WWE's Daniel Bryan says he's ready to be a part-time wrestler and a full-time dad
Over the summer, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella welcomed their second child into the world. Because of this, we saw Bryan take a reduced role on WWE television throughout 2020. But, if Bryan's latest interview is any indication, this might become the norm for the rest of his pro-wrestling career.
Recently sitting down with BT Sport, the former WWE Champion spoke in-depth about how being a dad has changed his way of thinking and his priorities going forward.
Daniel Bryan's current WWE contract will be expiring soon
Bryan was asked about how his body has been holding up since returning to the ring and if he was worried bout his longevity in the ring. The WWE Superstar didn't seem too concerned about that, as he feels his time as a full-time performer is coming to an end.
“So I'm confident in my body and my longevity, but it's also like now, my life. I've got a little bit different priorities as far as like, I still love wrestling and I feel like I'll always wrestle as long as I can physically do it, but do I want to continue wrestling full time when like you've got two babies at home? I just say how much I love wrestling and it is this weird part of me that, even talking about it now and I've been wrestling for over 20 years now, it fills me with like this joy and it almost gives me an energy like when I start thinking about stuff...Oooo...I get kind of the shakes, right?
"And like, but now I have things in my life that I love more than wrestling that give me that same, it gives me a different feeling. So I just facetimed with my wife and kids before I got here. We're here filming shows for like a week, right? And my daughter just goes 'Daddy, can you come home now?' and I was like I'm sorry sweet girl I'll be home tomorrow, and she's like 'Well can I come see you?' and I'm like no and she's like 'I miss you' it's like aww."
It is very clear just listening to Bryan speak that becoming a dad has changed him and his overall outlook on life's priorities going forward. Confirming what he said earlier this year, he once again mentioned that his current WWE contract will soon be expiring.
“I'm just kind of switching priorities in my life where for years wrestling has been kind of the key focus and all that kind of stuff. Where like, my contract is coming up soon and not to say that but we're looking at transitioning me to maybe less than a full-time wrestler. Like my time of being a full-time wrestler are numbered and I'm more going to be like a full-time dad, part-time wrestler. Wrestling is my side-job. Daddying is my most important job."
As long as WWE is accommodating with Bryan's requests there's no reason to think we won't see him wrestling for the company for years to come. But if they insist on more dates than he's comfortable with, there are clearly other options for him out there right now other than WWE.