A former WWE writer has shared what it was like working and writing for Bianca Belair in her first year on the main roster.

Belair has had remarkable success on the WWE main roster since her debut. She made her debut on Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania 36 on April 6, 2020, by saving the Street Profits. She would go on to have a great first year to the following year, winning the Royal Rumble on Jan. 31, 2021, and the Smackdown’s Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37 on April 10, 2021.

However, people behind the scenes in WWE had to push for Belair to become a star on the main roster. Former WWE writer Chris Dunn spoke with the Public Enemies Podcast about what it was like working with Belair in her first year.

Dunn worked with the company from 2016 to 2021. He shared that he wrote with The Street Profits closely in NXT and was brought up with them. From working with the Street Profits, he pushed to write for Belair.

“…The biggest thing that I’m most proud of is working with Bianca. That whole year it was such a wild thing, said Dunn. He continued…”I was really worried at the time because I think anybody that sees Bianca Belair that she’s unbelievable like it’s kind of undeniable. I think for whatever reason, we had a couple of writers on the team that weren’t around that long, who I think were having a negative impact on the women’s division and I’m also close to Tez, so I kind of campaigned to let me work with Bianca. So we started developing those Mr. Perfect vignettes and the goal was to get her to the main event of WrestleMania year one, because we needed new stars and it felt like that was legitimately possible.”

How Dunn Helped Get Bianca Belair over with Vince McMahon

The first significant accomplishment for Belair on the main roster was winning the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble Match. It helped push her to become a champion at WrestleMania 37 and make her one of WWE’s biggest stars. However, it took a creative push from Dunn and other writers to get McMahon on board with Belair.

Dunn spoke about getting to know Belair and praised her talents. He also shared how the Bayley and Belair obstacle course segment helped get Belair over with McMahon.

“…Vince loved the Lashley and Sami Zayn obstacle course. Loved it, and also we have the numbers to back it up. You’d be shocked stuff that wrestling Twitter hates, like arm wrestling contest, obstacle courses, things like that they rate well,” said Dunn. He went to Bayley’s writer, and they began to think of ideas for the obstacle to show off Belair’s ability.

“…I didn’t produce it or write it; I pitched it. I was around helping, like Jen Pepperman, who’s brilliant with the women’s division; she handled producing it.” He continued, “…Daniel Bryan and Adam Pierce jumped in and added elements to make it bigger. I forgot which one of them came up with the idea of lifting Otis, and then the other one doubled down of like, ‘Okay, you do Gable, but then you do Otis to build it.’ It really blew Vince away.”

The Original Winner of the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble

Despite the impressive showing during the obstacle course, McMahon wasn’t sold on making Belair a main event star at that time. As a backup plan for Belair, Dunn revealed he pitched an idea for her and Billie Kay to team together, with the idea that it would replicate The Rock and Sock Connection. However, the pitch went nowhere. Heading into the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble, McMahon didn’t have Belair winning the match.

“…I was in a Tampa hotel room, and we were watching some sort of football game, and they an assistant had just left the Royal Rumble night before meeting, and they changed the finish. Charlotte was going to go over, and they rehearsed Charlotte going over, and Bianca was going to get eliminated midway through the match, and it got changed to Bianca going over.”

Dunn continued, “…I think a lot of people voiced it, but like this guy Ryan Ward who’s been there for 14 years. He was Cena’s writer and probably for my money, I think has had the biggest hand in the women’s revolution. He was lead writer for golden days of NXT, when like Kevin and Sami, the four-horsewomen, all that stuff. From my understanding, from what I heard he kind of said to Vince something to the effect like ‘Vince, if you look at the Royal Rumble tomorrow, we have Edge winning and Charlotte winning. We’re not making any new stars.’ And I think that really resonated and like Bianca was on such a role where it kind of made sense and she also right after that match had to nail that post match promo and she did it and she was just awesome and great.”

Since the pivotal 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble win, Belair has succeeded in WWE. However, if people in WWE like Dunn did push for her creatively, it may not have happened the way it did.

Elsewhere in the interview, he also spoke about the infamous Lashley sister segment, backstage reaction to Kofi Kingston losing the WWE Championship, and more.

All Elite Wrestling star Bryan Danielson jokes that old age caused him to fall between the ring and ramp.

Danielson worried fans when he accidentally hurt himself during a post-match altercation at AEW Rampage on May 20 with the Jericho Appreciation Society. It took several minutes for AEW staff to help free his leg from between the ring and ramp.

Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like he will be out of action.

