– This coming Wednesday (September 30th) at 5pm EST, WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens will be joining Renee Young on a new episode of ‘Unfiltered’ on the WWE Network.
The synopsis for the episode reads: “Renee Young and Kevin Owens discuss everything from his anti-Canadian views on beer and sports, to his pets, to his debut against John Cena!”
– Also on the WWE Network on Wednesday, a brand new episode of “Table For 3” will premiere at 4:30pm featuring Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Dolph Ziggler.
The synopsis for that episode reads: “Daniel Bryan, Ryback and Dolph Ziggler share tales of the Intercontinental Title, as well as hilarious, never-before-heard road stories!”
Daniel Bryan recently spoke with Sport 360 about his health, his in-ring future and being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship back in 2014.
After overcoming the odds in 2014, riding the wave of the Yes! Movement and capturing the WWE World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania XXX, Bryan’s world fell apart when his father passed away shortly after and doctors told him he was working with a career-threatening neck injury. Bryan said:
“It’s was very frustrating, but more the health aspect of it is: the title part isn’t the big deal. The big deal is how wrestling is the way I express myself creatively, not being able to do it has made me frustrated. I’ve tried to transition this into gardening, but it’s not the same. I’m working on it though!
“When I came back from neck surgery I felt like I didn’t miss a bit in terms of fan support. It will be interesting to see what it will be like when/if I come back from this one. I feel like when you get multiple injuries then fans start to lose faith in you.”
His latest hiatus from the ring has to do with concussions. WWE doctors haven’t cleared him to wrestle, but Bryan is optimistic that he’ll be back in action one day.
“No, at least not in my mind. WWE might be thinking that, but I feel great. I feel like I’m ready to wrestle. If they called me to wrestle tomorrow, I would. It’s just a matter of getting cleared. I’ve had a long history of concussions, so they are a bit hesitant to get me back.”
You can check out the full interview by at Sport360.com.
The Bella Twins recently spoke with GQ.com to talk about secret ways to pick up women at the gym. Below are some of the highlights of the interview.
On whether or not Daniel Bryan and John Cena have influenced their fitness routines:
Nikki Bella: “Actually, when John and I first started dating, I was coming back from breaking my leg. Before that, I was just the type of girl who would do cardio at the gym, lift some free weights, and take some classes. So when I was getting back into shape, he introduced me to Olympic lifting. I always had this perception that when you lift weights, you’re going to get bulky and thick. I didn’t realize you actually burn a lot of fat and that it trims you down. So when John got me past that, I just fell in love with this style of weightlifting. It has totally transformed my body.”
Brie Bella: “If Bryan is like, “I’m going to be at the gym here for two hours,” it forces me to keep myself busy for those two hours. It pushes you more! And Bryan is actually the first relationship I’ve been in where my partner enjoys a healthy lifestyle like me. Even past lifting weights at the gym. I’ve never had a loved one to go hiking with me, or to do yoga with me. And that has actually changed me. Now instead of being like, “Hey, lets go to happy hour!” it’s like, ‘Lets go find this mountain to hike.'”
Brie on whether or not people should work out with loved ones:
“I think working out with a loved one makes everything feel better! And for us, we’re constantly on the road. So I’m always looking for extra time to hang out with Bryan. When we get to work out together, yes, we’re doing something for our health. But at the same time we’re actually getting to spend some time together.”
Nikki on advice for guys who are looking to approach women at the gym:
“When she is on the treadmill, leave her alone! I can’t tell you how many guys have approached me when I’m doing cardio. Like, I have my headphones on, I’m in the zone, so don’t bother me. I think the best time to approach a woman is actually after her workout. When you’re working out, you’re playing your jam, you’re in the groove, and you don’t want to be interrupted. So guys, wait until she’s done getting her sweat on.”
Daniel Bryan has been in Dubai doing promotional work for WWE and he recently spoke with The National, revealing his opinion that WWE should be concerned with the fact that they haven’t created many big stars since the Attitude Era.
The following are some of the highlights from the interview.
