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Greetings from Day 1 of Wizard World Chicago featuring In The Ring with Daniel Bryan.
The panel ran late due to the lengthy lines at the autograph sections for both Bryan and Orton. Mo Lightning of ConRadio.com introduces us to Daniel Bryan to a resounding sound of “Yes!” chants and jumped straight into Q&As:
1) How do you like being filmed on total divas are you typically annoyed?
Sometimes its fun, but sometimes its very annoying due to the schedule. One of the coolest things he was able to do being a part of Total Divas was fly out his and Brie’s families out to propose in front of them in a custom built structure in the woods. It was also the first time the families were able to meet each other and makes up for the annoyance of things.
2) If you had the chance to choose one more opponent, who would it be?
The one match that he wants is a match with Brock Lesnar. But WWE may not allowed it to happen because he may be legitimately killed.
3) Who inspired you growing up?
So many people outside of the wrestling world inspired him. His mother and his father were big inspirations due to growing up without money, but never being able to complain about it.He spoke about his parent’s divorce and through that entire time he never heard them talk bad about each other. They were quality beings that inspired him.
4) What was the hardest thing he had to come over throughout his entire life?
There were not really “hard things” for a long time in his life. The hardest thing for him was his father passing last year since it was such a real thing, especially with the upcoming NFL season. He shared memories when they were able to celebrate together that the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, but with NFL coming up, it’s not as fun since he is no longer there to share it with him. Missing those things that you share with people in your life that you don’t have any more is the hardest thing.
5) What was your favorite moment with Connor?
Bryan’s favorite was when he came to DC Raw before Wrestlemania 30. Doing the entrance together before RAW and witnessing Connor punch Triple H was amazing. The only hard thing was watching his father who, while Connor took it in stride, had a reaction was the most touching sight to see.
6) Who was your favorite WWE wrestler growing up?
It evolved as he grew older. Anybody with an animal was his favorite growing up, Bulldogs, Koko, Jake the Snake. Then it evolved into liking the Ultimate Warrior, then Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Then Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, etc.
7) Are there any commentators or superstars or divas you don’t like being around?
That is a very good question because there is really not. There are people there that can be off putting, but you don’t “have” to be around them. If you got Brie and Nichole up there, then there would be a long list. He likes pretty much everybody, but everybody has bad days, gets annoyed, and gets annoying.
8) Does your finisher have a name yet?
He calls it the running knee. It was proposed to him to have it called “the Crusher” in honor of Connor. It was also proposed to be called the Knee Plus. There is no name yet, so it’s just the running knee.
9) What was your favorite activity to do as a kid?
Doesn’t know if he has a favorite. Eating cookies was probably his favorite thing to do.
10) If you can take one wrestler from now, who will be the one that will have a hall of fame career?
The right question is maybe who deserves more opportunities to be put into that position? Cesaro. Bryan disagrees on Vince’s version of the IT factor since he believes the IT factor is getting people to care through their wrestling. Cesaro is his favorite to watch now.
11) DX or nWo?
Boriquas. Los. Boriquas.
12) If you had a chose to match to watch over of you own, what would it be?
The match he has been most proud of was against KENTA because he loves the build and the emotion of putting together a match. In the WWE era, he had a lot of stuff he really enjoyed, but nothing that hit him at that level of emotionality like “We did this.” The WWE doesn’t need him to do it because there will be 13,000 people three nights in a row in Brooklyn without him. They don’t need Bryan to sell things out. ROH needed big matches to do big business. Some of the things he did there had a legitimate effect on how many people showed up and that felt like his own thing.
13) Have you proposed to work the NXT roster down in Florida?
Yes he has, but since he still plans to come back to wrestling, he won’t say anything because it may still happen.
14) Would you use your save on the Season finale to automatically put anybody through?
(Sarcasm) To avoid spoilers of future episodes, Bryan spoils that he saved ZZ on Tuesday because… “no spoilers” and he will automatically win.
15) What was Plan B in case wrestling didn’t work out?
He didn’t have a plan B but one of the cool things growing up was that he had an English Teacher who didn’t know how they expect kids to go straight from high school into paying high tuitions in college in for something you’re supposed to learn about a field you will work in. What his teacher admitted was that he went into the Peace Corps. After this new world experience, he was able to determine what he liked to do and since became a teacher and has loved his career ever since. Bryan had no other interests other than wrestling. If he went and tried wrestling and failed, he may have had a better understanding of what he wanted to do because he wanted to do nothing else.
16) What’s your thought on Samoa Joe coming to WWE?
It’s about time since he has known Joe since around 2001. He’s very good and deserves to be there.
17) In a sixth month period since 2011, there were multiple theme songs for him-- who made this choice?
