Tag: Daniel Bryan

AEW Star CM Punk Drops Major Hint About Daniel Bryan’s Future

AEW’s CM Punk made a cheeky reference to his fellow former WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) on the latest edition of AEW Dynamite.

All Elite Wrestling’s newest big-name signing has dropped a major hint regarding a heavily rumored potential acquisition for the company — Daniel Bryan.

It all went down on TNT during the most recent edition of AEW’s flagship show, Dynamite. Following on from last Friday’s episode of Rampage, CM Punk made his second appearance on an AEW show and his first appearance on Dynamite when he made joined Tony Schiavone in the ring for a chat at the top of the second hour.

Punk was there to share some more thoughts on return and perhaps address a few bullet points that he may have missed last week due to time constraints. But he was also there to hype up his upcoming ALL OUT match with Darby Allin, which will be Punk’s first match in over seven years.

After announcing that he was retiring his “Voice Of The Voiceless” monicker due to the fact that the AEW locker room has its own voice to which people are willing to listen, Punk sang the praises of his ALL OUT opponent.

“I look at Darby Allin and I see someone who would have been my favorite wrestler when I was 15 years old,” Punk said before referencing a series of questions he’s been asking himself later. “Can you still go?! Can you still be the best?! Can you still be the Best In The World?!” he said with passion in his voice as the members of the audience began to answer the question for him in unison.

With the crowd chanting “YES! YES! YES!” Punk cheekily called attention to the recent reports that Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) is on his way to AEW.

“That’s somebody else’s schtick, and ya might just need to be a little more patient,” Punk said with a wry smile and a look in his eye that screamed, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

https://twitter.com/FiteTV/status/1430698138835329024

Source: TheSportster

Daniel Bryan Has Signed A Contract With AEW, Partial Terms Of Deal Revealed [Report]

An exclusive report by Bodyslam.net confirms that Daniel Bryan is locked in and signed with AEW. What are the terms he asked for in his deal?

This past week, speculation was everywhere that Daniel Bryan was no longer negotiating a return to WWE. He’d been removed from all of their side projects and partners who work closely with WWE of merchandise like action figures and video games have been told he’s no longer a part of the company plans. But, did that mean he was destined to go to AEW? Apparently so.

A new report that surfaced on Wednesday notes that Bryan has, in fact, signed a deal to debut with AEW and as Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net reports, Bryan (aka Bryan Danielson) is “locked in” and has “100% signed a contract with AEW.”

A follow up report also notes that Danielson was wanting to work less dates for comparable money, which AEW has accepted. It also important he get to work in Japan, which AEW is supportive of. Finally, he wanted to have creative input on his character, and AEW didn’t mind granting him that request either.

If this report is accurate, this obviously huge news for AEW and a big loss for WWE. Bryan is a major name in the wrestling business. Not only that, he’s exactly the type of personality and mentor that will be a great fit for that locker room.

For fans wondering if this is going to be something that happens quickly, they’ll need to have a little patience. Plans are already in the works to make his debut special but tentative debut plans might be to have him to appear for the first time in AEW at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on September 22.

The report suggested the CM Punk news and his negotiations with AEW may have altered the plans for Bryan, who AEW was originally thinking about bringing in after the All Out pay-per-view.

WWE Reportedly “Pushing Hard” To Sign Daniel Bryan To New Deal

The WWE is reportedly “pushing hard” to sign Daniel Bryan to a new contract, according to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer.

Bryan’s WWE contract expired last week, or was set to expire last week. Meltzer added that Bryan’s contract did indeed expire this past Friday following his loss in a Career vs. Title match to WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on SmackDown.

Since the loss to Reigns, Bryan has been moved to the Alumni section on WWE’s official website.

Bryan recently stated that he would be interested in wrestling for other wrestling companies as well as WWE. He also recently praised Kenny Omega during an interview with Robbie Fox on My Mom’s Basement.