On his thoughts on WWE 2K16: “It is very realistic. My character kicks as I kick. It moves as I move. It does my Yes chant as I do my Yes chant. It is very surreal, and just a little bit creepy, almost like someone is stalking me, it is that realistic. But it is really neat.”
On Steve Austin being the cover star of WWE 2K16 rather than a current WWE Superstar: “It is interesting because I see it two ways. I see maybe people who don’t watch it anymore, who were big fans in the Attitude Era, which was the most popular time in wrestling. It would appeal to people who may not be watching the current product, but would be interested in the video game. One of the things I think it shows is that we have not really created enough new stars, to where we put new stars on the front of the video game, so that should be the overall bigger concern. We need to not just rely on people from the past. There is almost this mentality these stars are bigger than the current stars, and they keep going with the mentality when the guys now are every bit as good as the guys from before, it is just they need to be given the platform.”
On who he wants to face when he returns to the ring: “My number 1 dream match is Brock Lesnar. And I want that to be a WrestleMania match. I don’t know if the WWE will ever let that happen, because they might be afraid he might legitimately hurt me pretty bad. But I would like to do a major pay-per-view match with Cesaro. I’d like to to do a major pay-per-view match with Seth Rollins. I’d love do a major pay-per-view match with Stardust. We have so many talented people on the roster that I’d love to have a match on pay per view or we have a story to work through together.”
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan is currently in Dubai doing promotional appearances for the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game. Bryan was interviewed on 104.4 Virgin Radio Dubia this week and spoke about wanting John Cena to turn heel, the possibility of Kurt Angle returning to WWE, a funny CM Punk story and more. Here are some highlights:
– Bryan would love to see John Cena turn heel, noting that Hulk Hogan’s heel turn back in 1996 kicking off a new boom period for the industry.
– He put over New Day as “amazingly entertaining” heels. They’re currently his favorite act in WWE, while Cesaro is his favorite wrestler.
– Bryan would love to see Kurt Angle return to WWE for one final sendoff at WrestleMania and doesn’t know why WWE hasn’t been interested in bringing him back for a short run. He thinks Angle could have great matches against Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns.
– He told a funny story about working with CM Punk in Russia against the Wyatt Family. The Wyatts were beating down two babyfaces and Punk and Bryan ran down to make the save. Punk asked Bryan if he wanted to fight the Wyatts right then and there, setting up Bryan to respond, “YES!!” Bryan responded with an uninspired “yeah” and Punk told him, “you’re an idiot.”
Bryan also talked about if he expects to wrestle at WrestleMania 32, which heel he thinks would make a good babyface, never having a sip of alcohol in his life and more.
As noted, WWE is supporting Pediatric Cancer Awareness month and will be encouraging fans to donate to the Connor’s Cure charity throughout the month of September.
Some may have noticed that all WWE talents have been putting a gold marker on their Twitter avatars. WWE will be donating one dollar to the charity for every fan who does the same thing with their Twitter account.
Triple H promoted the effort via the following tweet:
Daniel Bryan also tweeted in reference to the campaign today and is even doing a little bit of dancing to support Connor’s Cure. You can check out a clip of Bryan dancing for the cause below.
WWE Tough Enough contestant Tanner recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On his overall feelings of the Tough Enough experience: “I was definitely blessed for the whole experience and the opportunity that was given to me and I have no regrets going through it. There were just a few things that maybe needed a bit more work, I just didn’t have time to improve fast enough on I guess. Overall the experience was mind-blowing. The way the Superstars interacted with us and the hospitality and sense of family that was built was an incredible experience.”
On breaking into the business via the Tough Enough casting process vs. traditional training: “I think we are in a new age now so there are different tools that maybe are being utilized and experimenting with some ways that are social media based and we have to rely on votes from our fans. We had to impress our fans, judges and coaches so I think all that tied in and gives you different perspective and lets everyone know what the WWE Universe is looking for.”
