Daniel Bryan

Friday night's episode of WWE SmackDown on Fox, featuring interactions between Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan and Cesaro, saw its ratings improve compared to last week.

According to Showbuzz Daily, SmackDown averaged 2.042 million viewers during its two-hour broadcast, which was up from last week's overnight average of 1.997 million. Friday's SmackDown also did a 0.5 rating in the 18-49-year-old demographic, which was tied for second on the night.

The main event segment saw Reigns bypass Cesaro and instead challenge Daniel Bryan to a Universal Championship match on next week's SmackDown, with the caveat that Bryan must leave SmackDown if he loses. Bryan accepted the challenge.

SmackDown opened with Cesaro cutting a promo only to be interrupted by Seth Rollins. That led to Jey Uso coming out as well, followed by Bryan to even the odds.

Bryan and Cesaro then beat Rollins and Uso in a tag team match, after which Bryan got on the mic and taunted Reigns. Cesaro swung Uso repeatedly in hopes that Reigns would try to save him, but The Tribal Chief never emerged.

Bryan called for Reigns to grant Cesaro a title match, and Paul Heyman later said Reigns would give his answer by the end of the night.

Reigns did that, but it wasn't the answer most expected. Reigns focused on Bryan, saying that he doesn't like Bryan and would give him one more shot at the Universal Championship next week on the condition that he must leave SmackDown if he loses.

Cesaro gave Bryan his blessing, and Bryan accepted the match, meaning there will be a huge main event on next week's SmackDown.

Friday's SmackDown also featured an Intercontinental Championship match, with Apollo Crews defending against Kevin Owens. Crews won thanks to interference from Commander Azeez, and Sami Zayn danced around KO's prone body after the match.

Crews bragged about the win in a backstage interview, only to get attacked by Big E, setting up a WrestleMania rematch for the IC title next week.

Also on SmackDown, a WrestleMania Backlash match for the SmackDown Women's Championship between Bianca Belair and Bayley was announced, an Aleister Black vignette aired, Tamina defeated Nia Jax, and Rey and Dominik Mysterio beat Chad Gable and Otis.

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Roman Reigns will defend his WWE universal title against Daniel Bryan on next week's SmackDown, but a belt isn't the only thing on the line.

If Bryan loses, he'll be banished from SmackDown.

The closing segment of Friday night's edition of SmackDown began with Cesaro issuing a challenge to Roman Reigns for his universal title. Reigns came down to the ring and told Cesaro that he was beneath him and unworthy of challenging the champion.

Reigns then turned his attention to Bryan, who was in the ring with Cesaro. He then offered Bryan a shot at his belt but only on the condition that he would leave the blue brand if he lost.

Reigns and Bryan have seen each other in the ring numerous times of late, with the champion notably beating the challenger and Edge in a Triple Threat match during WrestleMania 37's main event Sunday, April 11. Reigns also retained his title in singles matches against Bryan at Elimination Chamber and Fastlane.

He's been the universal champion since August after beating Braun Strowman and The Fiend at Payback. Reigns has defended the title nine times since then.

Bryan is shooting for his sixth heavyweight belt in WWE and first universal title. He's held the World Heavyweight Championship once and the WWE Championship four times.

Next week's SmackDown will start at the usual time of 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

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Bryan Says He Tried to Get Out of WrestleMania 37 Main Event

Daniel Bryan turned in an excellent performance in the main event of Night 2 at this year's WrestleMania, but the veteran Superstar said afterward that he didn't even want to be part of the match.

Speaking to BT Sport (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Bryan explained that he lobbied to get out of the match since he didn't feel like he was needed:

"I kept trying to get out of it too. You know, this is a heck of a story, 10 years to do the day that [Edge] was forced to retire. It was shortly after Elimination Chamber, in the build to the singles match I had with Roman [Reigns] at Fastlane, it was like, 'This is going to be a stick Daniel Bryan in here thing.' Not to say that I didn't want to be part of it, I just thought it would be such a strong main event, just the two of them. WrestleMania 30, it felt like with the way the crowd was reacting with Batista and Randy [Orton], they kind of needed me in there.

"This one didn’t feel like it needed me. It's all water under the bridge now, but maybe that was in the back of my mind, 'Hey, I'm not sure I should be in this match,' is why I had this weird reaction to actually being out there."

The main event of WrestleMania was originally supposed to be Reigns vs. Edge for the Universal Championship, as Edge challenged Reigns for the title after winning the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble match.

Bryan was worked into the storyline, however, and after he was screwed out of a win over Reigns at Fastlane despite making The Tribal Chief tap out, the WrestleMania match was changed to a Triple Threat.

In the same interview with BT Sport, Bryan said he felt strange going into the WrestleMania bout. Bryan said he felt "detached" and "out of body," and he wasn't sure why that was.

