Classic Daniel Bryan NXT Promo Reemerges Amid Reports of WWE Changing NXT

WWE’s latest wave of releases on Friday night — comprised of various NXT talent — led to a number of reports stating the company’s Black and Gold Brand will be undergoing an identity change in the near future. Dave Meltzer went into detail about the changes on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, stating that WWE higher-ups want the brand to focus on building future WrestleMania main eventers rather than continue to establish itself as its own brand. That also means turning away from stars deemed too small or too old, which fits the pattern of Friday’s wave of releases.

These decisions led to fans responding by posting a classic promo of Daniel Bryan from 2010. This was from when NXT was in its first season as a competition show and Bryan, fresh off a run as a highly-decorated independent wrestler, was the first man eliminated. Twitter user @DrainBamager uploaded the video early Sunday morning, and by the afternoon it had more than 45,000 views and was climbing up the wrestling-centric Squared Circle subreddit. Based on the comments surrounding the video, many felt Bryan’s words directed at Vince McMahon resonated today.

“When I came to WWE I heard about the politics here,” Bryan said. “I heard the nightmares, I heard all that stuff, how Vince McMahon loves big guys and they like the guys that they make themselves regardless of whether or not those people can come out here and engage the WWE Universe. I was a self-made man. I was not invented by the WWE machine and I would think with them have stockholders and this being a profitable company that they would want a guy who makes them the most money. They don’t have the ability to judge by prejudice who they pick to be stars. They need to pick guys who are the best people for this job and the best person for this job is me.”

Though he was initially fired from the WWE following his main roster debut later that year, Bryan would go on to be a five-time world champion in WWE and a Grand Slam Champion while main-eventing both WrestleMania XXX and WrestleMania 37. There are numerous reports that he will be joining AEW within the next few months.

Do you think 2021 Vince McMahon should listen to 2010 Daniel Bryan? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!