WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan was a guest on Talk is Jericho with wrestling legend Chris Jericho this week, in a great interview where the two talked about the Nexus, Bryan getting fired for choking out Justin Roberts, Jericho getting suspended for kicking a flag, CM Punk's straight-edge gimmick, WrestleMania 28 and a lot more.
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Daniel Bryan on the First Season of NXT
"That whole situation is so crazy and bizarre. I think half of what we do is for Vince's entertainment … We had to carry a keg around the ring. I've never even picked up a keg in my life – I didn't know what the hell I were doing. Skip Sheffield (Ryback) was the most competitive guy for all of these challenges, and the rest of us were like, 'we don't care – this is all stupid.' He was trying to win every single challenge."
The Infamous Nexus Debut and Bryan's Firing
"We were pulled into an office and told, 'this is what we'd like you to do, this is how it's going to be.' We were given a little bit of direction, but not much. We were able to go out there and do whatever we wanted – it turns out you couldn't really do whatever you wanted … Within that melee, we rip the shirt off of Justin Roberts. I didn't really know the confines of what PG really is, but here's Justin Roberts with no shirt on, and a tie around his neck. So I pull back on the tie. Everybody's doing their big thing to John [Cena], and I kicked him in the head. But right before I kicked him in the head, I spit in his face. And we got back and it's like, 'who choked Justin with that tie? No choking! Who spit in Cena's face? No spitting!'
Bryan's Conversation with Vince McMahon
"I was talking to Miz and he was like 'don't worry about it; it'll all blow over.' Friday I get a call from Vince himself, telling me they had to let me go. It's funny – one of my responses was that I just wasn't that bothered. He says 'I'm sorry we have to do this' and I say not to feel bad for me, because I'm going to make more money than I've ever had before just based on the independents. I knew that took him aback a little bit.
Bryan's Vegan Gimmick vs. Straight-Edge Punk
"I was vegan for a little over two years, and Vince thought it would be great heel heat. And you know what – quite honestly he was dead on. I would say things about being vegan, even before I was a heel, and people were like, 'I don't know if I like this vegan guy.' … It was the same thing with Punk and the straight-edge thing. It's great to not drink or do drugs, but when you rub it in people's face – I guess I'm straight-edge, but I didn't even know it was a thing."
