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UPDATES ON DANIEL BRYAN VS. MIZ AND BRYAN RETURNING

By Mike Johnson on 2016-09-01 14:18:00

With the Daniel Bryan-Miz confrontation pretty much blown off on this past Tuesday's Smackdown, we've been asked why did it even happen and why was the situation dropped as quickly as it began.  Well, while the scene was scripted by WWE for the 8/23 episode of "Talking Smack" in that Miz and Bryan were scheduled to banter on the show, it went in a direction that the company didn't expect thanks to improvisation on the part of Miz.

During an appearance on ESPN Sportscenter last night with Jonathan Coachman, Bryan explained that while the banter between the two was planned, where it went was not something Bryan knew about in advance.  He noted that Miz knows how to push his buttons and was well aware of the feelings Bryan has had towards his February 2016 WWE-imposed retirement     Bryan admitted that the nerves Miz hit were very real and played off of Bryan's own conflicts about whether he should remain with WWE (and stay retired) or take his chances elsewhere, risking his potential future health.  Bryan also stated that he thought of legitimately throwing a punch to Miz to close the segment but given they were on live TV, felt it wasn't the smartest move.  Instead, Bryan walked off to close the segment.

Bryan noted on the 8/30 episode of "Talking Smack" and again last night on Sportscenter that WWE intended to keep he and Miz far apart while on screen going further.  Bryan praised Miz's promo that was cut after Bryan walked off the set and put over Miz's passion for pro wrestling.  The unspoken implication was the interaction wasn't in WWE's plans and will likely be ignored going forward.

During the ESPN Sportscenter appearance, Bryan said that he has often talked off quitting WWE after seeing the reactions of the live crowds but his wife Brie will talk him out of it.  Bryan also admitted that the brain testing that he underwent in New York, which led to the retirement earlier this year, after doing additional research, should not have been the determining factor in whether he retired.  Bryan said that he feels 100% and that on nine out of ten days, he says to himself he's going to wrestle again but needs to convince others (and even himself on the tenth day) that it is safe for him to do so.  While he enjoys being around the wrestlers and the action, it is hard to feel the energy of the audience and then just sit at ringside.  He referred to the concussion issue as "subjective."

On the 8/30 edition of "Talking Smack" Bryan admitted that he wished he could leave WWE to work elsewhere (referencing the Tokyo Dome, home of New Japan Pro Wrestling's biggest event of the year) but with he and his wife trying to have their first child, he was too "cowardly" to do it, referencing what Miz said about him the week before about being a coward by not just quitting WWE and going back to the independents.

In an interview with yours truly the day before Summerslam, Bryan was asked whether he's at peace with having to retire and responded, "Uh...soooo...No. [Laughs]   It's weird, so it's a weird thing.  Like you love something so much but you can't do it but you feel like you can do it.  That's the hard part, you know, so, who knows?  We'll see."

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