As mentioned by Bryan, he was added to the WrestleMania 30 main event between Batista and Orton, and that turned out to be a great decision, as the fans clearly didn't want that singles match and instead wanted to see Bryan win it all, which ended up happening.

Reigns vs. Edge undoubtedly would have been great, but it did feel like Bryan added something to the WrestleMania 37 main event, so WWE may have ultimately made the right call on that front.

Christian Wanted to Wrestle Owens in WWE

Christian Cage surprised many within the wrestling world when he decided to sign with All Elite Wrestling last month rather than returning to WWE.

Since joining AEW, Cage has spoken about his desire to lock horns with many of the top stars in the promotion, including Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, The Young Bucks, MJF and Darby Allin.

During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast (h/t Mukherjee) this week, Cage made mention of who he would have wanted to face in WWE had he signed there instead:

"I would say probably Kevin Owens. I really like the passion that he has. I like the way that he delivers his promos. I think he's fearless when he delivers his promos. I think that he's a fearless competitor in the ring as well. I just like his style. Sami Zayn as well. I thought, especially this character the way it is now, we could have done some pretty special things. So off the top of my head, I would say probably those two guys."

Cage made his in-ring return in WWE's 2021 Men's Royal Rumble match in January after seven years away due to concussions.

It was widely believed that he would sign with WWE and work at least a part-time schedule, but the 47-year-old signed with AEW instead and made a surprise appearance at the Revolution pay-per-view last month.

Christian has already teased a match with AEW world champion Kenny Omega and is in the midst of a feud with Team Taz.

It isn't surprising that Christian chose Owens and Zayn as potential opponents had he stayed in WWE since they are fellow Canadians and real-life friends who have long seemed to "get it" in terms of being entertaining and versatile pro wrestlers.

Perhaps Christian vs. Owens or Zayn could still happen one day, but for now, fans will be left to wonder what could have been had Cage not made the move to AEW.

Rumors on Kalisto's Issues with WWE Creative

Kalisto was among the wrestlers released by WWE last week, and his departure reportedly came on the heels of some issues with the creative team.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Kalisto was unhappy with how WWE used him when he was part of Lucha House Party with Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik.

Dorado reportedly pushed for the stable because of his belief that they could have some success and sell merchandise, but Kalisto wasn't a fan of it and didn't want to be part of "prelim jokes."

As a result, WWE reportedly removed Kalisto from the group to "pacify" him and kept Dorado and Metalik together at Dorado's request.

The Lucha House Party breakup occurred last year, and they fully went their separate ways as part of the WWE draft when Kalisto remained on SmackDown and Dorado and Metalik were moved to Raw.

Kalisto was rarely used after the breakup aside from making some backstage appearances and competing in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the SmackDown before this year's WrestleMania.

While the latter part of Kalisto's WWE tenure undoubtedly didn't go as well as he wanted, he did enjoy a great deal of success during his tenure, holding the United States, Cruiserweight and NXT Tag Team Championships.

Now, the 34-year-old is a free agent and should have no shortage of options regarding where he will sign next.

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WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan is considering his potential options with the end of his contract looming ahead, including potentially working for other companies.

“My contract is up soon," Bryan said at a meet-and-greet session prior to WrestleMania 37 (h/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful). "We need to figure out what a good balance between home life and wrestling. I never want to stop wrestling, I love it, it’s just figuring that out.”

He also added: “It’d be interesting if I could wrestle in different companies and WWE. That’s actually something I’m trying to weasel my way into right now.”

Per Lambert, Bryan's contract is reportedly up in September.

The 39-year-old Bryan has been a professional wrestler since 1999. He is best known for his stints as an active WWE wrestler from 2010-2015 and 2018 to the present date. The fan favorite is a four-time WWE champion and one-time World Heavyweight title winner.

Bryan retired from active wrestling in 2015 after undergoing multiple neck surgeries and suffering concussions and seizures. He was medically cleared to return in 2018 and has wrestled in WWE ever since. Bryan notably took part in the WrestleMania 37 main event for the WWE Universal Championship between he, match winner Roman Reigns and Edge.

The former champion appears ready to at least consider winding down from a full-time wrestling career, though, if his interview with BT Sport is any indication:

Bryan said that his main event match experience was "bizarre" and that he felt "detached." He also said this in part, per Lambert.

 "I haven't watched it back. I don't know if watching it back would help figure out why I'm so detached. Maybe it was a sign that it's time to let go of being a full-time wrestler. The odd detachment, I was like, 'Woah.' Like I said, I'm either gonna die [laughs] or maybe it's a sign that this isn't it and it isn't the same type of fulfillment that it was before. I've been trying to meditate on it and talk to my friends that I'm close with like 'what is that?'"

For now, Bryan is still under WWE contract for five more months.

WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan spoke Wednesday for the first time since competing in the main event of WrestleMania 37 and divulged a unique feeling he had entering the match.

