attacking him after losing their match and placing a paper bag on his head. Bryan then aligned with Sin Cara to feud with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase .^[125][126] On June 28, Bryan returned to NXT to manage Derrick Bateman once again.^[127]

Bryan as World Heavyweight Champion alongside on-screen girlfriend AJ.

On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Bryan won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match which earned him a World Heavyweight Championship at any point within the following year.^[20] On the July 22 episode of SmackDown, Bryan declared he would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania XXVIII.^[128] After several months of losing matches, Bryan began a feud with World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. On November 4, Henry challenged Bryan to a non-title match to prove Bryan could not become champion. During the match, Big Show knocked out Henry, making him win by disqualification. Big Show, as a friend of Bryan, then urged a groggy Bryan to cash in his championship match but Henry recovered and attacked both Bryan and Big Show before the match could start.^[129] After losing a rematch, Bryan suffered attacks from Henry the following two weeks.^[130][131] On November 25, Henry was knocked out again by Big Show at which point Bryan cashed in his briefcase for a title match and quickly pinned Henry. However, SmackDown authority figure Teddy Long revealed that Henry was not medically cleared to compete and voided the match, so Henry remained champion and the briefcase was returned to Bryan.^[132] Bryan later admitted he betrayed his principles by not waiting for WrestleMania, but explained he felt strongly about exacting revenge on Henry and realised he may not make it to WrestleMania due to Henry's continued attacks.^[133][134] Regardless of his briefcase, Bryan won a four-way match on the same episode of SmackDown to become the contender for Henry's championship.^[135] On the live November 29 SmackDown, Henry managed to pin Bryan to retain his title in a steel cage match.^[136] Also in November, Bryan started being involved in a romantic storyline with AJ.^[137][138]

Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on December 18 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs against Big Show, who had just defeated Henry and subsequently received a DDT onto a steel chair, which allowed Bryan to secure a pinfall victory and become the World Heavyweight Champion.^[21][22] In the following weeks, tension was teased between Bryan and Big Show, with Big Show unhappy about Bryan taking the world championship from him, and Bryan being displeased about Big Show's lack of appreciation for Bryan's help in matches against Henry.^[139] As World Champion, Bryan began a slow heel turn as he gradually showed signs of overconfidence and arrogance,^[140] with Bryan began partaking in excessive victory celebrations even when he won his matches by disqualification or count-out.^[141] Also, despite AJ's declaration of love for Bryan,^[142] Bryan avoided saying that he loved her in return.^[143]

In January 2012, Bryan successfully defended his title thrice; the first occasion against Big Show when Bryan goaded Mark Henry into attacking him and causing a disqualification; the second occasion a No Disqualification rematch with Show which ended abruptly after Show accidentally ran into AJ, hospitalising her within the storyline for which Bryan blamed him; the third occasion against Henry in a Lumberjack match when Bryan provoked the lumberjacks to interfere and cause a no contest.^{[144][145][146]} This culminated in a Triple Threat Steel Cage match to exclude outside interference; at the 2012 Royal Rumble event, Bryan escaped the cage after freeing himself from Big Show's grasp to retain his championship.^[147]

The kiss with AJ that cost Bryan his World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII in 18 seconds.

At Elimination Chamber, Bryan defeated Big Show, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali and Santino Marella to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Sheamus attacked Bryan and chose him as his WrestleMania opponent for the World Heavyweight Championship.^[148] In March, Bryan began to mistreat AJ, publicly demanding her to shut up and claiming that she always got in his way.^[149] Despite these actions, AJ continued to stand by Bryan.^[150] Bryan's reign as world champion ended when Sheamus defeated him in eighteen seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII due to Bryan being distracted with receiving a good luck kiss from AJ.^[151] On the next episode of SmackDown, Bryan blamed AJ for his world title loss and ended their relationship.^[152] Despite AJ's attempts to mend their relationship, Bryan cruelly rebuffed her multiple times, leaving AJ an emotional wreck.^[153] At Extreme Rules, Bryan failed to regain the World Heavyweight Championship from Sheamus in a 2-Out-of-3 Falls match, losing two falls to one.^[154]

The following night on Raw, Bryan became the #1 contender to CM Punk's WWE Championship when he won the Beat The Clock challenge by defeating Jerry "The King" Lawler in under 3 minutes.^[155] Bryan received his title shot at Over the Limit; he suffered a controversial loss when Bryan rolled back onto his shoulders as he applied the "Yes!" Lock on Punk, Punk tapped out immediately after the referee counted a pinfall win for Punk.^[156]

Gimmick[link]

Danielson has spent the majority of his career without an overt character in favor of becoming popular with the fans through his monikers, signature mannerisms, and wrestling ability. His attire has varied, as well, with the majority of his tenure wearing a pair of short trunks,^[157] but also ventured into wearing a mask for a time in Japan as an extension of his "American Dragon" persona.^[27]

