Is Daniel Bryan Being Overlooked for WrestleMania by WWE's Creative Team?

Who Daniel Bryan ends up kicking in the chest at WrestleMania is clearly not a priority for WWE Creative.

The beloved star is an afterthought heading into the biggest show of the year. All the spots on the marquee are filling up, and Bryan's name isn't on it.

He will definitely be a part of WrestleMania but not a major component of the show.

Uncertainty surrounds the WWE Superstar many wished would win the Royal Rumble and play David to Brock Lesnar's Goliath, as that's clearly not happening. And while Bray Wyatt, Rusev and Triple H have huge marquee bouts lined up for them, Bryan's potential paths to WrestleMania aren't nearly as high-profile.

A trio of options await him. Not one of them is truly going to satiate the most vocal, ardent members of his fanbase.

For one, he may face a returning Sheamus. There's a long WrestleMania-specific history between these two, and as Grantland's David Shoemaker (a.k.a. The Masked Man) writes, "Bryan-Sheamus has been rumored for so long that it's almost an in-joke among wrestling fans." 

Josh Isenberg and Justin LaBar of Chair Shot Reality believe that bout has potential, citing how much heel heat Sheamus would get in that scenario:

WWE has made no movement in that direction yet, though. Sheamus' return has been promoted via vignette, but it hasn't happened.

The longer that takes to unfold, the less time WWE would have to hype up that match. That points to it being treated as more of a midcard appetizer than an entree like Sting vs. Triple H or Roman Reigns vs. Lesnar.

The second option for Bryan is less appealing. He could find himself tossed into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.  

As Bleacher Report's own Big Nasty notes, fans won't view Bryan being in this bout as a worthy consolation prize: 

Putting him in that match has "we just didn't know what to do with Bryan" written all over it. The Battle Royal is a place for the wrestlers left over when all the card-shuffling is over. It's not a fitting home for a star as popular as Bryan.

If he wins, it will garner a lackluster response. If he loses, there is bound to be some angry booing in the arena that night.

But fans can hold out hope that a show-stealing match is his most likely scenario at the premier pay-pay-view. Ladders and lacerations are in his future.

Bad News Barrett is set to defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder match against several currently unnamed opponents.

Like Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and R-Truth have reason to believe they deserve a place in that title bout. They each own non-title wins over Barrett. 

If WWE goes this route, there are positives and negatives to take away from the decision. 

On the plus side, Bryan's addition to that match will make it an electric encounter. With him zipping around the ring against the likes of Barrett, Ambrose and Ziggler, it promises to be mighty fun.

And making the leader of the Yes! Movement the IC champ would most certainly add prestige to that title. 

Still, adding him to that fray would feel like something WWE cooked up at the last minute. While the company planted the seeds for Triple H vs. Sting as early as Survivor Series and Wyatt has clearly been gunning for The Deadman for weeks, Bryan would be tossed onto the same stage as R-Truth.

When Bryan's fans booed Reigns at the Royal Rumble and demanded a change, that can't be what they had in mind.

A guy such as Kofi Kingston, with no clear path to the WrestleMania spotlight ahead of him, has to be jealous of the possibilities that lie ahead for Bryan. However, none of the aforementioned scenarios treats Bryan like the megastar that he is.

All three possibilities scream midcard. 

The level of letdown Bryan's fans will have come March 29 will depend on their level of optimism. For the "main event or bust" portion of the crowd, chasing the IC crown or tackling The Celtic Warrior won't be good enough.

Those clashes could be thrilling if the audience gives them a chance, though.

WWE Creative waited too long to fit Bryan into the WrestleMania picture, and officials haven't treated him as if he sits on the company's top tier. Overlooked or not, though, Bryan delivers regardless of his placement on the card.

Excellence is promised, just not top billing.