Daniel Bryan joined David Shoemaker and Peter Rosenberg on ESPN’s Cheap Heat podcast, to promote his new book, Yes! My Improbable Journey To The Main Event Of WrestleMania. Here are the highlights, and be sure to check out the full podcast at this link.
* The hosts pretend to read off their notes and call Daniel Bryan a “professional wrestler,” and he’s surprised it doesn’t say “sports entertainer.” As is turns out, they were joking, but Daniel Bryan said he doesn’t get reprimanded for using the term. He notes that in WWE appearances, he’ll just say “WWE Superstar.”
* Daniel Bryan says he feels great, and says “The situation is I’ve been cleared by one doctor in Phoenix, but the WWE doctor is hesitant to clear me. I guess they don’t want me really talking about it.”
* Bryan thinks that from WWE’s perspective, they wanted him to bring prestige back to the Intercontinental title. He says the situation unfolds on the new season of Total Divas.
* Bryan talks about missing a flight for the Money in the Bank PPV because nobody told him he was needed for the show. He contacted travel people and writers, and nobody had any idea why.
* He says WWE is looking out for his best interests, and times have changed.
* “There’s mixed opinions on what’s best for me,” Bryan said. “It’s not like I just have some guy who’s my buddy who just happens to be a doctor (that cleared me).”
* Daniel Bryan confirmed that a combination of CM Punk leaving and Batista not panning out as reasons why he ended up main eventing WrestleMania. He says that the idea was presented a couple of weeks after the Royal Rumble. He said that he’s not kept abreast of things.
* He says he had to contact John Cena to get Vince McMahon’s number and said Vince has called him twice in his life, one of which was in 2008 before an ROH show. He says he tells the story in the book.
* Initially, he felt the pressure of being Bryan Danielson in WWE instead of Daniel Bryan, but CM Punk’s career path helped WWE give him an opportunity.
* Daniel Bryan says he gets more frustrated following Brie’s career than his, because guys get more opportunities. “If I’m on TV and losing every week, I’m losing in ten minutes. I get the opportunity that I can wrestle. For the Divas it’s different.” He says it’s hard to be popular when you’re losing in three minute matches every week. He puts over Total Divas, and how hard the twins work.
* Bryan says he still thinks as a wrestler and has plenty of ideas saved up. He still watches wrestling when he’s bored.