On any resentment from the veterans or trainers: “They worked with us and there was no hesitation or I never got a no. Any question I had or anytime I tried to work with them extra or any question I ever had they were all more than willing to accommodate and help out. I didn’t feel any resentment from them and I think they understand the business is trying to grow every day and is trying to do something new and they are trying to pass on their legacy towards us so we can uphold the traditions and stuff. Just to be put in that opportunity, they dealt well with us and taught us a lot.”
On the format of judges, host and trainers all being current or former Superstars: “I thought it was enjoyable and at times thought it was frustrating or nerve-wracking. You have to wonder do I have to impress the coaches this week during a challenge and then I’m going to have to impress the judges who maybe think something differently. There are different styles and they do all have different styles between the coaches and the trainers so maybe one thing that Billy Gunn loves Daniel Bryan may not like so much. Things like that and what you are thinking when you are going out there, then it comes down to the WWE Universe and your votes and your career depends on impressing them as well. It’s real confusing at times, who you are impressing and who you are angering.”
On Daniel Bryan’s influence on Tanner during the competition: “Daniel Bryan to me is a great guy. I had a few moments where I could sit down and talk with him off camera and he was in the weight room a couple of times and he is really an awesome dude, very humble, very knowledgeable. His outlook on how to approach things and just how he looks at situations are refreshing to see something like that. I try to stay out of mainstream stuff and that kind of thinking and he seems to have a similar thought process and so that is refreshing to see something like that and to interact with someone as well.”
On his personality and charisma being a focus of the judges: “Everything I learn, I just have to learn very mechanically. I have to learn the steps of how to do things and small things like that. To have my athletics at the high level that they are would give me time to focus on those fine tuning of the personality expressions and stuff. The Miz said to me that we see you in the reality portion, we see your personality and the only problem is not doing that in the ring. I just don’t entirely know how to and honestly I just need to learn and with a couple of acting classes or promo classes I can learn anything. Learning how to do that and learning how to express whether through my face or body language just putting my stage presence out there as being more dominant is what I am lacking.”
On heat with ZZ and the picture Tanner posted on Social Media of ZZ entering Burger King: “That was actually sparked by a message I received from ZZ. Upon returning back home. I don’t have a lot of money, I have to work for everything I have so I am in the process of trying to set myself up to be able to train and support myself financially as well so coming back home so I went to an (MMA) fight and the promoter promoted me a bit because he had a lot of WWE fans there and I went to another fight this past Saturday night and I think that is why ZZ said what he said. ZZ said to me in a message I thought that you really wanted to do this (wrestling) and the first thing you do is go back home and you are back into your MMA world. I took that very offensively, coming from him. In my opinion he doesn’t understand the struggles I have to go through financially and that I make money off this. This is how I pay my rent and utilities. I think ZZ being so young he may not understand to struggle financially, I’m pretty sure his parents are paying for all of his stuff, he’s 19 he’s probably still living at home. I felt the need to expose the lies that he was claiming that he was eating healthier and he is eating better and manipulating the crowd and there he is. We go out to eat healthy and he walks over to Burger King. Don’t call me out on making a living for myself while you are doing your own thing and manipulating the world.”
– Daniel Bryan is now in New York City for this weekend’s WWE SummerSlam activities. Sting, however, has already left NYC for a Wizard World appearance in Chicago and will not be appearing at SummerSlam on Sunday.
– Wrestling journalist Dave Scherer will be the guest on the next Jim Ross “Ross Report” podcast, which drops on Tuesday night at 9pm EST. at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE posted the following video looking at John Cena granting his 500th “Make-A-Wish” earlier this week.
Daniel Bryan took part in a Q&A session at Wizard World in Chicago on Thursday and was asked about his medical status. Bryan said he’s been cleared by a “respectable doctor” to wrestle, but WWE won’t clear him because they are worried about his history with concussions.
Bryan said that officials with WWE have not given any indication on when or if they will clear him to return to action.
He also mentioned that he has talked about working with NXT talents, however he didn’t want to elaborate in detail because he still plans to return to the ring.
When if he could pick one final opponent to wrestle in WWE, Bryan named Brock Lesnar.