Wrestlerant’s Graham Matthews interviewed Danielson and asked for an update about his injury.

The AEW star joked that he’s getting clumsy as he gets older.

“…I laugh at myself because it was my birthday yesterday. I just turned 41, and I’m just like, I’m just this old man who falls into these cracks, and I can’t get out,” said Danielson.

He joked that he felt like he was Steve Urkel in that moment.

“My ankle and just below my knee are a little bit swollen. You know what I mean, but it’s interesting my life I like physical things.

Bryan Danielson on freak accident

“Right so even when I’m not wrestling, I like to do jiu-jitsu or kickboxing or hiking or whatever it is you know what I mean and so I’m kind of used to things being swollen.

“I’ll be at Dynamite on Wednesday and I’ll have to get the trainer to check on it, just to make sure everything’s okay.”

Will Bryan Danielson Compete at Double or Nothing?

Danielson hasn’t shared if trainers believe he should not compete at Double or Nothing on May. 29.

That interview was done before he said he would get a check-up from trainers at AEW Dynamite on May. 25.

AEW is still advertising that Danielson will team with his faction, the Blackpool Combat Club, alongside Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz to challenge The Jericho Appreciation Society this Sunday.

The company also announced that he would face Matt Sydal on a live episode of AEW Rampage on May 27.

The AEW star revealed that he laughed about it with Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley after the incident.

“…I was laughing afterward with Eddie Kingston and Mox. This would have never happened to me at 28. I would have been very aware of my surroundings, but this old clumsy man who slips in things,” said Danielson.

Danielson seems to be in good spirits and ready to compete. Hopefully, the swelling will subside before he clashes with the Jericho Appreciation Society at Double or Nothing.

WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston shared that he doubted that KofiMania would happen until his Wrestlemania 35 entrance.

CBS’s Shakiel Mahjouri interviewed Kingston ahead of the Royal Rumble on January 29. Kingston will compete in the Men’s Royal Rumble match to earn a title opportunity at Wrestlemania. During the interview, Mahjouri asked Kingston to reflect on his WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 35 on April 7, 2019. Kingston admitted that he was unsure until that day.

“…It really wasn’t until like I heard my music or rather like when the promotional package right before the match came on I was like oh my god,” said Kingston. He continued, “…I’m looking around making sure no one’s going to come up to me like ‘Oh well, we just changed the plans. Sorry, We are not going to go with you right now, and you know we’re going to do this. Brock Lesnar is going to come in the middle of the match, and you know what I mean, you just have no idea.” Kingston added that Mustafa Ali had a similar situation with Lesnar winning the Money in the Bank match on May 19, 2019.

Kingston also shared that he didn’t want to get his hopes up to be let down by WWE. Luckily for him, the company decided to have Kingston defeat Daniel Bryan to win the WWE Championship.

What’s Next for the New Day

The New Day faction of Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E is having a difficult time in the WWE. Woods suffered an injury, and the WWE hasn’t added him to the Men’s Royal Rumble. However, both Kingston and Big E will compete in the match, but it’s unclear if either will win. The former WWE Champion Big E hasn’t won a match since Monday Night Raw on December 6, 2021. Kingston has worked as a singles competitor against Madcap Moss for several weeks. It’s unclear what WWE has planned for The New Day heading into Wrestlemania this year.

Bryan Danielson, also known as Daniel Bryan from his time in WWE, and Adam Cole are now All Elite! 

It happened after the AEW All Out pay-per-view event headliner where Kenny Omega beat Christian Cage to retain the World Title. Post-match, Omega and The Elite beat down Cage and Lucha Express.

Cole super kicked Jungle Boy and hugged The Elite. Cole said The Elite is the most dominant faction in the business and there’s no chance in hell that anyone is going to stop them. This led to Danielson coming out to stand with the babyfaces. A brawl broke out with the babyfaces standing tall to end the show. 

Danielson was originally going to debut at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam in New York City on September 23rd. However, there had been a growing concern about the spread of COVID-19. A mask mandate was issued for fans at this upcoming event in addition to fans needing to show proof of vaccination.

Danielson finished up his WWE commitments when he was banished from SmackDown earlier this year. In July, it was reported the former WWE star had indeed signed with All Elite Wrestling. 

Cole became a free agent at the end of August after his short-term extension with WWE expired. He was last seen when he lost to Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 36. Cole opted not to sign a new deal. All Elite Wrestling appeared to be his likely landing spot. That turned out to be the case.

