8. Considering Himself To Be The Antithesis Of A WWE Star, Bryan Tried To Make A Career In Japan Instead...
After his first tenure with the WWE came to a somewhat ignominious end, Danielson began to have doubts about his career path. He knew that he was a talented wrestler; he also knew that he was a gifted athlete, but, at the same time, it was pretty obvious that the WWE's roster was a field of angry giants... It was the early 2000's, WWE Main Event slots were headed up by stars like The Rock (6,5 & 260 lbs), 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (6,2 & 252) and Triple H (6,4 & 255). In addition, there were also veritable behemoths like The Undertaker (6,10 & 299), Kane (7,0 & 323) and The Big Show (7,2 & 410). What chance did the 5,10 and (at that time) 180lbs Danielson have? Not much, or so he felt. In Japan however, wrestling is a far more respected trade than it is in the West and, as a result, the athleticism and technical skill of a wrestler are often far more valued than their charisma and merchandise-selling potential. Regular Japanese tours have sustained many a wrestler deemed "boring" "uncharismatic" or "too little" by mainstream American audiences. Because of this, Japan is a very important place for pro wrestling. Japanese shows are, in a very real sense, an enormous part of an American wrestler's livelihood. Bryan toured Japan as 'The American Dragon', wrestling in stars and stripes and underneath a dragon mask. Eventually, he obtained a spot with NJPW (New Japan Pro Wresting), one of the country's foremost promotions. He teamed with current TNA star Christopher Daniels (in his 'other' identity as Curry Man) to win the Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles. Overall though, Danielson was dissatisfied with his time in Japan. His hopes of becoming a prominent star in the country, whilst enjoying subsequent anonymity in America, came to little and he once again returned to the US. However, his sterling ring work in Japan led to Danielson being booked to appear with upstart independent promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and it is from there that we shall continue our story (after the next random fact)...