"This is a bad idea" - Former WWE Champion claims he warned everyone backstage that fans would turn their backs on Roman Reigns

Bryan Danielson has claimed that he warned everyone backstage that his elimination from the 2015 Royal Rumble was going to backfire on Roman Reigns.

The Big Dog was one of the most prominent superstars at the time and was being pushed as the next big star. However, the WWE Universe had a mixed response to his push because it felt forced and at the expense of seemingly more deserving performers.

While speaking with Renee Paquette on The Sessions at Starrcast, Danielson explained that at the time of the 2015 Royal Rumble, he was returning from a neck injury. He expressed that he believed his quick elimination upon his return was going to bring heat to Reigns, who was a babyface at the time.

“So I knew, and I had just come back from neck surgery. When they told me what I was doing in the 2015 Royal Rumble and that I was only going to be in there for a few minutes, I said to them ‘I think this is a bad idea. This isn’t necessarily great for Roman,’” said Danielson (H/T: ITR Wrestling)

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Bryan Danielson recently revealed details of his final WWE match against Roman Reigns

Prior to joining AEW, Bryan Danielson's last WWE match came against Roman Reigns on SmackDown.

Speaking on My Mom's Basement with Robbie Fox, the former WWE Champion expressed that he enjoyed his final bout in the company against The Tribal Chief. Danielson said:

“The one unique experience at WrestleMania [37] where it was just, like, ‘Woah, this feels empty,' (…) Ironically, my last match in WWE with Roman, I was pumped for. I loved it, and it was in the Thunderdome. It was a bunch of screams and canned-down noises and stuff, and I was, ‘This is great! I love this,’ and, like, I honestly thought that’s a perfect way to go out."

Danielson is currently a part of the AEW roster. He is a member of The Blackpool Combat Club alongside Reigns' former Shield stablemate Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and former NXT General Manager, William Regal.

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