Bryan Danielson, better known to WWE fans as Daniel Bryan, is reportedly set to make his AEW debut at the upcoming All Out PPV from Chicago on September 5. The news comes from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, who was the first to report about the leader of the Yes Movement joining Tony Khan’s promotion.

Danielson was originally scheduled to debut on the September 22 episode of Dynamite from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City but the officials have changed their minds.

The plans were changed due to the growing internal concern over increasing COVID-19 cases in the country and the tightened restrictions around New York City.

The company is also looking to maximize the buzz around new developments on the heels of CM Punk’s recent AEW debut. It’s one of the reasons why they have pulled Bryan’s debut closer.

Bryan Danielson’s Road to AEW

The former world champion has asked for fewer dates and comparable money in his AEW contract. The ability to work in Japan and having creative input were his demands which the promotion has apparently agreed with.

Daniel Bryan has not been seen on TV since the April 30 episode of SmackDown. He lost a career vs. title match to Universal champion Roman Reigns as a way to write him off TV when his contract expired.

There is no word yet on what he will be doing at the upcoming PPV. Though one thing is confirmed that the former WWE star’s debut will make All Out one of the most memorable AEW shows till date.

• Daniel Bryan Sporting A New Look Amidst Hints He’s AEW Bound

Daniel Bryan is gearing up for his apparently imminent AEW debut by abandoning his traditional appearance and opting for a brand new look instead.

Brie Bella recently shared photos with the former world champion on Instagram. In the pictures as seen below, the leader of the yes movement is seen sporting a brand new hairstyle:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brie Bella (@thebriebella)

Daniel Bryan opted not to renew his contract with WWE when his last deal expired in April this year. He was written off TV after losing a career vs. title match to Roman Reigns during the April 30 episode of SmackDown.

Daniel Bryan To AEW?

While the former champion himself has been pretty quiet about his future plans since his WWE departure, multiple reports suggest that he is AEW bound already.

The wrestling promotion has also been dropping hints about his future. Daniel Bryan action figures were recently shown on an episode of Being The Elite

This week’s episode of Dynamite saw CM Punk teasing Daniel Bryan’s arrival during his promo. When showered with yes chants from the fans, the straight edge star said “That’s somebody else’s shtick and you might just need to be a little more patient,”

When the star known as Bryan Danielson outside the WWE realm may make his return to wrestling is anyone’s guess. Though the AEW teases have certainly excited fans about the prospect of many interesting future rivalries for the American dragon.

The latest episode of Being the Elite features teases of both Bray Wyatt and Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan. During the episode, members of the Elite discover a 2-pack of WWE action figures in a store. The two wrestlers featured in the pack are Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan.

“Hey Kenny, what’s behind you?” Matt Jackson and Brandon Cutler ask Kenny Omega in the video. When Omega turns around he sees several AEW action figures as well as a 2-pack of WWE action figures. He then pulled out the 2-pack of Wyatt and Danielson.

Omega recognized Wyatt but didn’t seem to know who the other guy in the pack was.

“One guy is a fiend, I don’t know about…” Omega says before putting his own action figure in front of the pack on the shelf.

The segment begins around the 20-minute mark of the below video:

Are Bray Wyatt and Bryan Danielson Headed To AEW?

During a recent AEW media call, SEScoops asked Cody Rhodes about the possibility of Bray Wyatt ended up in the promotion.

“I tell a lot of my peers in wrestling and people I use as a sounding board, I always tell them, ‘you can’t wish away good talent,’ especially when you get in a groove as a talent yourself,” Rhodes responded. “And it’s not unlike the world that Tony [Khan] comes from already, the world of the NFL and football in the UK. If there’s a free agent out there that can move the needle and be something significant for us… personally, I think you have to go after them.”

As for Bryan Danielson, a report from BodySlam last month stated that he has signed with AEW. The rumored date and location for Bryan’s debut is the Dynamite Grand Slam event from Arthur Ashes Stadium on September 22nd.

Malakai Black has weighed in on the possibility of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan joining AEW.

The wrestling world has been buzzing about reports and rumors of Punk and Bryan making their way to AEW television. Punk hasn’t been seen in a wrestling ring since 2014, while Bryan is fresh off his run on WWE TV.

Black, who is a recent AEW signee, appeared on Pro Wrestling 4 Life and told Sean Waltman that he doesn’t know if Punk truly is on his way to the promotion.

“Number one, I genuinely do not know if it’s true. I genuinely don’t. I haven’t heard anyone mention it. Obviously, there’s a buzz in the locker room. I think it’d be great. I think it really proves that the times have changed. I think it’d be a validation of how different everything is and how different the business is now. I don’t play the ‘us vs. them’ cards. I just don’t. I want everybody to be successful.”