In an interview with BT Sport, Bryan said he felt "detached" from the situation ahead of his Triple Threat match against Roman Reigns and Edge, and he tried to make sense of the situation:

"It was really bizarre. It's taken me time to fully process what the experience was like because it wasn't like a normal thing. I felt very out of body in it. When I'm wrestling, I feel everything and feel like I'm enjoying it. This was weird, I was out there, and it felt like I was detached. It was so strange that before the match started, I got this strange feeling like, 'Oh no, is this what it's like before you die? Am I going to die? Huh, well, OK.' I don't know why or how it happened, but it was unlike anything I've felt while wrestling."

Bryan also revealed that he has begun talking to those close to him about what happened and openly wondered what it means for his future in wrestling:

"I haven't watched it back. I don't know if watching it back would help figure out why I'm so detached. Maybe it was a sign that it's time to let go of being a full-time wrestler. The odd detachment, I was like, 'Woah.' Like I said, I'm either gonna die [laughs] or maybe it's a sign that this isn't it and it isn't the same type of fulfillment that it was before. I've been trying to meditate on it and talk to my friends that I'm close with, like, 'What is that?' My contract is up relatively soon. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing with my life."

Regardless of how Bryan was feeling, he was an important part of an excellent match to close out Night 2 of WrestleMania. Making the match even bigger was the fact that WrestleMania was the first WWE event in front of fans in over a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, Reigns won the match and retained the Universal title when he hit both Bryan and Edge with a conchairto, stacked them up and pinned them.

The result wasn't what Bryan fans were hoping for, but the leader of the Yes Movement proved once again that he can perform at the highest level on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Bryan, 39, was forced into retirement in 2016 because of head and neck injuries, and it seemed as though he would never wrestle again, but he amazingly gained clearance in 2018.

Since then, Bryan has been a huge part of SmackDown and even won the WWE Championship once, making him a five-time world champion in WWE overall.

If Bryan does decide to step away from wrestling now or when his contract expires, it would undoubtedly be a huge loss for WWE, although he has nothing left to prove or accomplish in the business.

Bryan will go down as one of the all-time greats if he does decide to retire, but WWE higher-ups will certainly hope that he can regain his spark and continue wrestling.

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WWE Superstar Edge and AEW's Christian Cage have been friends since childhood and have enjoyed wrestling careers that are very much intertwined, but Edge believes the twilight of their respective careers is likely to be spent apart.

While speaking to the media ahead of his WrestleMania 37 match against Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, Edge addressed the possibility of either wrestling with or against Christian again some day.

Edge didn't 100 percent rule it out but seemed doubtful that he and Christian will ever cross paths again from a professional perspective:

"I would love to, whether as a team or just a one-on-one match. It would be amazing, especially where we're both at in terms of the way we approach the storytelling of a match now. I feel we are really on the same page. I've watched some of his stuff since he's been back, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, the stuff we would do now.' It would be so different. I don't know if it ever happens. I really don't. I think possibly that ship has sailed."

Edge shocked the wrestling world when he returned as a surprise entrant in the 2020 Royal Rumble nearly a decade after having to retire from in-ring competition because of a neck injury.

One year after that, in the 2021 Royal Rumble, Christian followed in his footsteps by making a surprise appearance nearly seven years after wrestling his last match amid concussion issues.

It was widely assumed that Edge and Christian would continue wrestling for WWE to close out their careers, leaving the door open for an Edge and Christian tag team reunion, as well as matches against each other.

Instead, Christian made the surprising decision to sign with AEW instead, appearing at the Revolution pay-per-view in March.

Since both Edge and Christian are 47 years of age and have an injury history, they may not have much time left as performers, meaning it may not be possible for them to end up in the same company again.

If that turns out to be the case, Edge is at peace with the situation even if he wishes it could have gone a bit differently:

"We had that moment at the Royal Rumble, and I have to look at the things you do have, not the 'what ifs.' We got that moment, and we both got this back that we were told we would never have again. And now we have an opportunity to tie this in a bow that we never got a chance to before. It was hanging in threads before. Now we can tie it in a bow and at the end of this go, all right, all right, job well done. And if that's not together, not a lot you can do. At the end of the day, I just want him to be happy and to be respected where he's applying his trade as respected as he is in the locker room."

Although the thought of Edge and Christian never reuniting may be upsetting to many fans, both of them are enjoying great success as individuals currently.

Edge won the 2021 Royal Rumble match and went on to face Reigns and Bryan in the main event of WrestleMania 37 for the Universal Championship. Although Edge fell short, he received a huge reaction from the fans and performed at a high level.

Meanwhile, Christian is being positioned as a top guy in AEW, as evidenced by the fact that he had a run-in with AEW World champion Kenny Omega a few weeks ago.

It isn't outside the realm of possibility that both Edge and Christian could become world champions in their respective companies, which would be remarkable given where they stood just over a year ago.

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