A notable part of Danielson's persona are his mannerisms and the reaction he inspires from the crowd during the course of his matches that include:

• During his time in Ring of Honor Danielson made his way to the ring to his entrance song, "The Final Countdown"; once in the ring, he stood on the top turnbuckle and sang the refrain along with the fans in attendance.^[158]
• After winning the ROH World Championship, Danielson displayed traits of a heel-like persona, starting to behave more aggressively and threatening to the fans, as well as taking more liberties with the rules. Despite his rulebreaking character, he still retained a certain level of popularity with the fans, as well as his upholding of the company's Code of Honor, ROH's storyline rules of wrestler conduct, allowing him to perform as a more neutral character.^[159]
• Applying a submission hold while the opponent gets a part of their body in the ring ropes, leading to the referee counting to five (not releasing the hold by the count of five would result in a disqualification); as the referee would be about to disqualify Danielson, the latter would release the hold, instructing the referee: "I have till five!"^[160]
• During his initial reign as ROH World Champion, telling the ring announcer to add an extra note about him appertaining to the current circumstances around his match; this was generally insulting the crowd or his opponent.^[161]
• At the beginning of Danielson's ROH matches the crowd chanted, "You're gonna get your fucking head kicked in!" at Danielson's opponent.^[162]
• After winning WWE's World Heavyweight Championship Bryan began shouting "Yes!" repeatedly on his way to the ring and after defeating an opponent. Danielson credits UFC fighter Diego Sanchez with the inspiration.^[163][164] This chant grew in popularity, particularly due to the backlash of fans voicing their discontent at how short Bryan's WrestleMania XXVIII match was,^[165] and has been even heard outside WWE events, at Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association games,^{[165][164][166]} and even at music concerts.^[167]
• Danielson, who is a vegan in his day-to-day life, has incorporated his vegan lifestyle into his heel persona to elicit heat from the crowd.^[168]

Personal life[link]

Danielson has cited a number of wrestlers as influences to his style: Toshiaki Kawada, Mitsuharu Misawa, and William Regal.^[169] He has also made mention of modeling his wrestling off of the work of Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit in his early career, then using Jujutsu as a platform to develop his own style.^[170] In 2009, Danielson relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has began training in mixed martial arts at Randy Couture's Xtreme Couture gym;^[5][7] also, Xtreme Couture's head grappling trainer, Neil Melanson, is Danielson's roommate.^[7]

During his time as World Champion, ROH appointed Danielson the head trainer of the ROH Wrestling Academy, replacing Austin Aries.^[171] He relinquished the position to Delirious in 2007.^[172]

Danielson became a vegan in 2009, after getting several liver infections.^[173][174] In 2012, Danielson was awarded a Libby Award from PETA for being the "Most Animal-Friendly Athlete".^[175] In honor of Danielson, Mayor Micah Cawley of Yakima, Washington declared January 13 as “Daniel Bryan Day."^[176]

Danielson is a fan of indie rock music and recorded a single with Kimya Dawson that was a tribute to wrestling legend "Captain" Lou Albano.^[164]

Danielson is currently dating former WWE Diva Brie Bella since March 2012.^[177][178]

In wrestling[link]

Danielson performing the LeBell Lock on Ted DiBiase. Danielson applying the Cattle Mutilation on Chris Hero. Danielson performing a surfboard on T.J. Perkins. Danielson performing a surfboard on Christian. Danielson executing a roundhouse kick to the chest of Munenori Sawa.

• Finishing moves
  • As Daniel Bryan
    • Guillotine choke^[179][180] – 2011
    • "Yes!" Lock^[181][3] / LeBell Lock ^[182] (Omoplata crossface)^[183][184] – 2010–present
  • As Bryan Danielson
    • Bridging dragon suplex^[1]
    • Cattle Mutilation^[1][185] (Bridging double chickenwing)^[9]
    • Crossface chickenwing, sometimes with bodyscissors^[186]
    • Double wrist-clutch to a grounded opponent followed by repeated stomps to the opponent's chest, face, and head^[187]
    • LeBell Lock (Omoplata crossface)^[188]
    • Regal-Plex (Bridging leg hook belly to back suplex) – adopted from his trainer William Regal^[185]
    • Repeated elbow strikes to the side of the opponent's head while holding the opponent in a crucifix position^[9][44]
    • Small package^[9]
    • Triangle choke,^[9] sometimes followed by repeated elbow strikes to the top of the opponent's head^[186]

