10 Real-life WWE stories we learned this week: Events that led to Daniel Bryan's firing, 5-time Champion rejected offer from the company
On-screen, the biggest WWE moment of the last week came on Sunday when Randy Orton defeated Edge in the main event of the Backlash pay-per-view.
Will the 45-minute match go down as 'The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever'? In WWE’s record books, yes. In reality, the match might not be the greatest that fans have ever witnessed, but it is fair to say that both men came out of the much-anticipated encounter with a ton of credit.
Behind the scenes this week, we learned how Daniel Bryan initially reacted when he was reprimanded – and later fired – following The Nexus' invasion angle in 2010, while a five-time Intercontinental Champion rejected the opportunity to reunite with his former faction members over WrestleMania 36 weekend.
Let’s take a look at the full details behind those stories, plus eight others, as we count down 10 of the best backstage tales that have been revealed this week about WWE Superstars and storylines.
#10 Wade Barrett rejected an offer from WWE
Stu Bennett (fka Wade Barrett) decided not to renew his WWE contract in 2016 after growing frustrated with his lack of television time and direction as a character.
You may have read recently that Darren Young – Barrett’s former colleague in The Nexus – agreed a deal with WWE to appear at WrestleMania 36, but the booking had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Well, Barrett revealed this week that he was also presented with an offer by WWE. However, unlike Young, he did not like the deal and he chose to turn it down.
#9 The events that led to Daniel Bryan’s WWE firing
In 2010, Daniel Bryan was briefly fired by WWE after he choked ring announcer Justin Roberts with a tie during The Nexus’ invasion on RAW.
Bryan initially thought his job would be safe after he was told that the situation would "blow over", but he received a phone call from Vince McMahon at the end of the week informing him that he had been released.
In a story from Arn Anderson’s podcast, the former WWE producer said he watched on from backstage as a "bug-eyed" Bryan questioned what he did wrong while he was being reprimanded for going too far with his attack on Roberts.
Anderson added that Bryan had a "blank look" and he had no idea that choking was not allowed.