Daniel Bryan took part in a Q&A at the Chicago Wizard World Comic-Con yesterday. During the session, Bryan talked about fans making their own shirts if they can’t afford to buy WWE merchandise, noting that he’s been poor and knows how hard it can be to buy them. Bryan encourages fans to make their own wrestling shirts if they can’t afford WWE’s – “I’d love that.”
His comment was tweeted by the official Wizard World Twitter account, which he retweeted, adding that he would like for it to become the new trend:
M Live recently spoke with WWE Diva and Total Divas star Brie Bella to promote Saturday’s WWE live event at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On how Daniel Bryan is doing: “He’s doing really really good. He feels great. His number one goal is to get back into the ring and he’s doing everything in his power to make that happen.”
On her favorite WWE wrestlers, past and present: “For past superstars, for a woman, I’d have to say Melina. She had the sex appeal and I loved the way she stood out in the ring. As far as past men go, I loved Jeff Hardy. He reminds me of my husband in a way. He’s quieter, but has a presence in the ring that’s like, wow.”
“For present superstars, Paige has been really amazing in our division. I love her aggression. She just has it. For men, besides my husband, who’s injured right now, I would say Dean Ambrose. He’s a maniac. Everything about him is great. He’s fun to watch. When his matches are over, I always wish there was a little more to watch.”
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” blog to promote WWE’s “Answer The Call” charity auction. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On his respect and the WWE fanbase: “Our fanbase is so hardcore and smart, and knows the history. It’s almost like the underground in rap music. There is always the underground rapper people enjoy, and you want to see him come up. That’s kind of how it is in wrestling. There’s a lot of guys on the indies with the tight following from those hardcore fans, and this is that time for me to build to that respect and let people know I’m here to win, I’m here to kill it every single night.”
On his friendship with Daniel Bryan: “Bryan is the best. “If anybody says any different, they’re an idiot. You can learn anything from him. I got to work a lot with him with the Shield–that was like the band with those six man matches [against Bryan, Kane, and Ryback], we were doing those every night. So I had plenty of chemistry and experience with Bryan. He is such a journeyman with so much experience, and that’s a key ingredient to what we do–just logging in those man-hours. Bryan is a journeyman, and he’s one of the few that we have, with Seth and Dean also in that category. He’s just so smart. He has a great take on everything, and he doesn’t just think about his product. He thinks of the grand scheme of things in the WWE world, and he’s a privilege to be around, not only in the ring but also as a person. The last European tour was a great tour, sitting on the back of the bus with Bryan in a conversation for an hour-and-a-half covering everything under the sun–we talked about from evolution to lotions to how to treat swelling. He has so much knowledge on life. I feel very blessed to made a friend with Daniel Bryan.”
On what separates Paul Heyman from just about everyone else in wrestling: “It’s his knowledge, a lot of wisdom, and he’s got some cowboy to him, too. You can’t replace experience, and the time he’s logged in this business is irreplaceable. He’s seen damn near everything under the sun with what he’s done in front of and behind the camera. There’s so many different facets to this business–it’s not just hip tosses and body slams. This is chess, and in no way is it checkers, and I think that’s what sets him apart.”
Daniel Bryan is currently backstage at the Xfinity Arena in Everett, Washington, site of tonight’s WWE RAW. Bryan has not been attending recent RAW tapings, since he’s needed in Orlando, Florida on Tuesdays for Tough Enough.
The following are highlights of a brand new CM Punk interview:
On his reaction to the Hulk Hogan racism controversy:
“I don’t really have a comment on it. Like I said, though, stuff that you say can come back and bite you in the ass. Everybody gets what they deserve in the world. Hopefully he issued a sincere apology and we can all move on from it. We all have said stupid things, and I don’t think you should judge somebody on what they said a long time ago. But some of the stuff is harsher than other things. It is what it is.”
On WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan, who popularized Diego Sanchez’s “Yes!” chant to the WWE audience, supporting Punk’s MMA aspirations:
“I thought it was pretty cool. Everybody in WWE whether they admit it or not are big fans of the UFC. Like everything else, they are 10 years behind the curve on everything, but they are slowly warming up to MMA. Now it’s all Ronda Rousey. But a couple of years ago when I mentioned her they told me the sport was despicable. Everything they are doing now is something I told them five years ago. They live in a bubble. When you are on the road this much, you are “all in” and nothing else matters; I lived in a bubble. They built this empire and they are the best at what they do. But they still have no [bleeping] idea what goes on outside their bubble.”
