WWE SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan revealed during an interview with Peter Rosenberg for Rosenberg Radio that he initially refused to retire from WWE when Vince McMahon asked him to do so following concerns regarding his health.Â
"I get the call from Vince McMahon on a Saturday and I retire on a Monday in Seattle, Washington. And I got a call on a Saturday from Vince McMahon and said, âI would like you to retire Monday in Seattle. I just think it would be the best for you,â that sort of thing. At first, I said, âI donât want to do it.â And then, I talked to Brie and called him back and I was like, âhey, if Iâm going to have to retire, my mom can be there, my friends can be there, there can be this support system around me.ââ Bryan noted, âI was very thankful that WWE gave me such a platform to retire on, but it was just a hard day.
Bryan added, "They asked me to do commentary for a thing that they did called the Cruiserweight Classic, which was on the WWE Network. And they asked me to do that, and I said, âyeah, that sounds great!â Itâs only 10 episodes and I only have too go do it a couple of times, and I get to help this young, independent talent because they were all unsigned talent at the time. And I thought it was great, but then, they told me, âyouâre coming back as the General Manager.â That wasnât a question. Thatâs not an ask. And I was like, âargh, I donât know if I want to do this."
"One of the hard things about what I do now is that the entrance is the best part. And then, I go out there and I talk. And, like, Iâve gotten better at this whole thing. I used to be someone who is very bad on the microphone. But now, Iâve developed into being more comfortable with it, finding myself with it, and that sort of thing. But itâs still not my passion. Iâve learned how to do it because thatâs what my job required."
You can watch Bryan's retirement speech below:
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