Following the broadcast of Friday Night SmackDown, Daniel Bryan joined the cast of Talking Smack to talk about the current WWE roster and make a surprising announcement.
The main focus of the former WWE Champion’s diatribe was about the next generation of superstars and how past legends had done a poor job of pushing them into the spotlight.
When questioned about those following in his footsteps, Daniel Bryan had this to say:
“One of the things that past generations hasn’t done a great job of is realizing that the younger generation needs more of a spotlight. Because we’ve had so much time on TV and everyone is like, ‘Oh man, Daniel Bryan is on TV’ and everyone gets excited when I do the ‘YES!’ chants so let’s put him on TV more. What makes me good right now is [my mind] and is no longer my athletic ability. With WWE, the thing that’s going to bring in the young fans…I’m nearly a 40-year-old dad, I’m not cool. I see all these guys who can bring a younger audience to the show and that gets me excited.”
With his point made and his wish to highlight the next generation of stars ahead of himself, the leader of the ‘Yes Movement’ moved onto a more solemn subject. That of his impending exit from the ring:
“I haven’t said anything about this, but in my mind, this is kinda my last run. This is my last run as a full-time superstar. It’s not really a scoop. You can feel it in even in just the way I approach things and the way my mentality is as far as my view towards younger people and all that kind of stuff and when I do this, as I’m doing this last run, my thing isn’t like, ‘I gotta prove to everybody that I’m the best.’ When I’m out there, I’m proving things to myself and I want things better for the younger talent.”
"I haven't said anything about this but in my mind this is my last run." – @WWEDanielBryan#TalkingSmackpic.twitter.com/RQH0s2J0YI
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) October 24, 2020
While his announcement that this current run will be his last is sure to set tongues wagging, especially with his current contract expiring in Fall next year, there’s still a lot more left in the tank as Bryan proved during the blue brand’s final hype for Hell in a Cell.
In his first match since crashing to AJ Styles in June in a failed attempt to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship, Daniel Bryan teamed with new partner Kevin Owens and The Street Profits to overcome Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura in an 8-Man Tag Team Match.
Bryan and Kevin Owens will now target the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships while the star waits to get his hands on ‘The Greater Good’ Seth Rollins.
Credit for the interview: Talking Smack
h/t for the transcript: Fightful