For more of the interview, including the best part where CM Punk talks about possibly returning to WWE after he is done fighting in the UFC, click here.
– From the 20th-23rd of August The Undertaker, Sting, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan and Paige are set to make appearances at Wizard World Chicago.
Information on the Wizard World Chicago website reads:
Five larger-than-life WWE® Superstars and Divas will be in attendance at Wizard World Comic Con Chicago when The Undertaker®, Sting™, Randy Orton®, Daniel Bryan®, and WWE Diva Paige™ appear during the pop culture extravaganza, set for August 20-23 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
Randy Orton (4:30-8:00 p.m.) and Daniel Bryan (5:30-8:30 p.m.) will appear on Thursday, August 20, greeting fans, signing autographs and posing for photo ops (Bryan will also conduct a question and answer panel at 8 p.m.). The Undertaker (3-7 p.m.) and Paige (3:30-7:30 p.m.) will attend on Friday, August 21 (Paige’s question and answer panel is set for 7 p.m.). Sting is scheduled for Saturday, August 22 (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), and will make a rare appearance in face paint.
“I love coming back to Wizard World, the fans always make me feel at home,” says Daniel Bryan. “I am honored to be here and look forward to meeting the WWE Universe in Chicago.”
“The fans in Chicago have consistently supported WWE at Wizard World, and we have always strived to bring them the biggest and the best,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO. “We are in absolute awe of The Undertaker, Sting, Randy, Daniel and Paige and are proud to be able to bring this remarkable lineup of WWE talent to Chicago!.”
The five join a star-studded lineup of celebrities at Wizard World Comic Con Chicago which already includes Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Nathan Fillion (“Castle”), Stephen Amell (“Arrow”), Ben McKenzie (“Gotham”), Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead), Billie Piper (“Doctor Who”), David Morrissey (“The Walking Dead”), Matt Ryan (“Constantine”) and dozens of others.
Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The 16th of 27 events currently scheduled on the 2015 Wizard World calendar, Chicago show hours are Thursday, August 20, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, August 21, 12-7 p.m.; Saturday, August 22, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, August 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
To book tickets for the event including VIP sessions, click this link.
Other WWE Superstars will be making appearances at other Wizard World conventions, more information can be found by clicking here and clicking on the desired location.
– As you may be aware, Daniel Bryan has released his new book “Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania” which is also available as an audio book.
You can check out a short excerpt from the book read by Daniel Bryan himself below:
In this week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletterthey note that while promoting his new book “Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania” he discussed his current injury.
They quote him as saying:
“Well, it’s not a neck issue. My neck is completely fine. It’s more of a concussion issue. And Brie (his wife) was very hesitant about this whole thing, and that’s why WWE is very protective over me, too. Everyone is more aware of concussions and that’s why, with WWE, I see what they’re doing, as far as making me go through all these hurdles. I don’t se that as a negative. They’re protecting me, especially in this era of concussion awareness.”
Bryan also spoke about how his wife Brie Bella was negative about him getting back into the ring and competing but now she’s changed her mind:
“When we met with the neurologist in Phoenix and we want through all the testing and he said, `Okay, all of my testing is not just coming back good, it’s coming back excellent.’ As far as my brain right now, it’s at a level above most people who have never had a concussion my age.”
The former WWE Champion explained that recent brain testing showed that his brain was at excellent levels and this led Brie to change her mind from being skeptical to supportive about him returning.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletteralso notes Bryan talking about his return and how if he does, he doesn’t expect to be in a top spot in the company because of how the injury will perceive him.
He added that Vince doesn’t see him like he sees John Cena or probably Roman Reigns but does see him as a valuable performer that can make the company money.
Bryan also noted that Steve Austin also reached out to him and tried to give him some advice about changing up his style to get the most out of his career.