“I have a lot of respect for Kenny Omega,” Bryan stated. “And it’s not just the great matches he’s put on. It’s also that he looks at wrestling differently than anybody else.

“When you look at say, the Young Bucks, who you’d think of in a similar vein. You can see where the Young Bucks take of wrestling is. It’s like a takeoff, a genius takeoff, of the wrestling they loved when they were younger. And mimicking it but also evolving from that and evolving from the takes from that. That’s why I think it resonates with so many people, the way that they wrestle.

“Kenny, it doesn’t have a previous evolution point. It’s just these completely new things that have entered his head that he’s daring to try.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Why Aleister Black And Kevin Owens Are Missing WWE Saudi Arabia Event

Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Aleister Black will not be appearing at the upcoming WWE Super ShowDown event on Friday, June 7th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Black’s absence was a company decision due to some of his tattoos having a religious connotation. Black has generally kept quiet regarding the meaning behind his body art, although he did reveal the meaning of his back tattoo in an interview with The Daily Star in 2017.

“I don’t really talk about the meaning of my tattoos, but I will give you that one,” Black said. “The being on my back is Lilith, in some folklore she is the first woman to ever rebel against paradise. The reason she is there for equality, equality for every man and woman – which is the most important thing there is.”

Bryan is likely not appearing at the event for the same reasons that he skipped last November’s Crown Jewel show in Riyadh. While he wrestled at WWE’s first big show in Saudi Arabia, The Greatest Royal Rumble, last April, he had since learned more of the country’s treatment of homosexuals. Bryan was also upset that Sami Zayn was not being allowed on those shows because of his Syrian ancestry, which he felt was racist. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Syria in 2012, and Zayn had started a #SamiForSyria mobile clinic in Syria in 2017.

WWE issued the following statement at the time regarding Zayn’s absence from the event:

“WWE is committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs and cultural differences around the world.”

According to The Observer, company sources stated that Owens is declining to work the show because his family asked him not to go. It was noted that there may have been other reasons, including Zayn not being allowed to work the show. Owens had been in a program with WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. Dolph Ziggler was pulled out of an appearance in Australia the weekend of Super Showdown and will now face Kingston for the title.

The only other star that refused to work Crown Jewel was John Cena, who is not scheduled for WWE Super ShowDown.

WWE Super ShowDown takes place on Friday, June 7th, at the King Abdullah Sports City’s King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Daniel Bryan And Kevin Owens Not Going To Saudi Arabia For WWE Super ShowDown

Daniel Bryan is once again not going to Saudi Arabia for the WWE Super ShowDown event on Friday, June 7th in Jeddah. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Bryan has once again declined going to the show.

Bryan had wrestled at WWE’s first big show in Saudi Arabia, The Greatest Royal Rumble, last April. He had turned down working last November’s Crown Jewel event in Riyadh. It was reported in The Wrestling Observer at the time that Bryan turned it down because he had learnt about Saudi Arabia’s treatment of homosexuals, as well as about Sami Zayn not being allowed in the country. Zayn was not allowed to work The Greatest Royal Rumble event because of his Syrian ancestry, which Bryan felt was racist. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Syria in 2012, and Zayn had started a #SamiForSyria mobile clinic in Syria in 2017.

At the time, WWE issued the following statement regarding Zayn’s absence from the event:

“WWE is committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs and cultural differences around the world.”

Kevin Owens is also skipping Super ShowDown in two weeks, which was first reported by Fightful. WWE Champion Kofi Kingston will now be facing Dolph Ziggler at the show. Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Ziggler being booked for the match was a last minute decision, as Ziggler was booked to be in Australia that weekend for the Oz Comic-Con. It was announced right before SmackDown went on the air that Ziggler would not be appearing at the Comic-Con, as seen below. His replacement has yet to be announced.

https://twitter.com/WWEAustralia/status/1131070153838321664

It is not known why Owens is skipping the Saudi Arabia event, although he is best friends with Zayn. Owens was at the Greatest Royal Rumble event last April, however was injured when Crown Jewel took place last November.

