Returning WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan never lost the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the former title-holder said he wants a match with Brock Lesnar and that it's his "dream" to have "The Beard" face "The Beast" at WrestleMania 31 in March.

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Bryan won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX last April in New Orleans after he defeated Triple H and then went on to top Randy Orton and Batista in a Triple Threat Match.

Following the huge win, Bryan had to undergo surgery in mid-May on his neck and subsequently lost feeling in his right arm after the procedure.

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It was uncertain if Bryan would be back, but he announced recently that he is entering the 30-man Rumble Match later this month and the WWE Superstar told the Times-Picayune he has aspirations of getting back to the main event at the "Show of Shows" as he promoted next week's RAW from New Orleans.

"Brock Lesnar is also supposed to be on [Monday's RAW] and to me, that's still my championship. My dream match for WrestleMania this year is if Brock Lesnar keeps the title and I win the Royal Rumble, and I wrestle Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 31 for the WWE Championship. That's the match I want. That's the match that I've been thinking about this entire time that I've been injured."

When Bryan was on the shelf, it took months before he found out whether or not he would need a second operation and he discussed his road to recovery with the publication.

"It was very frustrating," Bryan said. "There were times when I actually did doubt whether I'd be able to come back. ... There were several doctors who said as much. They thought that I wouldn't be able to come back."

He continued: "It was like, 'Wow. I'm actually getting better.' At the beginning of December, some parts of my right arm were even stronger than my left, which is pretty incredible given how long the nerve had been damaged."

Bryan announced on the final RAW of 2014 that he will in fact be returning for the 30-man over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 25 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Bryan, Roman Reigns and WWE United States Champion Rusev are the only three participants announced for the event so the WWE is set to unveil 27 more entrants.

There are rumors that the WWE has gone back and forth on whether or not to give the win to Reigns or Bryan in the Rumble Match while there has also been speculation that Triple H held a meeting with the talent and said there was no decision made going forward.

Regardless of what the WWE does with Bryan for WrestleMania, the former champion is just happy to be back and functioning.

"Functionally, I feel great," Bryan said. "My movement is great. Overall, I feel good. I didn't have any hesitation [in the ring], there was nothing that I did before that I can't do now. Not only that, mentally I've been recharged. I'm going to be better than ever."

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