• Signature moves
  • Airplane spin^[1]
  • Ankle lock^[189]
  • Backflip off the top rope over a standing opponent^[190][191]
  • Corner elbow smash^[192]
  • Discus elbow smash^[1]
  • Diving headbutt^[1]
  • Dragon screw^[193]
  • European uppercut^[194][195]
  • Flying forearm smash^[196]
  • Heel hook^[79]
  • Indian deathlock^[1]
  • Jumping high knee from the apron to an opponent outside the ring^[182][197]
  • Multiple kick variations
    • Corner drop^[194]
    • Front missile drop^[194]
    • Repeated shoot to a kneeling opponent's chest followed by a roundhouse to the opponent's head^[197][198]
    • Roundhouse^[199]
    • Running big boot^[1]
  • Multiple suplex variations^[9]
    • Belly to back,^[1] sometimes from the top rope^[1][185]
    • Belly to belly^[186]
    • Cravate^[200]
    • Danielson Special (Double underhook floated over into a crucifix armbar)^[195]
    • German^[186]
    • Northern Lights^[1]
    • Snap underhook^[186][1]
    • Super^[186]
    • Tiger^[186]
  • Rolling fireman's carry slam^[1]
  • Running leg lariat^[194]
  • Sleeper hold^[189][197]
  • Springboard suicide senton^[9]
  • Suicide dive^[196]
  • Surfboard,^[186][194] sometimes while applying a dragon sleeper^[201]

• Managers
  • Dave Prazak^[202]
  • The Miz^[203]
  • The Bella Twins^[204]
  • Gail Kim^[119]
  • AJ^[205]

• Nicknames
  • "The American Dragon"^[1]
  • "The American Dolphin"^[69]
  • "The Best Wrestler in the World"^[1][206]
  • "The Dagger"^[1]
  • "The Master of the Small Package"^[1]
  • "Mr. Money in the Bank"^[128]
  • "The Submission Specialist"
  • "D Bryan"^[207]

• Entrance themes
  • Independent circuit
    • "Self Esteem" by The Offspring^[208]
    • "Obsession" by Animotion^[202]
    • "The Final Countdown" by Europe^[158]
  • World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
    • "The Rage" by Hermann Langschwert and Wolfgang Killian^[209] (August 15, 2010 – September 13, 2010)
    • "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner^[210] (September 20, 2010 – July 29, 2011)
    • "Freefall" by Two Steps From Hell^[211] (August 5, 2011)
    • "Big Epic Thing" by Jim Johnston^[212] (August 12, 2011 – November 4, 2011)
    • "Flight of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner and Jim Johnston^[213] (November 11, 2011–present)

Wrestlers trained by Danielson[link]

• Alex Payne^[205]
• Andrew Patterson^[205]
• Bobby Quance^[205]
• Cheerleader Melissa^[205]
• Coone^[205]
• Dan Marshall^[205]
• Ernie Osiris^[205]
• Farmer Joe^[205]
• Kafu^[205]
• Reno^[205]
• Robbie Ryder^[205]
• Ryan Drago^[205]
• Sara Del Rey^[205]
• Zodiac^[205]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Bryan as the World Heavyweight Champion in WWE.

Danielson as ROH World Champion in 2006.

Bryan as the United States Champion in 2010.

• All Pro Wrestling
  • APW Worldwide Internet Championship (1 time)^[214]
  • King of the Indies (2001)^[9][215]

• All Star Wrestling
  • ASW World Heavy Middleweight Championship (1 time)^[4]

• East Coast Wrestling Association
  • ECWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Low Ki^[216]

• Evolve
  • Match of the Year (2010) vs. Munenori Sawa on September 11^[217]

• Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[218]

• Full Impact Pro
  • FIP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[9]

• International Wrestling Association
  • IWA Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[96]

• Memphis Championship Wrestling
  • MCW Southern Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[4]
  • MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Spanky^[4]

• NWA Mid-South
  • NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[219]

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[9] – with Curry Man^[4]
  • Best of the American Super Juniors (2004)^[220]

• Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
  • PWG World Championship (2 times)^[9][221]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #13 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008^[222]
  • PWI ranked him #15 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011^[223]

• Pro Wrestling Noah
  • GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[9][185]

• Pro Wrestling Report
  • Independent Wrestler of the Year (2006)^[224]

• Ring of Honor
  • ROH Pure Championship (1 time)^[43]
  • ROH World Championship (1 time)^[34]
  • Survival of the Fittest (2004)^[4][9]

• Texas Wrestling Alliance
  • TWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Spanky^[4]

• westside Xtreme wrestling
  • wXw World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[225]
  • Ambition 1 (2010)^[95]

• World Series Wrestling
  • WSW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[226]

• World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
  • World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[22]
  • WWE United States Championship (1 time)^[19]
  • Money in the Bank (SmackDown 2011)^[20]
  • Slammy Award for Cole in Your Stocking (2010) – attacking Michael Cole on NXT^[227]
  • Slammy Award for Shocker of the Year (2010) – the debut of The Nexus^[227]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter^[228]
  • Best Technical Wrestler (2005–2011)^{[9][229][230][231]}
  • Match of the Year (2007)^[9] vs. Takeshi Morishima on August 25
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler (2006–2010)^{[9][229][230]}
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)^[232]

References[link]