The only other star that refused to work Crown Jewel was John Cena, who is not scheduled for WWE Super ShowDown.

WWE Super ShowDown takes place on Friday, June 7th, at the King Abdullah Sports City’s King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Daniel Bryan And Rowan Are New SmackDown Tag Team Champs

Last night on WWE SmackDown Live, Daniel Bryan and Rowan defeat The Usos to capture the vacant SmackDown Tag Team Titles.

As noted, the SmackDown Tag Team Titles have been vacant since The Hardy Boys relinquished them last week due to Jeff Hardy’s right leg injury. Hardy will be out of action for 6-9 months.

Shane McMahon originally announce Bryan and Rowan as the new champions. The Usos took of advantage of the new Wild Card Rule coming to SmackDown from RAW and took issue with Bryan and Rowan being crowned champions without earning the titles. This led to Shane making The Usos vs. Bryan and Rowan for the titles. Bryan and Rowan won that match to begin their first title run together.

 

Bryan noted that they will be switching out the leather straps on the title belts because they disgust him. It looks like Bryan and Rowan will be using eco-friendly straps like he used on the WWE Title before losing it to Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35.

 

Speculation On Why Daniel Bryan Was Out Of Action

It was reported last week that  Daniel Bryan was cleared to return to the ring and could possibly get a storyline as soon as next week. Bryan has been absent from all WWE live events after his WrestleMania 35 match where he lost the WWE Championship to Kofi Kingston.

Bryan was initially scheduled to take on Kingston at WWE Money in the Bank on May 19, but his closely guarded injury forced WWE to call an audible and move Owens into that match.

Although it wasn’t confirmed, the speculation on this morning’s Wrestling Observer Radio was Bryan did sustain a concussion as that seems to be the assumption within the company. With Bryan’s past history with concussions and WWE not having a reason to hide a different injury, signs are pointing to that.

Dave Meltzer noted while getting a concussion is concerning going forward, it’s a positive it took this long for Bryan to get one since his return in early 2018, as opposed to getting one the week after returning. Another plus was Bryan getting clearance in a matter of weeks.

Bryan has previously mentioned wanting more of a part-time schedule in WWE, which will obviously cut down on the wear and tear from the ring. Last July, Bryan spoke to Gorilla Position about this topic.

“I’ve been talking to WWE about maybe doing a lighter schedule because when we first starting talking about this, when I sent that, when Vince [McMahon] told me to send the letter to Dr. Maroon, he said for me to say, ‘for a limited schedule’, like ‘revised concussion protocol for a limited schedule’, so then, they clear me and I’m just on everything!” Bryan said. “I was just like, ‘I wasn’t expecting this!’

“Anywhere between 50 and 100 matches a year, to me, [is ideal] because one of the doctors that cleared me at Barrow Neurological [Institute], Dr. Javier Cárdenas talked to me. He said, I think when he cleared me before in 2015, he said, ‘With all the stuff that [Bryan] had done on top of that, like, before I thought we dotted our Is and crossed our Ts, but the stuff you’ve done on your own, you’ve really scratched a big hole over the I and ripped, marked, through the T.’ And so, he said, ‘just so you know going forward, the less exposure you have, and this is for anybody whether you have a history of it or not, the healthier you’re going to be.

“So I was thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll do 75 to 100 matches a year or whatever it is.’ And now it looks to be way more than that, so if I were to change something, it’d be like I’d kind of like to do less, be away from home [less]. Like, for me, it’s not about wrestling less. It’s like I don’t want to be away from home this much.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Daniel Bryan WWE Return Update

Daniel Bryan has been cleared to return to WWE and will be written back into storylines soon, perhaps as early as next week, reports Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Bryan has not appeared at any live events or television tapings since suffering an undisclosed injury at WrestleMania last month. Bryan’s injury was reportedly being closely guarded. It is still not known exactly what the issue is.

