Daniel Bryan has been absent from WWE television as an active competitor for most of 2015, but he still has an opinion as to how the WWE can better utilize talent while he’s away.
In a new interview with Yahoo! News Singapore, Bryan discussed his status with WWE, his favorite opponent, and the company being too reliant on part-timers and veterans to sell their biggest show of the year.
With Bryan’s recent comments that his WWE career may be over, the “YES! Man” maintained that he’s passed all the required tests and isn’t sure why he’s yet to be cleared.
“Well, the doctors have yet to clear me. I’ve passed every test, but the doctors haven’t cleared me yet.”
Bryan was then asked about WWE’s tendency to rely upon part-time performers. In recent years, names such as The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, The Rock, and others have been called in to be at Wrestlemania as the company tries to boost ticket sales, pay-per-view buys, and WWE Network subscriptions.
However, Bryan says that if WWE used this modern day philosophy of utilizing big-name veterans in place of building younger stars years ago, those same veterans they call upon today would have never reached their potential.
“Some wrestlers have long careers and wrestle long into their 40s. Sometimes young wrestlers get left off cards (the show line-up) like WrestleMania because of old guys coming back. In my opinion, if they had brought back guys like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage back when The Rock and Stone Cold were starting out, The Rock would have never become The Rock, and Stone Cold would have never become Stone Cold.”
As a veteran of the industry, Bryan also realizes that fans enjoy seeing those aforementioned names perform on the “Grandest Stage of Them All,” and that it’s a financially enticing motive for WWE. It’s all a “balancing act” according to Bryan, but he still believes the younger stars on the roster should get a chance to perform at WWE’s biggest event of the year.
“At WrestleMania, people still wanna see The Undertaker. This is kind of a balancing act. Although we are bringing back part-time wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and older wrestlers, I would like to see more young guys in higher positions in the card.”
A star like Sheamus — who Bryan has wrestled at two different Wrestlemania events — is somebody WWE should push more, per Bryan’s comments.
“Sheamus. I love his wrestling style. He wrestles a very physical style. I remember we did a European tour together and we were booked to wrestle each other every night. Our best match was right after my 18-second loss to Sheamus at Wrestlemania.”
With Wrestlemania 32 rapidly approaching, it’s expected that WWE will continue their trend of bringing in part-timers for the event. Lesnar is expected to compete in a high-profile match, The Undertaker is a staple of the event, so his inclusion is all but a guarantee. Then guys like Triple H, The Rock, and even former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey have been rumored to be at Wrestlemania.
Bryan wrestling at the event, however, seems like a longshot at this point. He’s been on the sidelines for most of the year, WWE is not clearing him, and he’s even teased wrestling elsewhereonce his contract expires.
Partnered with injuries to the likes of Seth Rollins, Cesaro, and Randy Orton, WWE could enter their biggest period of the year without several of its mainstays at its disposal.
[Images via WWE]
