It’s been quite some time now since fans have seen former WWE star Daniel Bryan back in the ring. His presence on WWE had been quite stable up until Bryan was willing to put his career on the line for a match against the indestructible Roman Reigns, who said that he was tired of seeing Bryan and wanted him to disappear from SmackDown altogether. The tribal chief permitted the match under the ‘Title Vs. Career’ stipulation. If Bryan lost, he would also subsequently lose his spot and ability to be on the show, putting his long-standing career in jeopardy until he allegedly signed a new deal with AEW.
Bryan ultimately lost in an over 30-minute long battle against Reigns, who ensured Bryan’s defeat by enforcing a guillotine submission. As a result, Bryan was subsequently banned from the WWE brand and many fans didn’t ever foresee him making a full-on comeback and returning to the rink anytime soon. Given the fact that Bryan's contract with the WWE had also expired a few days after him being banned, this made his future in wrestling a wide-open field of possibilities. After being signed with the WWE for roughly 11 years, this sudden change granted him the freedom to explore and be more selective.
However, it has just been announced that Bryan has found a new home and has officially signed with AEW. This announcement was reported by Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, who claimed that Bryan is “100% locked in with AEW.” He had been on the hunt for some time now to find a way in which he could work significantly less while also earning an income that was somewhat comparable to the money he was making from his time with the WWE. This wasn’t the only thing Bryan was requesting in exchange for his loyalty to the AEW, as he also made travel and his creative expression a requirement as well. Bryan really wanted to have more say and control when it came to the creative input that he has on his character.
The fact that he wanted his creativity in regard to his character to be taken more seriously makes complete sense, especially given the fact that after Bryan was pulled from the WWE, so was his branding. The WWE apparently had no discussion with Bryan about his involvement in promotion after his banishment. He was also completely dropped from merchandising plans and any upcoming Mattel action figure releases. Given that his control and leverage over his own creative branding was stripped from him, it also seems right that Bryan would want to expand his horizons when it comes to his surroundings as well.
Apparently, one of the main reasons he did agree to sign with AEW was due to the fact that they accepted his request to be able to work more in Japan. With Japan arguably being the ultimate source for art, creativity, and especially branding, Bryan’s image will have no choice but to flourish in that environment.
Both of Bryan’s requests and expectations were met by AEW, which is the reason for him being completely locked in with them. Bryan's official debut and premiere date with the AEW is still unknown at this time, though BodySlam.net claims plans are being made for it to take place on September 22nd.
Source: BodySlam.net