After he was fired and came back, he had this really generic music and brought up that he would really like Ride of the Valkyires instead. As he was going to wrestle Edge for his one and only time, Billy Kidman informed him on the way to ring he had new music and was then played instantly. It wasn’t what he envisioned in his head, he came out and saw an entire audience just staring at him in disbelief. Edge is in the ring just laughing hysterically and later he went back to rewatch it and Miz and Michael Cole are on commentary just ripping him to shreds. After the initial song, they tried a couple of different variations, but he does remember the very dramatic switch to his current iteration.
<Kid yells out Don’t Trust The Miz> Bryan tells everybody that should be tonight’s sole takeaway.
18) What are your ideas on Kurt Angle publically stating he would like Daniel Bryan to retire him?
He would love a match with Kurt Angle. It would be absolutely awesome and has a million ideas on it. There are a lot of things that he shouldn’t say things publicly with the Jon Cone, the corporate stooge, here but there is this legitimate idea about WWE not wanting me to wrestle. But if they don’t ever again let him in the future, why not have that become his only way to wrestle Kurt (implied out of WWE contract).
19) If you weren’t able to wrestle again, what role would you want with the WWE?
Daniel honestly doesn’t know. He sees former wrestlers as produces and as trainers and he believes it would be hard for him due to his love of wrestling and not being able to perform that part. Helping and training would be too close to him and breaking from the wrestling business and doing something else would be a better role. It’s hard enough to be on Tough Enough since he watches somebody like ZZ who has this amazing personality that’s incredible for wrestling, but it frustrates him so much because all he needs to do is get in a little bit of better shape to build endurance and he could be a world beater that people would come to the shows to watch. He legitimately has that “thing” and that was something he never had as a personality type and it’s hard to watch that because it gets frustrating. When people at NXT asks Bryan to gives them his opinion, these new trainees have no idea what he is talking about. When he was telling the Tough Enough kids what he believes they “Actually Do” in the wrestling business, Billy Gunn had that look on his face as Bryan rambled wondering “what is he talking about?!” He is good at teaching technique, but he isn’t good at motivating or being able to explain his ideas.
20) What is your favorite WWE shirt and why is there no flannel version of it yet?
A flannel shirt is a funny idea, but he believes that a Brie Flannel shirt needs to happen instead so she doesn’t get upset. [Note: WWE just released one] All of his shirts are cool in his eyes. He appreciates when we buy his shirts, but his idea is to instead of buying his shirts, just make your own shirts. He’s not talking about going to a print shop, but instead take any shirt you have, turn it inside out, put “yes” on it with white tape, and if there was a movement, that would be the coolest thing in his eyes. Times are tough and its expensive to get to shows. He appreciates people buying his shirts, but the time it takes to spend 3 minutes and $20 to buy a shirt at an arena, a family can spend 5-20 minutes together making a “yes” shirt and it would bring them closer together and cost little money.
21) What are your thoughts on CM Punk leaving?
It makes him sad since he always had this idea in his head that some point they would wrestle each other at Wrestlemania. He envisioned them as this generation’s Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels. It made him sad, but the flip side is that it was directly one of the causes of him main-eventing Wrestlemania. He has mixed emotions on it. The hardest thing is knowing that Punk lost his passion for wrestling because growing in this business together he used to LOVE wrestling like Daniel loved it.
22) Besides your wife, who is your best friend in the company?
William Regal is a close mentor/friend, but there are just so many people. He loves Kane because he’s such a good human being. He loves Cody Rhodes, “THE” Ryback, but he loves Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Seth Rollins and loves being around this amazing thing where they are around a lot of funny, real cool people with different takes on life. He enjoys John Cena, even though they are different personalities. He has Lamborghinis, Bryan has a Honda Fit without automatic locks. Cena is so smart and so witty, though. Big Show… he loves being around Big Show. Randy Orton is just amazing and honest. Being around all of these incredible personalities is one of the favorite parts of the job.
23) In terms of the near future, do you have any idea on when you are coming back?
He can say this, it is Jon Cone’s fault. (Note: The WWE rep that accompanied him). The legitimate answer is he doesn’t know. There was a concussion in April, multiple concussions earlier in his career and the WWE is looking out for Bryan. The neurologist of the Super Bowl cleared him (who is an independent doctor not part of the NFL) without limitations. Unfortunately there is a lot of grey area around concussions still. WWE is more cautious, but that is part of the deal. The when? “I don’t know.” Will they? “I don’t know.” But Daniel Bryan is training right now to come back at a call’s notice. He can main event Summerslam if they let him, but hopes that internet rumor does not start of him coming back in the main event Sunday.
Note: There was no mention regarding the nerves in his arm and his discussion was primarily around concussions.
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