Daniel Bryan (Bryan Lloyd Danielson) is a former professional wrestler from the United States who is best known for his ring name “American Dragon.” Dan has won numerous titles during his career as a result of his deceptive play and technical elegance. He is a three-time WWE Champion as well as a one-time World Heavyweight Champion. Daniel’s origins were modest, but he overcame his financial limits and received training at Shawn Michael’s Texas Wrestling Academy, where he was mentored by Rudy Gonzalez. In 2000, he joined WWE, then known as the WWF, but the environment didn’t suit his style of wrestling, so he began competing in other wrestling competitions, including Ring of Honour, where he won the Pure Wrestling Championship and the ROH World Championship. However, it was during his time in WWF that he earned the moniker ‘American Dragon,’ which he still bears today. He was molded into a merciless wrestler by Ring of Honour, who will win by any means necessary, hook or crook. Daniel returned to WWE in 2009 and performed admirably, winning numerous titles and initiating feuds with some of the company’s best talents. Daniel retired from professional wrestling at the young age of 34 due to medical difficulties. But he remained closely linked with the ring, and when the WWE brand extension made a reappearance in 2016, he was elected General Manager of Smackdown.
Childhood and Adolescence
Bryan Lloyd Danielson was born on May 22, 1981, in Washington, DC, to a middle-class family. His father worked as a logger, while his mother worked as a therapist to help support the family. Billie Sue, Daniel’s older sister, is his best friend.
Daniel’s parents split when he was still a child, leaving him emotionally damaged. He didn’t let that get to him, though, and he began to pursue athletics, and by the time he was in high school, he was a very excellent football player.
Daniel subsequently stated in an interview that the separation of his parents prevented him from fully experiencing his childhood and that this impacted his outlook on life forever, instilling a strong sense of dissatisfaction inside him.
Daniel left school in 1999 to pursue a career in professional wrestling and enrolled at Dean Malenko’s wrestling school, which closed down a few years later.
He subsequently transferred to Texas Wrestling Academy, which is run by the likes of Shawn Michaels, a wealthy wrestler.
The Career of Daniel
Daniel was sent to Memphis Championship Wrestling in 2000 on a developmental tour, where he was taught by superstar wrestler William Regal.
Daniel had already won the Light Heavyweight Championship and acquired the moniker ‘American Dragon’ due to his ferocity inside the ring – he credits William Regal with molding him into a ‘dragon’.
After being released from his WWF contract, Daniel fought in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling in Japan for a while before joining the independent organization Ring of Honour in 2002.
One of his tournament battles lasted an hour and a half. Daniel had a long feud with Homicide, which ended with Daniel defeating him in a steel cage bout.
Daniel won the ROH world championship by defeating James Gibson in 2005, and he successfully defended it against several opponents until Homicide ended his 15-month reign at the final ROH event of 2006.
The match was emotionally and physically draining, and Daniel sustained a shoulder injury that forced him to retire from professional wrestling for a long time.
Daniel returned to the ring with ROH in May 2007, and in his first-ever match that was telecast on national television, Daniel defeated Austin Aries. ROH eventually made its debut on American television in 2009, and Daniel defeated Austin Aries in his first-ever match that was telecast on national television.
Later that year, Daniel joined WWE, where he lost a farewell match for a title shot against Aries at ROH. He did, however, win his final match for the business in September, defeating McGuiness, who was also saying his goodbyes to the Ring Of Honour.
Daniel debuted on NXT in February 2010 after defeating Chavo Guerrero in his first bout for WWE. Daniel’s feuds with WWE star The Miz and John Cena resulted in severe violence, and WWE claimed that he is set to be fired due to his excessively violent behavior on an ‘entertainment’ show.
Daniel went independent after being released from WWE for a while and offers from other wrestling organizations began to pour in.
He did well and won some matches at the CHIKARA event and Westside Xtreme wrestling, but he also lost some, largely due to disqualification for not following the rules of the game.
Daniel returned to WWE during SummerSlam in August 2010 and was drafted to SmackDown the following year. Daniel won his first World Heavyweight Championship in July 2011 after defeating numerous other wrestlers in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Hell No, his tag team alliance with Kane, was created in 2012, and the following year, they won their first tag team championship against Kofi Kingston and R-Truth.
Throughout the year, including the 2013 Royal Rumble, the team kept the crown. With a loss to Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in the Extreme Rules program, their 245-day reign came to an end.
Bryan was injured in 2014 and underwent neck surgery. He returned two weeks later and vowed that he would be better for the Royal Rumble 2015 and will compete in the match.
Daniel won the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania 31, making him one of only six wrestlers to have won every other WWE title.
Daniel began getting concussions in 2015, and he avoided speaking about his future since he was unsure of his own future, he eventually retired later that year.
Daniel began his tenure as Smackdown’s general manager on July 18, 2016, and he is still in the role. In between, he performs match commentary and occasionally strikes up feuds with the wrestlers, but he stays out of the ring for the most part.
His Personal Experiences
Daniel has been a vegetarian since 2009 and intends to remain so in the future. PETA named him the world’s “Most Animal-Friendly Athlete” in 2012.
After courting for a long time, Daniel married Brie Bella, a fellow wrestler, in 2014. Following their marriage, Bella withdrew from wrestling and the couple welcomed their first child, ‘Birdie Joe Danielson,’ in May 2017.
Estimated Net Worth
Daniel Bryan’s net worth is USD 8 million as of June 2017.