Black then turned his attention to Bryan and said he’d love to see the former WWE Champion make the transition.

“I can see someone like Daniel pulling the trigger on that because he’s someone who has a great love for wrestling, and always wants to try different things and always has a different perspective on stuff. Sometimes, it’s just fun to think about the possibilities, and for me, obviously with my release, the possibilities became different. I can only imagine how his brain might work. I can only guess at it. I hope so. I can see him definitely showing up, but again, I don’t know.”

Would you like to see Malakai Black booked to face CM Punk or Daniel Bryan?

Bret Hart is revered as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, so a comparison to the Hitman is high praise. During a recent discussion with Wrestling Inc, former WWE wrestler Tucker say Daniel Bryan is the closest thing we have to a modern day Bret Hart.

“To me, Daniel Bryan is the modern day Bret Hart,” he began.”“He’s the man. He’s the best. Whether it comes to his mind and talking through how and why we’re going to do things or whether it comes to the execution of said thing in the ring, I don’t think you or me could point out somebody or defend somebody better than him at either of those two things.”

Both Hart and Bryan are known for their technical expertise, so the similarities are there. Tucker said not only was Daniel Bryan an incredible mat technician, he was also a locker room leader. Many younger WWE Superstars would turn to Bryan for advice in and out of the ring.

Tucker and former partner Otis would consult with Daniel Bryan on ways to improve their team, Heavy Machinery.

“What a glorious opportunity it was for us to be able to pick his brain a little bit and kind of see how he moved around the Heavy Machinery pieces. ‘What do you guys do?’ Having a discussion about the ethos, if you will, of Heavy Machinery and that might be able to play off of them in the large scale, in the big picture.”

He recalls Bryan helping them review the ins and outs of their presentation. Everything was considered, from their promos to their character development

“Just kind of seeing how [Bryan] operates, seeing what questions he’s asking what people and why he’s going about doing those things, at least for me, I was trying to take away as much of that kind of stuff as I possibly could from working with someone like that.”

Daniel Bryan will be a tremendous asset wherever he winds up, whether its AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling, back in WWE or elsewhere.

• Kenny Omega Comments On Wrestling CM Punk & Daniel Bryan In AEW.. Possibly

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and his impending debut for AEW have been ramping up over the past few weeks.

Several AEW stars alluded to the former WWE Superstar on this past week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, with Darby Allin essentially calling out the man who was known as the ‘Best In The World.’

Although Allin has since denied that his promo was aimed at CM Punk, the straight edge Superstar will be making his debut at an upcoming event, likely AEW Rampage in Chicago on August 13.

CM Punk Betting Odds

Bet Online recently released the following list of odds for Punk’s first AEW opponent, with Daniel Bryan and Darby Allin looking like the two most likely candidates:

• Darby Allin: +100
• Daniel Bryan: +200
• Christian Cage: +320
• Orange Cassidy: +600
• Matt Hardy: +700
• Chris Jericho: +800
• Cody Rhodes: +800
• Jungle Boy: +900
• Sting: +1000

Although Punk vs Daniel Bryan would be a big match for AEW, it is unlikely that his first match in the company would be against the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Darby Allin seems to be the safe bet for Punk as a first match when he finally debuts in All Elite. It’s unlikely that he will wrestle on the Rampage show itself on August 13, but he may well set up an ALL OUT match against the former TNT Champion for September 5.

Who do you think CM Punk will face in his first AEW match? Let us know in the comments

Chris Jericho’s book “The Complete List of Jericho” is available now and runs down every match Le Champion had in his first 30 years of wrestling. During an interview with Inside the Ropes, Jericho spoke about a match he had against Daniel Bryan in 2010 as rumors of Bryan heading to AEW shortly continue.

Jericho and Bryan have faced each other in singles action 3 times. The first took place in 2010 when Jericho was World Heavyweight Champion and Bryan was one of the rookies on the old format of NXT. Jericho spoke to Inside the Ropes about the match.

“I didn’t want to have that match. I just thought, ‘Why is the WWE Champion having a match against some guy that’s just coming in for NXT?’ I remember it was Undertaker that was like, ‘Go out there and show them why you’re the champion.”

The match ended with Jericho winning in just under 6 minutes.

“I don’t think I wrestled Daniel many more times, maybe two or three times, but none of them memorable. That one was the one that was memorable and who would have thought it at the time? But here we are, you know, ten years later and people still talk about it because it was such a monumental match and the first meeting between two guys that, you know, are still doing it pretty much at the top of our games ten years later.”

