Daniel Bryan Talks Working For WWE, Being Independent

The Brisbane Times recently had an interview with the current number one contender for the WWE Championship, Daniel Bryan. Many topics were discussed in the interview including his time in WWE, his independence, and why he is no longer a vegan.

Bryan had the following to say about the differences between working for WWE rather than the independent circuit:

“Wrestling-wise, there’s a huge difference. You see me on the television, that can be under 10 minutes … on the independent circuit the longest match I ever did was, I think, 76 minutes.”

The former Ring of Honor star was also asked why he is no longer vegan, and explained his choice:

“It was hard being a vegan on the road, but that’s not why I stopped being a vegan. I developed a soy intolerance. I have to bring a lot of food with me, and sometimes customs agents are not sympathetic to my plight. Being a vegan without soy is very, very difficult.”

Bryan also talked about what he feels is independent in his heart:

“Think how you want. Create how you want. I love wrestling because it’s an act of creativity, despite that you’re on TV and work for this massive corporation. Nobody’s telling me exactly how to wrestle … sometimes they’ll tell me, ‘You shouldn’t do this’, then the fire inside me … I know wrestling isn’t exactly changing the world, but it’s a small act of defiance.

“I have no interest in being rich. I have no interest in being famous. Everything in the media is telling you, ‘Buy, buy, buy.’ I don’t want to buy anything. Once your needs are met, then you don’t need anything else.”

Many other topics were discussed including Bryan’s taste in music, wrestling in England, and the difficulty of maintaining relationships. To read the full interview, click here.