You can read more on this and much more on the world of wrestling by subscribing to the Wrestling Observer Newsletterwhich is released every Wednesday.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan appeared on a recent episode of the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast and spoke about his preference for separate RAW and SmackDown rosters, as well as his original plans for his WWE Intercontinental Championship run. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On his original plans for his I-C title run: “One of the things I wanted to do when I came back [from injury], was do something with the Intercontinental Championship. And my big spiel, my big pitch for this thing, like, I want to be the Intercontinental Champion and I only want to be on Smackdown. I don’t want to be on RAW. I want to be on Smackdown because one of my things was I would never have gotten this opportunity if there wasn’t split brands, if there wasn’t two [world] titles. If there was just the one main title, [WWE] would never, ever given me the opportunity.”
On doing another brand split in WWE: “I knew coming back from my neck surgery that I was not going to be the top good guy, as far as the booking is concerned. I’m not talking about popularity, as far as placement of people. And one of the things that really can hurt you is that if people see you as that and people want you to be that and you’re not that, is that they can take it out on other people. Right? Like, taking it out on somebody like Roman [Reigns] when [WWE] are trying to push him and that sort of thing.” Bryan added, “if you put [Roman Reigns] and I on different shows, then it’s better for him and it’s better for me.”
“Right now, [WWE] are not going to put Cesaro in a WWE World Heavyweight Championship program with Seth Rollins. I mean, [WWE] might, but I don’t think [WWE] will though. [WWE] would do that with [Cesaro] and me and the Intercontinental Championship and it might not be the main event of pay per views, but if it carries Smackdown, if that’s the main story on Smackdown, it can show everybody, like, I think WWE doesn’t think people are capable of some of this kind of stuff. I don’t think [WWE] thought I was capable of carrying that kind of stuff until [WWE] gave me the opportunity and it turns out I was. And until you give them the opportunities, give somebody like Cesaro an opportunity to do that and show that he can do it, you know, like, that was part of my thing too. People like Cesaro, people like Cody Rhodes, you know, people like Ryback. Give them these opportunities to carry a show like they carry a program and it would just be good for everybody, and, not only that, good for morale, I was hoping. Like, I have all these greater things. I want everyone to be happy at work. I want us all to enjoy it and be like, ‘hey, if I work hard and if I’m good and if I get good crowd reactions, I am going to get further’.”
– Renee Young will be back this Wednesday at 4pm EST on the WWE Network for a 30-minute episode of ‘Unfiltered.’ Her guest this week will be WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella.
The synopsis for the episode reads: “Renee Young gets up close and personal with Nikki Bella in this supersized Unfiltered conversation!”
– WWE have issued a statement regarding the news confirmed by Daniel Bryan that his book had made him a New York Times Best Selling author:
Daniel Bryan’s book makes New York Times Best Sellers list
Daniel Bryan broke the news today on Twitter that his autobiography “Yes! My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania” made The New York Times Best Sellers list for the week of July 25.
The autobiography, which covers Bryan’s life and career as a WWE Superstar, was released July 21 and made the list at No. 18 for adult nonfiction. “Yes!” is also WWE’s 25th book to reach The NYT Best Sellers list since the formation of WWE Books in 1999.
Get an exclusive preview at the first two chapters of the best-selling “Yes! My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania” and order now.
Bryan has been doing the media rounds to promote the book, with Independent.co.uk publishing a new interview with him talking about concussions, global warming, Nigel McGuiness and more.
– Rusev continues to take digs at Lana on social media:
Daniel Bryan has been promoting his new book “Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania” and spoke with The Mirror newspaper here in the UK.
Bryan gave a length interview while promoting the book and spoke about a number of topics including why he decided to write a book, main eventing WrestleMania and his fans.
If you want to read the interview in full, you can do so by clicking on this link. Below are some of the highlights from the interview:
Why he decided to write a book in the first place:
“[Laughs] To be honest I wasn’t even thinking about writing a book and WWE approached me with the idea. I had just had neck surgery, they asked me to do it and I was kind of like ‘okay, it seems like perfect timing’. It was May of last year, it was literally either the week before I knew I was having neck surgery, or it was the week after I had my neck surgery. It was one of those two times! I had a lot on my mind.”