Jericho and Bryan have only wrestled two other singles matches, with Jericho winning both. The next match came 7 months later at a house show. Then in 2013, Jericho defeated Bryan in a singles match on RAW.

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have reached boiling point over the past few weeks.

Whilst the news of both Punk and Bryan negotiating with All Elite took fans by surprise, it also appears to have taken some of the wrestlers themselves have been contacting journalists to get more information on the situation.

Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport and formerly WrestleTalk confirmed that he had been contacted by wrestlers at All Elite wondering what exactly is going on with Punk and Bryan.

AEW stars on CM Punk and Bryan

“Despite knowing nothing about this before Sean broke the news last week, I had more than one AEW wrestle reach out to me last week to ask about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson coming in” Dangoor wrote on Twitter. “So it looks like it caught wrestlers by surprise too.”

Right now there is no official confirmation either way as to whether or not CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson will be heading to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan recently refused to comment on the situation, purely saying that the rumors are ‘exciting.’

Kenny Omega recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and during the discussion, he spoke about possibly wrestling CM Punk and/or Bryan Danielson in AEW someday.

“It’s cool for me to think I am going to be able to get in the ring with these two possibly,” Omega said. “Because they were so prominent in WWE…for me, as exciting as the wrestling part is, the ability to tell a story is more exciting for me.”

Omega spoke specifically of Bryan and the success of the Yes! movement in WWE.

“He was able to kind of turn everything around and emerge as a megastar, because he is smart enough in a wrestling sense, in a business sense,” said Omega. “Just like in ROH, how he was able to have those fans in the palm of his hand, he was able to have the entire WWE Universe in the palm of his hand with one word. The only other person I can think of to do that was Austin.”

Omega also spoke about CM Punk and what he accomplished with his career.

“CM Punk, he probably has a different line of thinking than your current-day performer, the average performer,” Omega said. “He has this incredible reputation—he has fans to this day who would follow him to the end of the earth. Very dedicated fanbase and that fanbase believes he’s the best in the world and will be the best until the end of time.”

“Two extremely intelligent people who found a way to, I don’t want to say cheat the system, but it was a system that was not created for them there,” Omega continued.

Omega’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Daniel Bryan has reportedly signed with All Elite Wrestling, which is just one of the big additions to the roster as well as the promotion having talks with fellow former WWE Champion CM Punk. 

Bryan is expected to make his debut during the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite from the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on September 22nd. This show has already sold over 15,000 tickets. 

As part of his deal, in addition to comparable money to his WWE contract, Bryan wanted to work fewer dates and be able to work in Japan as well as have creative input. 

Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam, who initially broke the news, has an update on the situation. AEW’s internal talks on bringing Bryan in began back in May after his WWE contract expired

While AEW was talking about it among top executives, there were no contract talks or negotiations happening with Bryan. However, talks between Bryan and AEW began some time over the last few weeks.

As of this writing, it’s still unclear how long the contract is nor the amount of money the fan-favorite star is getting.

• Daniel Bryan Pulled From WWE 2K22 Video Game (Report)

There’s been a lot of press in recent days revolving around Daniel Bryan and his likely deal with AEW. While his actual signing remains unconfirmed, Dave Meltzer has reported that WWE has taken a big step with regards to his character and their use of it.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer says WWE officials sent a memo to 2K games to have Daniel Bryan’s character removed. The release date of it has not yet been announced, which would make changes such as this easier to accomplish.

This is a big move for WWE to make, given Bryans affinity with the fans and the frequent use of legacy characters in their virtual rosters. Perhaps the wound is still a little too fresh for WWE to accept.

Meltzer went on to confirm the memo was sent to multiple media outlets, meaning there will be no Daniel Bryan merchandise being created.

Daniel Bryan Has a Long History in WWE Video Games

Daniel Bryan has long been part of the WWE video game franchise. He has been a playable character in no less than 10 different games since 2011. This is every single video game released by WWE including the most recent WWE 2K Battlegrounds.

Daniel Bryan was even the central part of the storyline mode in the 2K19 edition of the series. Players could play as Brian Danielson and play the story of his career. He was also the alternate cover art design for WWE 2K14.

The sudden request for his removal could just be a kneejerk reaction to his crossing over to their biggest rival. However, with digital downloads adding new content and characters post-launch is easy. Alongside that, there is a high chance that Daniel Bryan’s move set will still be part of the game. Gamers are able to create their own character in 2k games. It’s a safe bet that we will see players creating their own Brian Danielson characters.

