Last night, we broke the news that Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) had been released from the WWE. While we still cannot confirm this news any moreso than any other site, the word that has gotten out is that Bryan was fired due to his actions during Monday's NXT invasion were too brutal for television. Given WWE's current TV-PG nature, it was felt that specifically his choking out of Justin Roberts with his tie was not content suitable for children. Supposedly, word came from someone quite important in WWE or one of their top sponsors that behavior such as this sets a bad example for child viewers, and thus, the decision was made after days of scrutiny to terminate the contract of Bryan Danielson. Of course, one must wonder why, if this act was so despicable, USA network, or television censors did not approach WWE regarding the incident. To our knowledge, this has not happened, meaning the FCC and their typical protective nature did not find it to be in bad taste within the rating, so why should a sponsor or employee?
It is also interesting to note that while Daniel Bryan DID break a WWE rule in using a foreign object to choke someone (it is actually a guideline within the new standards), so too did Heath Slater, who attempted to choke out John Cena with the loosened ring ropes. Why then was Bryan singled out? Quite simply, his act got featured more and he is the more known performer. It's pretty clear that if this firing is legit, Bryan has become a scapegoat. The punishment seems quite severe, given the Washington native had nothing else against him in terms of reasonable cause for firing, so why not simply suspend him? The simple explanation is that he had to be made an exmple of, both to other talent, and to whoever it was that informed WWE of his actions being problematic. Basically, it's a way of WWE covering their ass.
Does this mean the end for Daniel Bryan or Bryan Danielson in WWE? Sources say that even if this firing is indeed true, WWE would like to bring Danielson back. The likely scenario if that is the case, is that Danielson would be resigned as soon as the hoopla around his actions dies down. This could be as soon as a couple of weeks and as long as a couple of months. Danielson is well liked by other workers and management alike though, so if this situation can get squared away, expect to see Danielson back sooner than later. With the invasion story set to move on whether he is there or not, it should be be interesting to see how he is used if he ends up missing a good amount of time. Stay tuned for more information on this story as it breaks, as we will continue to keep you updated!
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