Match of the Day - The American Dragon tours FMW w/ Lance Cade in 1999

American Dragon & Lance Cade vs. Hisakatsu Oya & Yoshinori Sasaki - FMW (1999)

Two rookies from Texas Wrestling Academy taking a tour of Japan in 1999.

Here's a rare match, it's American Dragon, mask and all, along with his tag team partner also from the states, Lance Cade taking on Frontier Wrestling Alliance's Hisakatsu Oya and Yoshinori Sasaki. It's a bit slow, but it pays off once you realize that that guy in the silly dragon mask is now over as rover in WWE currently. Damn right, that's because that kid in the red, white, and blue costume is Daniel Bryan, the Goatface Killah of WWE.

Unfortunately Lance Cade, who did happen to move onto WWE and become a three-time World Tag Team Champion, passed away in 2010 due to heart failure.

Fun Fact #654: In 2012 Daniel Bryan was awarded the "Most Animal-Friendly Athlete" award, and was honored in his town as they announced that January 13th would be renamed, "Daniel Bryan Day". Yesterday was definitely Daniel Bryan Day!

Match of the Debut - Bryan Danielson becomes Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan vs. The World Heavyweight champion Chris Jericho - NXT debut show (2010)

In good fashion like the other Mondays following a new champion crowning, here is Daniel Bryan's debut match in WWE.

Despite Bryan being no stranger to the WWE ring as seen just last month in the callback to the Danielson/Cena match on Velocity in 2003, this was Bryan's first match on WWE not only after becoming an indie sensation but also as "Daniel Bryan", the NXT contestant and rookie. He wouldn't be a rookie very long though, that's for sure.

This match was also the first main event on the very first NXT episode. Double debut.

Also, check out that bump Bryan takes on the side of the announce table after Jericho "catches" him in mid-air after the suicide dive.

Match of the Day - John Cena versus the American Dragon ten years earlier...

John Cena vs. Bryan Danielson - Velocity (2003)

From wrestling on velocity in 2003 to main eventing Summerslam in 2013 for the World title, here's where it all started. Kinda. It's John Cena taking on the beardless Bryan Danielson (now known as the "YES!" man, Daniel Bryan).

I sure hope Cena brought those banana pants with him!