10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About the Universal Championship
8. Daniel Bryan Buried It On Talking Smack
Before fans even got a glimpse of the Universal Championship’s design, its name alone was already being ridiculed by none other than Daniel Bryan.
As SmackDown’s General Manager at the time, Bryan wasn’t shy about voicing his opinions, and during an episode of Talking Smack, he took a hilarious swipe at Raw’s new World title. Mocking the name, he joked that if Raw had a Universal Champion, then SmackDown might as well introduce a Galactic Champion or even Milky Way Tag Team Titles.
While Bryan’s comments were clearly tongue-in-cheek, they resonated with fans who already felt the title’s branding was too corporate and lacked the prestige of the WWE Championship. His remarks quickly went viral, with many seeing them as a rare moment of honesty from within WWE itself.
For a respected figure like Bryan to openly mock the title before it even debuted wasn’t exactly the best endorsement—probably because it was a little too close to the truth.