WWE SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of SI.com about various topics. Here are the highlights.
On his relationship with CM Punk:
“I haven’t talked to Punk since I texted him when he came on the UFC show in a suit and said he was going to fight in the UFC,” said Bryan. “I just texted him and said, ‘Hey man, I just saw that and think it’s awesome. I hope you do great.’ Punk texted back, ‘Thanks.’ That’s the last I’ve heard from him. I’ve always respected and appreciated Punk, but we never really hung out. We came from the same route, but we didn’t necessarily hang out in the same circles. I’ve always had a great appreciation and respect for his hard work.”
On his issues with The Miz:
“I never once doubted how hard Miz works,” said Bryan. “I don’t think people need to take my route to have success in pro wrestling. My wife didn’t go through the indies, but she still worked very hard and was passionate about what she did. I don’t think there is a certain route you need to take. Like most of the WWE superstars, Miz is on the road 200-plus days a year, and he does a lot more media than a lot of the other guys, so he’s working all the time. My critiques of him have always been, ‘Hey, I would do this differently.’ We just have different views on wrestling. He wants to live in LA in a million dollar mansion, and I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that. My wife and I live in an under 1,400 square foot house and we really enjoy that. It’s different takes on different styles of living, but I respect every WWE superstar. Everybody puts a lot on the line. We’re all gone from our families a lot, and wrestling takes a toll on our bodies, regardless of the style you wrestle.”
On working with Shane McMahon:
“I really hadn’t worked with Shane before, but one of the things I love about him is he has a very positive attitude towards everything,” said Bryan. “He’s a positive person to work for. For example, there was a shot we did backstage, and the camera guy was new and didn’t quite understand what Shane wanted on a live shot, but Shane spoke to him in a positive way. He doesn’t demean people and he’s always about lifting people up.”
