Top AEW star recalls how The Undertaker convinced him to wrestle against Daniel Bryan
AEW star and leader of the Inner Circle Chris Jericho recently took a trip down memory lane to talk about his match against Daniel Bryan.
During the inaugural episode of NXT in February 2010, Daniel Bryan fought the then World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho in a singles match. The Demo God made quick work of Daniel Bryan, prompting him to tap out on his submission. It was a rare match between two of the most technically sound wrestlers of this generation.
In an interview with Inside the Ropes, Chris Jericho revealed that he wasn't keen on wrestling a rookie like Daniel Bryan at the time. However, the Undertaker asked him to prove his worth as the champion.
“I didn’t want to have that match. I just thought, ‘Why is the WWE Champion having a match against some guy that’s just coming in for NXT?’ I remember it was Undertaker that was like, ‘Go out there and show them why you’re the champion,” Chris Jericho said.
Chris Jericho further revealed that he and Daniel Bryan have rarely wrestled with each other. He added that it was a rare memorable bout that people are still talking about a decade later.
"I don’t think I wrestled Daniel many more times, maybe two or three times, but none of them memorable. That one was the one that was memorable and who would have thought it at the time? But here we are, you know, ten years later and people still talk about it because it was such a monumental match and the first meeting between two guys that, you know, are still doing it pretty much at the top of our games ten years later,” Chris Jericho said.
Daniel Bryan then climbed many big ladders in the company, from becoming the WWE Champion four times to main eventing WrestleMania twice in his long and illustrious stint with Vince McMahon's company.
Daniel Bryan could reignite his rivalry with Chris Jericho in AEW
It will be a nostalgic feeling for die-hard wrestling fans to see former WWE Superstars recreate their magic in AEW. Despite both men being well past their prime, their promo work would be enough to sell the storyline to fans.
Check out what Vince Russo had to say about Daniel Bryan going to AEW:
Daniel Bryan's imminent arrival has engaged people to make their list of dream opponents for him. If and when he debuts, this is one match that will grab headlines all over the world.
Do you want to see Daniel Bryan vs. Chris Jericho in AEW? Sound off in the comments section below.