The original plan was for Bryan to wrestle WWE Champion Kofi Kingston at the Money In the Bank pay-per-view on May 19th, however Kingston will now be facing Kevin Owens, who turned on Kingston last week despite just returning as a babyface two months earlier. The decision was made to turn Owens after Bryan was injured. It was noted in The Observer that if Bryan was cleared a couple of weeks ago, Owens would not have turned.

WWE does have Bryan advertised for the next SmackDown live event, which is on Monday at The Corbin Arena in Corbin, Kentucky, as well as Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Louisville. Updated advertising for summer SmackDown events also feature Bryan vs. Kingston.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Original Plans For Daniel Bryan And Kofi Kingston, WWE Turning Kevin Owens Heel

WWE officials originally had plans for Daniel Bryan to wrestle WWE Champion Kofi Kingston at the May 19 Money In the Bank pay-per-view, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. This would have been the rematch for their WrestleMania 35 title change, but as we’ve noted, Bryan suffered some sort of injury at WrestleMania and the nature of the injury is being closely guarded by the company.

There’s no word on when Bryan might be back in the ring or if they will pick back up on the Bryan vs. Kofi storyline, but Bryan’s injury is the why they turned Kevin Owens heel on SmackDown this week. As noted, Owens turned on Kofi and Xavier Woods after spending a week as an honorary member of The New Day due to Big E’s injury. The quick turn by Owens surprised a lot of fans, but Meltzer noted that WWE decided on the Owens heel turn a few days after WrestleMania 35 when Bryan was put on the shelf.

WWE went with Owens vs. Kofi after considering Randy Orton and Rowan, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. They also talked about bringing Drew McIntyre or Baron Corbin from RAW to feud with Kofi, or have WWE United States Champion Samoa Joe stay on the blue brand for the feud. They ultimately went with Owens.

WWE aired babyfaces vignettes for Owens that featured his son back in February and the plan was for Owens to return to work as a babyface, not for him to return and then turn heel. The original plan was for Owens to return as a “guy next door” who ate junk food, had the same problems as everyone else, and had kids, but could beat people up, according to the Observer. Owens was even given the Stone Cold Stunner as a finisher to help with the babyface gimmick. It was noted that WWE tested the Stunner out with RAW & SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at live events, before giving it to Owens.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Daniel Bryan WWE Status Notes Following WrestleMania 35 Injury Report

Daniel Bryan was not backstage for last night’s WWE SmackDown in Lincoln, Nebraska, according to PWInsider. Bryan had been advertised for the show locally.

Bryan has been away since losing the WWE Title to Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35 on April 7. Word coming out of the big event was that Bryan was dealing with an injury, and that the nature of his situation was being closely guarded by the company. It was reported that Bryan was to be examined by doctors following the post-WrestleMania SmackDown, but there’s been no news on what they found.

There are no WWE live events this weekend due to the upcoming European tour, but Bryan is not scheduled for Monday’s blue brand live event in Huntington, West Virginia. There’s no word yet on if he will work the European tour, but he is still advertised by WWE and locally.

Bryan was cleared to return to the ring in March 2018 after being out of action since April 2015 due to a history of concussions and the problems that came with them. Bryan went through a lengthy process to get cleared by WWE doctors and part of the agreement with WWE to get cleared was that he would see WWE doctors backstage after every match, he would undergo Impact concussion testing, and he would undergo a neuropsychological evaluation until WWE felt like he was okay.

Triple H spoke with The Express in 2018 and said the company would be keeping a close eye on Bryan’s health.

“He’s cleared his return to the ring, we’ll absolutely keep an eye out,” Triple H said. “As I said the other day, our first and foremost responsibility is the health and well-being of our talent when they are on the roster with us, so we want them to be as healthy as possible. That is extremely important to us and we will always try to do what is best for their health, their well-being and this situation is no different.”

Bryan has not tweeted since early March and his Twitter profile photo still features the WWE Title, indicating he’s been off social media since before WrestleMania. Stay tuned for updates on his status.

Source: Wrestling Inc.