On a similar note, maybe there is still time to have a Daniel Bryan character added to the upcoming AEW console video game.

Recent reports of former world champion Daniel Bryan signing a contract with AEW have excited fans. WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently commented on it.

The former WCW star talked about this major development on the latest episode of his Hall Of Fame podcast. He said that he is not going to hate this decision.

Booker explained how WWE shouldn’t hate the decision either, giving the example of basketball players who change teams every year. He then mentioned how Bryan will be able to do his own thing in AEW:

“One thing about Daniel Bryan and AEW, he’s going to be able to pretty much write his own ticket, go out and have the matches that he wants to have. Go ahead and create the stories that he wants to create.

That’s what guys want to do, they want to be able to do their own thing” said Booker T, “And AEW has given a lot of these guys a chance to do their own thing.”

• Update On Daniel Bryan & CM Punk Possibly Signing With AEW

Daniel Bryan’s contract with WWE expired in May this year. While WWE officials were said to be pushing hard to re-sign him, there hadn’t been any positive update in the direction since then.

A report then came out earlier this week that claimed the former world champion has made his choice. It mentions that he has officially signed a contract with AEW and his debut date for the promotion is already set.

Recent reports have surfaced suggesting that both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are likely to sign with AEW. This was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I don’t know if either of those two are signed right now. I would not be surprised if Bryan Danielson signed but I do not know that to be a fact,” said Dave Meltzer. “As far as CM Punk, I know they’ve been talking to him for awhile. I know they’ve been talking to Bryan Danielson for awhile as well.”

NJPW The Biggest Factor For Daniel Bryan

Meltzer would continue to say that Bryan has loyalty to WWE and Vince McMahon but in the end, AEW’s relationship with NJPW was the biggest factor.

“In the end, the company with the relationship with New Japan was going to be the favorite to get (Daniel Bryan),” Meltzer continued.

In terms of Bryan debuting on the September 22nd show in New York, Meltzer said he wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true but could not confirm it.

On May 28th, reports surfaced that WWE was looking to get an exclusive talent-sharing deal with NJPW. Daniel Bryan wanting to wrestle in NJPW is speculated as to being a reason WWE was looking to do this at first.

“While Bryan Danielson was absolutely part of the early talks, that hasn’t been the case of late as far as the major aspect, and one source said he hasn’t been a part of any recent talks,” Meltzer said in June.

Update On CM Punk

“In May, I had been told there 4 signings. 2 somewhat big and 2 huge but none of them were signed but there was confidence that they would be signed,” Meltzer continued. “I knew 2 of them were Aleister Black and Danielson.”

“The other two I presumed were Punk and Andrade.”

Meltzer would continue to say that he does not know if there is a deal between Punk and AEW but he does know they’ve been talking for awhile.

Much has been written about Daniel Bryan in recent months. The quiet nature of his WWE departure had everybody scratching their heads. Now, according to reports on Bodyslam.net, Bryan is locked into a deal with AEW.

This news comes just days after PWInsider reported that WWE was not factoring Daniel Bryan into the merchandise and licensing plans for 2021-2022.

Bodyslam has since updated that current plans call for Daniel Bryan to debut for AEW at the September 22^nd Grand Slam event from New York City’s Arthur Ashe stadium. AEW put great care into planning their events, often running quite far in advance. Having a star like Bryan debut at a big event such as that would make great sense. It would also allow for existing plans to reach their head at All Out on September 5^th.

Daniel Bryan’s AEW deal is said to be for similar money as he was making in WWE, but he’ll be required to work far fewer dates. Moreover, his deal reportedly allows him the opportunity to work in Japan. This is another country close to his wrestling heart, and something he could never have done while working at WWE.

Daniel Bryan is Not the Only Potential AEW Surprise

The news of Daniel Bryan agreeing a deal with AEW is something many saw coming the minute he disappeared from WWE. However, with recent news of CM Punk being cleared for a wrestling return, and AEW having a sold-out show coming up in Chicago, AEW fans could have a lot to cheer about very soon.

A lot has been made of WWE wrestlers signing for AEW. However, wrestling is a relatively small world. Yes, there are lots of indie promotions, but as you look at larger promotions, you would be hard pushed to find many stars who have not competed for a combination of IMPACT, ROH, WWE, or AEW. Daniel Bryan has had a long wrestling career. He’s wrestled for promotions all over the world. When it comes down to it, AEW is the destination that makes the most sense.