On having such a strong connection with the fans:
“I’m not sure. We’ve entered this new phase in wrestling, where the fans acknowledge – and because WWE has done it for so many years – that what WWE is, is entertainment. Long gone are the days of you getting into trouble for saying that wrestling isn’t real. I prefer to use the term wrestling fiction. And so there is this acknowledgement that what they are watching is fiction. So fans don’t get as invested as far as like, for example if someone is really beating someone really hard. It’s not the same as it was in the 1980s when the Four Horsemen were beating on Dusty Rhodes. It’s a different vibe from the crowd. But there are still very real things that the fans catch on to. They think ‘this particular guy we like, and he entertains us, so we want to see him succeed, but the fiction is not allowing him to succeed’. And they think ‘it’s not that he’s not succeeding because he isn’t good enough to succeed, he’s not succeeding because whoever has decided to write the story, has written him out of this story’.
There is this realisation that by cheering they may have the power to change that. I think last year specifically it was almost the case that the fans didn’t know, they didn’t know if they could change it. But it’s very powerful, this idea is powerful. Imagine if you could watch a movie and as you’re watching the movie you realise that the supporting character is actually your favourite character, and you want him to be the guy who saves the day. And, somehow, by yelling at your TV screen or something like that, you could actually change how the movie pans out. That would be incredible! In wrestling you can.”
If in his book he talks about his time on the independent scene:
“Yes actually there is a big piece, a substantial portion written about that particular match when I wrestled Nigel in Liverpool to unify the Ring of Honor World Championship and Pure Championship. I talk about that match specifically a lot. I talk about my time in Dublin. I spent a lot of time over in England wrestling at Butlins holiday camps for Brian Dixon and All Star Wrestling. I talk about my first night ever in England, when I almost watched a man get thrown out of a building!”
Daniel Bryan’s book is available to purchase today. If you want to read the rest of the interview, click this link
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to promote his new autobiography. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On his status: “I’d like to return to the ring tomorrow. It’s not an issue of how I feel—I feel great—it’s an issue of getting cleared. That’s a process that is somewhat out of my hands. I’m trying. I don’t want to push, push, push. I’ve made my statement to WWE, but they’re going to listen to their doctors. I’m trying to do it as soon as possible, but they’re looking out for my best interests, so I’m trying to be a little bit patient with them.”
“I suffered a concussion in April, and I’m trying to get cleared back from that. It was during a six-man tag match, and I don’t remember if it happened during a particular move, but it was during the trip to Europe.”
On being inspired by Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman: “Paul’s very in touch with what’s going on in the world. He also sees the changes that wrestling needs to make to be more viable to more people. I would never describe myself as a genius, but I am not afraid to follow people who are geniuses, who know more than me about certain things. He’s just very creative, very smart, and on top of things. People say that Paul Heyman is a genius, and the same can be said about Vince McMahon. Paul and Vince just have different ideas.”
On who he thinks the best in the business right now: “Cesaro in the ring is as good as anybody out there in WWE. If you’re talking the entire wrestling world, there is a guy in New Japan [Pro Wrestling] that I really love watching named Shinsuke Nakamura. He’s awesome and really fun to watch. But in terms of the WWE, in ring, I love watching Cesaro.”
While on a massive press tour to promote his new book, Daniel Bryan has reflected on an incident involving Triple H where he stopped one of his matches.
Speaking with Jim Norton on Opie Radio, the former WWE champion explained that while wrestling Randy Orton he “had gotten a stinger in a match and lost feelings” in both his arms.
He explained that he’s always had the mentality of never stopping a match and told the ringside doctor that would be okay to continue, however Triple H was sending word to stop the match.
Bryan said that he sprinted into the ring to try and continue the match with Orton because as far as he was concerned this was going to be the biggest victory of his career so far.
“I did a top rope dropkick, and I couldn’t get up,” Bryan explained, “I couldn’t move my arms. Randy, he’s on the ground going ‘Dan, Dan, what the F are you doing?'”
