One MIND-BLOWING Secret From Every Year Of WWE History

9. 2016 - Daniel Bryan Tried To Get Himself Fired

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WWE

Daniel Bryan was convinced that he did not have to retire in late 2015, and indeed spent the two next two-plus years doing everything he could on his own time to gain clearance from multiple world-renowned medical experts. 

Onscreen, since he remained under WWE contract, he went the usual route and was positioned as an onscreen authority figure. He was also the co-host of WWE’s supplementary talk show Talking Smack. It was beloved by a niche Network audience precisely because it felt very little like a WWE production. It wasn’t scripted. 

WWE didn’t care about it until it removed focus from SmackDown: the chemistry between Bryan and Renee Young was so wonderful that it only underscored how synthetic and fake-feeling WWE TV was. 

Bryan was remarkably candid; when he wasn’t questioning the scientific aptitude of AJ “maybe your feet are flat” Styles, he was accusing the Miz of being a terrible wrestler who fundamentally misunderstood that the medium is meant to be exciting and that isn’t possible without a degree of risk. 

When reuniting with Renee on her Sessions podcast in 2022, Danielson, revealed that he was so frustrated at not being cleared to compete that, hoping to get the sack - despite being warned repeatedly not to do so - he kept intimating that James Ellsworth has a “huge hog”.

 
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Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!