While nothing has been reported, it is believed that Daniel Bryan will revert to fighting under his real name of Brian Danielson.

Daniel Bryan’s last match in WWE was a loss to Roman Reigns on the 4/30 episode of Smackdown. The match carried the stipulation that if he lost, Bryan would have to leave WWE. He hasn’t been back since. According to a report from Pwinsider, all signs point to Bryan not returning to WWE.

Sources within the company have said there have been no internal discussions regarding Bryan returning and he is not listed on internal documents regarding the talent roster. Although this cannot be confirmed, there are those who are taking this to mean Bryan is headed to AEW.

Evidence that Bryan will not be returning to WWE include him not appearing on an internal document regarding plans for licensing and merchandising in 2021-2022. Bryan was also not mentioned as it concerns upcoming Mattel action figures.

What Does Daniel Bryan Want?

Daniel Bryan has made several public statements about wanting to wrestle for promotions outside of WWE.

“It’d be interesting if I could wrestle in different companies and WWE,” Bryan said at a WM37 meet and greet. “That’s actually something I’m trying to weasel my way into right now.”

He would also that he’s hoping to find the right balance between his home life and life in wrestling.

“My contract is up soon,” Bryan said. “We need to figure out what a good balance between home life and wrestling. I never want to stop wrestling, I love it, it’s just figuring that out.”

• Daniel Bryan Names AEW Stars He Wants To Work With (March 2021)

The biggest story on Friday was news of the talks between WWE and NJPW. It was first reported by Dave Meltzer that WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan recently reached out to NJPW and began talks about a potential working relationship. 

PWinsider.com reports Daniel Bryan was a topic of discussion in the recent talks as it stated the main crux of the talks had to do with the potential of Bryan being able to work some dates for NJPW.

It was added that the talks have been going on for several months. As it stands right now, nothing has been reached yet as they’ve had talks on and off for some time now. Even though NJPW has had talks with WWE, it won’t impact their relationships AEW and Impact Wrestling for now. 

If an agreement is reached then it would mark the first time that they’ve worked together since the 1970s.

Bryan’s future has been heavily speculated about since his last appearance on WWE TV when he dropped a loss to WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on the April 30 SmackDown with the stipulation that if Bryan lost then he would be banned from SmackDown. 

This was the storyline reason for his disappearance from TV as his contract expired at that time. At first, the belief was he would remain with WWE in some capacity, but there has been no update on his status as of late. 

Daniel Bryan is currently a free agent. His contract is said to have expired after he lost to Roman Reigns in a match that carried a stipulation that he would leave Smackdown if he did so. This has led to much speculation regarding where and when fans will see Bryan next.

In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Johnny Gargano said he hopes Bryan ends up on NXT. He also mentioned that Bryan was pitcing for the two to be a team on Smackdown a few years ago.

“So (Bryan) can’t go to SmackDown anymore, so obviously, I’m in NXT. The only thing for him to do now obviously is to come down NXT,” Gargano said. “I remember back then when he was making the pitch for me to come to SmackDown, he really wanted us to be a team, which would have been amazing.”

“Obviously, I had other things going on in my life during that time with Tommaso and everything like that. And I definitely didn’t feel like I was anywhere near leaving NXT, but now obviously, I think the door should be wide open for him to come to NXT. Obviously, NXT now is a different incarnation than it was back in 2018.”

“But I think now he has the opportunity to come here and selfishly, I want him to come here just because I think the potential match-ups for him here are just so exciting. I’m able to throw my name in the ring of having the ultimate street match, I guess ultimate underdog street match in me versus Daniel Bryan,” Gargano said. “But also, you have matches with Pete Dunne, you have matches with Kushida, you have matches with Tommaso, you have matches with Cole, you have matches with Kyle O’Reilly. I think the list goes on and on and on of guys that Daniel Bryan getting in the ring with, it would be amazing to see.”

“So yes, Daniel Bryan, if you are listening to this, please come to NXT. Everyone here wants you. Everyone wants to get in the ring with you. That’d be tons of fun, man,’ Gargano added.

WWE Superstar and the United Kingdom Champion WALTER recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. The Austrian performer discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the three names in WWE that would be ‘dream’ matches for him.

“When I first got into watching other wrestling, I was watching Ring of Honor” WALTER began, somewhat giving a clue as to the performers he wants to go up against. “A lot of those guys are the top guys in WWE right now.” 

WALTER Talks Dream Matches

“Daniel Bryan is a match I would want to do” WALTER noted. “Obviously, Cesaro. I’ve never worked with (Cesaro). He’s a great role model for all of us German-speaking talent. He’s always been super supportive.”

