5 real-life stories about Daniel Bryan

Whether he’s playing an irritating heel, a babyface underdog or a serious General Manager, Daniel Bryan has never failed to entertain audiences during his seven years on WWE television.

From his days with Kane as one half of dysfunctional duo Team Hell No to his eight-month feud with Triple H and The Authority, the leader of the “Yes Movement” has been involved in some of wrestling’s most captivating storylines in recent years.

Outside the ring, we’ve learned plenty about the former World Heavyweight champion thanks to his appearances alongside wife Brie Bella on reality shows Total Divas and Total Bellas, as well as from stories told in his 2014 autobiography.

In this article, we look at five of the most interesting real-life tales about Bryan that you may not have heard before.

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#1 He almost worked for Victoria’s Secret

Daniel Bryan's career almost went down a very different path

Yes, you read that correctly. Daniel Bryan, a former WWE champion and arguably the greatest wrestler of his generation, almost worked for lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret.

He revealed in his autobiography Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania that he would get any minimum-wage job he could to help pay bills when he was first starting out in the wrestling business.

One time he thought he “hit the jackpot” when he landed a job with Victoria’s Secret. However, he was asked at the last minute if he would be able to work with the ring crew for a wrestling show on the same day he was due to start his new job.

Bryan informed his new employers that he would have to begin work on a different day but, sadly for a young D-Bry, they never called him back.

#2 The reason behind his WrestleMania boots

It's a shame we didn't see these more often

Remember Daniel Bryan’s furry WrestleMania XXX boots? Well, he originally had them made for his storyline with the Wyatt Family, but he never got to show them off during his short-lived stint as the fourth member of the faction.

Instead, he put them to good use by wearing them for his two matches on the most memorable night of his pro wrestling career – first against Triple H, then against Batista and Randy Orton – at WrestleMania XXX.

WWE’s official website published a daily diary from Bryan in the week leading up to his World Heavyweight Championship triumph, during which time he revealed that the boots were his way of paying homage to Bruiser Brody.

Brody, a 6ft 8in, outspoken brawler, wrestled all over the world, including for WWE and New Japan, before his controversial death in 1988.

#3 He nearly had a fight with Triple H

Triple H and Daniel Bryan were "nose-to-nose" backstage

On a June 2013 episode of Raw, Daniel Bryan lost feeling in both of his arms after receiving a “stinger” during a match against Randy Orton. Triple H, speaking through a headset backstage, ordered the ringside doctor to end the match as a no contest.

A furious Bryan walked back through the curtain and yelled various expletives in the direction of HHH, who told his future on-screen rival that he needed to calm down.

D-Bry explained in his autobiography: "Usually I don’t get super angry, and when I do it’s barely visible. This time, I was furious and I let everyone know it… we were up in each other’s faces and both ready to fight."

Even WWE’s official website reported on the real-life altercation, with referee John Cone claiming he’d “never seen anything like it” in his time with the company.

#4 He can’t swim properly due to Hideo Itami

Hideo Itami inflicted a serious injury on Daniel Bryan in 2007

Daniel Bryan credits Hideo Itami with giving him one of his best matches of his entire career – a 30-minute Ring of Honor battle in 2006 – but he also credits the man formerly known as Kenta with giving him a ruptured eardrum.

The new 205 Live roster member injured Bryan so severely in 2007 that he can’t hear out of his left ear very well. He also can’t swim properly or go underneath a certain depth of water due to the injury.

The two are still friends, with Bryan telling WWE’s official website in 2014: “The running knee that I do is a Kenta original that I learned from being hit with it from Kenta. He’s somebody who hits very hard and very fast. He’s just one of the most exciting wrestlers in the world.”

#5 He’s not actually close friends with CM Punk

Daniel Bryan last spoke with CM Punk in 2014

There was an assumption when CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were making their way up the WWE ladder that both performers were close friends, having worked together for many years on the independent scene.

However, both guys have said in media interviews over the years that, while they get along and have respect for each other’s work, they’ve never really hung out in the same circles.

Asked about Punk in June 2017, Bryan revealed that he has only had one brief exchange with his former on-screen rival since he walked out of WWE in January 2014.

He told Sports Illustrated: “I haven’t talked to Punk since I texted him when he came on the UFC show in a suit [December 2014] and said he was going to fight in the UFC. I just texted him and said, ‘Hey man, I just saw that and think it’s awesome. I hope you do great.’ Punk texted back, ‘Thanks.’ That’s the last I’ve heard from him.”