Eventually, Triple H had called off the match which didn’t sit well with Bryan who said that when he got backstage he was “hot” and almost came nose-to-nose with Triple H.
You can check out Bryan talking about the incident in the video below. You can also purchase his book “Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania” right now.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently spoke with Brian Fritz of The Sporting News earlier this week and was asked if he feels he has won over Vince McMahon.
“You know, yes but I don’t know to what degree,” Bryan said. “You know what I mean? Does he think I should ever main event another WrestleMania? I would say probably not. (laughs) It’s interesting. I think he likes me, he sees me as a valuable performer. He sees me as someone who makes the company money. But I still don’t think he will ever see me as ‘the guy’ in the way he sees John Cena as ‘the guy’ or in the way he potentially sees Roman Reigns as ‘the guy’. To this day, I still don’t think he sees me like that.”
Bryan was also asked how much he feels the injuries he has suffered have prevented him from being viewed as one of the top guys in WWE.
“Yeah, that has hurt me a lot as far as that goes,” he said. “It would be interesting to have seen what would have happened had I not had my neck surgery shortly after WrestleMania last year. And when I say that, when I say he doesn’t see me as ‘the guy’, I’m not blaming him. He has good reason to not see me as ‘the guy’. Right? (laughs) There’s plenty of reasons for me to not be ‘the guy’. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t see me as a valuable performer.”
Check out the complete interview at SportingNews.com.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently appeared as a guest on the Busted Open Radio show to talk about the status of his injuries and recovery. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On the chance that WWE won’t clear him to wrestle in WWE: “Yes, there is that chance. But I told them, regardless of them, if they won’t clear me … we’re independent contractors, in theory … and I WILL wrestle again. I am cleared by the neurologist in Phoenix that I’ve been going to see. It’s not like he’s a quack doctor. He was the neurologist for the Super Bowl … who has no problems in clearing me with no limitations. But you also have to understand that WWE is not only looking out for my best interest, but they have to look out for their company as well, and I understand all of that too. There is nothing vindictive or anything there’s just a lot of hurdles to go through at this point with getting cleared by WWE. I had a sit-down with Vince and Hunter about this and said, “Hey, this is my passion. I understand why you guys wouldn’t clear me but we only get, as far as we know, one life. And you’re not going to let me do my passion?”
On the specifics of his injuries: “Well, it’s actually not a neck issue, my neck is completely fine. It’s more of a concussion issue. And Brie was very hesitant about this whole thing and that’s why WWE is very protective over me too. Everyone is more aware of concussions and that’s why, with WWE, I don’t see what they’re doing, as far as making me go through all these hurdles, I don’t see that as a negative. They’re protecting me and especially in this era of concussion awareness. Brie at first was like, ‘Hmm, I’m not sure, given your history.’ But when we met with the neurologist in Phoenix and we went through all the testing and he said: ‘Ok, all of my testing is not just coming back good, it’s coming back excellent.’ As far as my brain right now, it’s at a level above most people who have never had a concussion my age.
“When you are looking at scores of like: Bad, poor, fair, good, great, excellent — it’s at those great-excellent levels. So all of that to say, she had gone from being very skeptical about it to being very supportive of me being able to wrestle again. And she is someone who will flat out say, ‘I’m not just interested in what happens to him 2 years from now or five years from now’ and she doesn’t care about the money or anything like that, she is interested of where I’m at 20 years from now. The deal with my arm, they told me this because I waited so long to get the surgery, my right arm might never get back to full strength of my left arm. So right now, it’s about 85 percent and it hasn’t improved much in a while. But because the nerve had been cut off for so long, there is a very good chance that that will never come back. But, it’s not like I’m feeble with my right arm. My left hand, and we’re going mostly by grip strength because my triceps strength and all that kind of stuff is equal on both sides. My grip strength on my left hand is about 150 pounds of pressure and my grip strength in my right hand is about 130 pounds of pressure. The average male my age is about 100 pounds of pressure. So it’s not like I’m ‘arrrggghhhhh poor me!'”