“As soon as we stepped foot in WWE, he reached his hand out to all of us” WALTER revealed of the Swiss Superstar. “He’s a fantastic wrestler. Regarding NXT, the one match I wanted before COVID was Finn Balor. Those are the three.”

The biggest reason that we have not seen WALTER appear more on the main roster is his want to stay in Europe. Reports have indicated that WALTER is settled and happy to perform in the UK/Europe; so he isn’t looking to relocate to the United States anytime soon.

It was recently revealed that Daniel Bryan’s contract with WWE expired on Friday night after his match with Roman Reigns. What exactly might be going on with Bryan’s free agency was recently addressed on Wrestling Observer Radio. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer, Daniel Bryan’s situation has some similarities to Brian Pillman, who had a very famous free agency stint in 1996.

“I will just say that if anyone tells you that they know, they are lying to you,” Meltzer said about Bryan’s situation.

“It’s up in the air. I’m sure someday that in 30 years, I’ll have more to say. I have Dark Side of the Ring flashbacks on this story already,” Meltzer continued. This comment drew a confused reaction from co-host Bryan Alvarez.

“Dark Side of the Ring, what does that have to do with anything?” Alvarez asked.

“Cause the Brian Pillman’s story is airing tomorrow night,” Meltzer responded.

“What does that have to do with Bryan Danielson?” Alvarez continued to ask. “Did he buy a Humvee?”

“No, he didn’t buy a Humvee, I don’t think,” Meltzer responded.

Daniel Bryan and Brian Pillman Free Agency Stories

In 1996, Brian Pillman famously convinced WCW to give him an official release as part of a planned “Loose Cannon” free agency storyline. Pillman then showed up on ECW television and eventually was able to negotiate a deal with WWE thanks to having received his release from WCW. What, if anything, this has to do with Daniel Bryan is not known.

Meltzer then continued to hint at some big things happening soon in wrestling.

“There’s some crazy things going on in wrestling, some really crazy things going on in wrestling but they haven’t happened yet. I’m sure one of them will be when he shows up somewhere, which could be WWE, could be somewhere else. That’s about it for now,” Meltzer continued.

Daniel Bryan’s WWE contract legitimately expired last week after his title-versus-career match against Roman Reigns on Friday’s Smackdown. The news was first reported by Fightful and has been independently confirmed.

The nature of Bryan’s sendoff, without any fanfare, indicates that WWE is still optimistic they can keep him in the fold. It would be a lackluster way for Daniel Bryan to leave WWE, despite strong booking in his final matches.

The Return of Bryan Danielson?

Daniel Bryan has been talking about his contract expiring in recent interviews. The former WWE Champion told TV Line last week,

“It’s funny that people gravitate towards the date ‘September,’ and I think it’s because that’s when my last contract ended, but it doesn’t end in September,”

Bryan also made some very interesting comments later in the interview about what his wrestling plans could entail. Making a big point about being an independent contractor.

“One of the coolest things about wrestling, and just be being an independent contractor in general, is that you can say, ‘Well, I really only want to do this amount of work.’”

Either way, it looks as if Daniel Bryan is planning on taking a break to spend time with family and give his neck a rest. However, his words definitely speak of a man who is not yet completely done with in-ring competition.

Following his defeat last Friday, Daniel Bryan’s removal from Smackdown brand is complete. His profile has been removed from the brand page on wwe.com and is now located on the Alumni page.

Whether this is kayfabe storytelling or Bryan really has finished his tenure with WWE is still unanswered. However, given that his contract runs for a few more months, it is highly likely we will be seeing the Yes movement maestro returning to the screen in due course, either for RAW or NXT.

While a move away from WWE could be a possibility, it’s unlikely we will see Daniel Bryan in an AEW ring just yet. A move back to the Japanese wrestling scene is also possible. However, with his recent comments about full-time competition and his dedicated family man mentality, a trip around the world is also unlikely.

Daniel Bryan was made to look very strong in his defeat at the hands of Roman Reigns last week. This alone makes it unlikely that we have seen the last of him. A move to RAW would make the most sense, both for him as a wrestler and from a storytelling perspective. Raw is currently a heel-heavy brand, and with the other two real babyfaces being locked in a single storyline right now, a move there would give a much-needed boost to things.

The other option is far more intriguing, especially given his recent comments about allowing wrestlers to perform across companies.

The professional wrestling landscape is very uniquely positioned right now. A storyline based around a man losing his spot on a roster has never been packed with more potential.