Opinion

Daniel Bryan’s Options (in and out of WWE)

Published

7 years ago

June 6, 2018

September 1 will be here before we know it, and with it the big decision on what Daniel Bryan is going to do with the rest of his career. No one of knows what’s going to happen, and you should really disregard any ‘reports’ you see about what he’s thinking or how he’s feeling. The people putting those out have a vested interest in him leaving the WWE, for click bait and/or because they prefer to see him outside of WWE. ‘Daniel Bryan stays in WWE’ is not a story, and you can only get maybe one episode of your three hour whinefest YouTube asking why he stayed. ‘Daniel Bryan leaves’ is gold for months of WWE bashing. But aside from wanting to stay because it what’s most comfortable for you or wanting him to leave because you have fantasy booking dreams for him elsewhere, what are the possibilities for him in each case? I played around with the choices and here’s what I came up with:

ROH

It depends on whether or not he works there full time, which of courses is unlikely. But just playing along here let’s include it as a possibility. My guess is that he would get hotshot to the top of the card pretty quickly and may even win the ROH World Title. He could work with Jay Lethal, Dalton Castle, and all the Bullet Club guys who work there, among others. Sounds really good and it would be really good at first. But what happens after a year or so once he’s run the gamut of opponents there? Is he going to hold their title in perpetuity until he decides to hang it up?

If he does ROH part time it becomes even more dicey. Sure they can put him in the main event picture, but with him coming and going a serious title run is a no go. Sure he could win the title but he’d likely be trading it off with other guys there along the way, while working tag matches, six man tags, etc. If you’re a big Daniel Bryan fan is that the future you want for him, trading title wins with Castle, Cody Rhodes, and others? And when the inevitable day comes that Castle, Rhodes, Lethal, etc go to WWE does he hang around and be the big fish in a little pond with no real competition?

In short, either way a hot start likely gives way to a not so hot middle and finish.

The Indie Scene

What if he primarily sticks to the indie scene? To be honest I don’t see that happening. The life of an indie wrestler after where he’s been in WWE can’t be that appealing. He’s not Jack Swagger or Ryback. Outside of the high profile stuff like PWG, and matches against the same guys he’d be facing in ROH and Japan, what else is there for him? Do you really think he’s going to be out there in podunk towns working against local guys, or former WWE co workers, even for a big check? If you’re a fan of his do you really want to have to hunt his indie matches down on YouTube or hope he comes through somewhere near you sometime, as opposed to being able to see him on TV every week? You ready to go to an indie show to see him take on……..Joey Mercury? I mean, if a match with Big Cass is an outrage what do you call that? If he goes the indie route it will likely be along with working ROH or Impact and New Japan. But I don’t see it happen outside of doing the prestige indie stuff.

Impact

No way this happens, but if it did it would be worse version of ROH. There aren’t as many guys in Impact that anyone is dying to see him face. Daniel Bryan vs Austin Aries? Sure……… Right……..

New Japan

I saved this one for a reason, because it’s not quite as simple. Because of the way New Japan is set up, the hotshot scenario isn’t going to happen. They have their main event guys in place for the next few years so they don’t need him to pop a buyrate or juice ticket sales, but there are a ton of guys there who could have some really good matches with him. Okada, Omega, Naito, Tanahashi, Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr, Will Ospreay, and many more. He’ll have his dance card filled up for a while. But New Japan books a lot of tag matches and six man tags, and tournaments to decide who gets the next title shot so the action he gets on a regular basis may not be what you expect. He may also end up a fixture in the light heavyweight division instead of the heavyweight division. You ok with that? I’m guessing you wouldn’t be if he were to be moved to 205 Live in WWE. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re going to get him in there with the big guns of the company, but those are going to be spaced out and a lot of it will be in tag matches……kinda like what’s likely to happen if he stays in WWE.

There’s a genuine allure to New Japan for Bryan and for us in that there are a lot of names to face and a lot of epic potential encounters that won’t be limited to 8 minutes on Smackdown or 15 minutes on a pay per view. If and when Bryan takes on someone like Ospreay they’re gonna get 25 to 30 minutes to go, and if he gets Okada they could go an hour. Which will make for a real interesting situation for Bryan’s fans who’ve only watched him in WWE, because if you’re not used to watching longer matches like that it can take some getting used to. Which of course begs the question of whether you are a fan of Daniel Bryan, WWE superstar or Brian Danielson, professional wrestler. If it’s the former then this whole New Japan thing may not be as enticing in practice as it is in theory. But if it’s the latter, and you already watch and understand how New Japan works, then it’ll be Christmas in September for you.

And now for the last choice….

Stay in WWE

Now this may not look like a lot of fun to you right now. You don’t like that they put him with Cass and you’re not confident that he’s going to get the return to the throne at WrestleMania that you think he deserves. But if you’re a fan of Daniel Bryan and you’re concerned about Brian Danielson the man then maybe you should reconsider whether this is such a bad thing. He’s likely to get the best medical attention right there. Vince has all the incentive in the world to make sure he’s taken care of as much as possible so as to not jeopardize his future after retirement, because no matter where Bryan spends the rest of his career if something bad happens the news reports will read ‘former WWE wrestler Brian Danielson who performed under the name Daniel Bryan’ with little to no mention of the decade he spent outside the company taking all kinds of crazy bumps. He’d still be able to use the name that he’s gotten most famous with. (By the way, props to Vince for coming up with the much more chant ready Daniel Bryan for a name than Brian Danielson). And on top of that if you want to see Daniel Bryan hold up a world major championship belt in victory as the new champion, the place that is most likely to happen is in WWE. Not New Japan. Sometimes safe is the best choice.

So what to do?

Now what do I think he should do? I’m 44 years old with two kids so I’m inclined to vote for the safest option. But if he wanted to leave for a year to do some things and then come back that would be ok in my book. I do think that ultimately what would be most satisfying to the fans of Daniel Bryan, WWE superstar would be for him to stay, even if you don’t like what he’s doing right this minute. We’ll see what happens!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

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SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

4 weeks ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1