Real reason why WWE fired and then re-signed Daniel Bryan in 2010 explained

Bryan Danielson had an illustrious career in WWE as Daniel Bryan. His time in the Stamford-based promotion was interesting, to say the least. Bryan's inclusion to the promotion’s main roster back then was pretty much a whirlwind of events.

The rookie from the first season of NXT was booted out of the company and re-signed a few months later. Bryan’s firing at the time puzzled many fans and WWE Superstars, including the newly formed heel faction known as the Nexus.

To that end, here is a look back at what transpired that led to Daniel Bryan’s initial firing from WWE on his return to the promotion.

The reason behind the firing

It all started in 2010 during the June 7 episode of RAW. The show featured a main event including John Cena and CM Punk. While the two WWE Superstars were at it, NXT Season one winner Wade Barrett was seen walking towards the ring. Other contestants on the show were also seen moving in through the crowd.

What happened next was utter chaos, as their aforementioned faction, Nexus, put the WWE Universe on notice. The group wreaked havoc as they attacked both Cena and Punk, including the non-wrestling personnel. Even the ring itself was not spared from the Barrett-led stable’s fury.

In his memoir YES!: My Improbable Journey To The Main Event Of WrestleMania, Bryan revealed that both Vince McMahon and Michael Hayes requested a gang-style brawl which may help establish Nexus as a dominant force. During the invasion, Bryan took notice of the ring announcer, Justin Roberts, and began choking him. This, too, was mentioned in his autobiography.

Bryan stated that he wanted to make the spot with Roberts as real as possible, explaining that non-wrestling folks don’t sell that well. He added that it’s okay to get a little rough provided that the receiving end is not seriously hurt.

The group then surrounded Cena and struck the 16-time champion, including Bryan. His turn to shine came when he shouted “you are not better than me!” at Cena before spitting on his face.

Vinnie Mac was said to be pleased with the turnout of the spot. However, there were folks who thought otherwise. Bryan was told that choking and spitting was not part of the PG guidelines and this led to the former WWE Superstar apologizing to both Cena and Roberts. He was scheduled for a couple more matches before receiving a phone call from McMahon on June 11.

The boss broke the unfortunate news of letting Bryan go due to what he did. McMahon explained that there were sponsors that he had to appease, hence, the decision to release him was made. This was included in the Nexus storyline as they announced that Daniel Bryan was no longer a part of the faction for showing signs of remorse.

Over the next couple of months, Daniel Bryan delved into various independent promotions like Chikara, EVOLVE, and Dragon Gate USA. He even received offers from Japanese promotions and TNA at the time.

Daniel Bryan’s SummerSlam 2010 comeback

From the looks of it, WWE just let the situation with their sponsors blow over as they brought Daniel Bryan to the promotion in a big way.

This was during SummerSlam that same year when the Cena-led Team WWE comprised of John Morrison, R-Truth, Chris Jericho, Edge, and WWE Legend Bret Hart was about to face Nexus. The former NXT rookie helped Team WWE defeat his old stable. Once Bryan was done with the Nexus narrative, he started his feud with the then-WWE United States Champion and his NXT pro, The Miz. The American Dragon went on to capture the title from the Awesome One at Night of Champions.

Getting fired from things he wasn’t aware of at the time may be disheartening for Daniel Bryan. But come to think of it, this helped him achieve what he achieved during his WWE run.