WWE News: Daniel Bryan Reveals Original Plans For Intercontinental Title Before He Was Injured

The WWE Intercontinental Championship is one of the most prestigious championships in the history of the company, but, unfortunately, it’s tough to recall the last time the IC title meant anything as it’s been well over a decade since it held any prestige.

However, much like they’ve done with the United States Championship, WWE was planning to restore the prestige of the IC title by putting it on Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 31. However, Bryan’s run with the title was cut short due to an injury he suffered shortly after winning the title.

After Daniel Bryan was forced to relinquish the IC title, Ryback became the new champion after he defeated five other men in an Elimination Chamber match. But, much like Bryan, Ryback has floundered with the title due to injury, and no one really knows when “The Big Guy” will be back.

Some have wondered what WWE’s original plans for the Intercontinental Championship were before Bryan was hurt, and Daniel recently revealed what his pitch was for the IC title. His idea was to have the title be exclusive to SmackDown as he wanted to be the face of WWE’s Thursday night show.

“One of the things that I wanted to do when I came back [from my neck injury] was do something with the Intercontinental Championship, and my big pitch was, ‘I want to be the Intercontinental Champion, and I only want to be on SmackDown.’ Because, one of my things was, I would have never gotten the chance to be the World Heavyweight Champion if there wasn’t split brands. If there was just one title, they would have never, ever given me that opportunity.”

Bryan also noted that he’s a huge fan of the brand split, and he wishes WWE would go back to it because it gives more wrestlers a chance to learn how to be the focal point of a show. Plus, as Bryan mentioned before, it gives wrestlers a chance to be the world champion of a brand when they otherwise would never have the opportunity.

As for when Bryan will return, he says that his personal doctor has cleared him, but the WWE doctor will not. Bryan was hoping to return at this month’s SummerSlam, but it’s clear that he’ll be missing that event.

Some believe that Daniel Bryan’s in-ring career is over, but Bryan has promised that he will wrestle again, and he also says that if WWE doesn’t clear him to wrestle, he’ll end up wrestling for someone else because he doesn’t feel like it’s the right time to end his career.

[Image via WWE]