How A Random Kane & Daniel Bryan Tag Team Became One Of WWE's Best
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Kane and Daniel Bryan have had respectable solo careers as both were multi-time world champions. For instance, Kane's legacy regarding his longevity in the ring is one of the biggest reasons he got revered as a respected legend in the game. Someone who made his debut in the mid-90s and wrestled in many different generations of WWE, Kane has had no problem adjusting himself to whatever era he finds himself in. It also includes the early 2010s of WWE, where Kane brought back his masked attire and started mixing it up with wrestlers like John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, and Daniel Bryan. And speaking of Daniel Bryan, as Kane and Daniel Bryan have squared off against each other around this time, they've also successfully formed a random tag team that has accomplished beyond expectations.
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Events Leading Up To Animosity
From the very start of 2012, Kane and Daniel Bryan were among the top heels in the company. Kane had recently revived his masked attire after almost a decade of showing face and immediately was pushed as one of the featured veteran superstars on Raw and Smackdown. In the Summer of that year, Kane had his sights set on CM Punk's WWE Championship, much like Daniel Bryan had.
Daniel Bryan himself not only had his sights on the WWE Championship but also had issues with CM Punk that revolved around his ex-girlfriend, AJ Lee. With Kane simultaneously getting involved with the WWE Championship while AJ Lee was lusting after him, Daniel Bryan's feud with CM Punk later evolved into a personal grudge against Kane over AJ Lee's interest in him.
Animosity Becomes More Personal
After both men failed to win the WWE Championship from CM Punk, including a WWE Championship triple-threat match at No Way Out 2012, Daniel Bryan and Kane had their eyes set on each other. With AJ Lee becoming General Manager of Raw in the Fall of 2012, she decided to book a match between Daniel Bryan and Kane at the Summerslam 2012 PPV to get back at her ex-boyfriend.
Daniel Bryan managed to defeat Kane in that very match. After that, the animosity between Daniel Bryan and Kane became increasingly hostile towards each other. It's worth noting that Daniel Bryan had developed an angrier persona for his character, even months before feuding with Kane. Because of this, Daniel Bryan's anger towards Kane picked it up to another level. However, Kane is also known for being a hothead, as losing to Daniel Bryan made him angrier than before.
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Personal Feud Turns To Comedy Gold
With Kane and Daniel Bryan holding a grudge against one another, this personal feud eventually became a comedy bit for WWE. Considering that Kane and Daniel Bryan can be humorous in their own right, there's a reason why their grudge turned into a comedic bit as the feud progressed.
As Kane and Daniel Bryan can be comedic in certain situations, both men weren't that different from each other. It's why their random pairing as a tag team clicked naturally. They may appear different, but the similarities between Kane and Daniel Bryan shined through. And because they had a natural connection, their alliance continued for almost a year as they became one of the most prominent figures in WWE at that time.
As both men got forced to attend anger management courses with the wacky Dr. Shelby, this was a sign that Kane and Daniel Bryan would show fondness for each other, more of a love-hate relationship. They even had a hug-it-out moment on an episode of Raw in 2012, and despite it leading towards chaos, one would know Kane and Daniel Bryan's association was in it for the long run.
A Credible Dysfunctional Tag-Team
With the help of Dr. Shelby, Kane and Daniel Bryan eventually put aside their differences and became a tag team called Team Hell No, and they went on to compete in the tag-team division. And to their credit, their in-ring styles mixed well regarding Kane's powerhouse ability to Daniel Bryan's technical ability. From a realism standpoint, it'd make sense that both men would dominate the tag-team division due to Kane's physical prowess and Daniel Bryan's natural portrayal of technical abilities in the ring.
Even though both men continued to have a dysfunctional tag team, Kane and Daniel Bryan not only won the WWE Tag Team Championships at the Night of Champions 2012 PPV but held the belts for over half a year until dropping it to The Shield. They were not only a unit that made fans laugh with their antics, but when it was time to get in the ring, they were nothing but a serious team.
Looking Back At Team Hell No's Legacy
Kane and Daniel Bryan's random alliance eventually turned into arguably one of the best tag teams of the PG era in 2012 and 2013. Not just in a sense where they are a credible unit but provided entertainment every week. For instance, the anger management segments that Kane and Daniel Bryan had with Dr. Shelby were some of the most comedic angles on WWE TV during this time. That's because Kane and Daniel Bryan had natural personas that intertwined with one another. Some say that opposites attract, which is the appealing aspect of Team Hell No. Because of this, Kane and Daniel Bryan's alliance has established a legacy for years to come.
