WWE superstar Daniel Bryan recently spoke with TalkSport about a number of different subjects, including other top names that the former world champion hopes to wrestle before he retires, and what he thinks of Pete Dunne calling himself the best technician in the world. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says he hopes he can one day wrestle William Regal’s son, Bailey Matthews:
If I could do a match ten years from now, and this is assuming that I’m still capable of doing it and that he progresses to a level like that, one of the things that I think would be really cool… William Regal’s son, Bailey Matthews. He just recently started on NXT UK. For his experience level, he’s doing really well. I loved being able to wrestle William Regal the times that I did in WWE, but I’m not sure people know how much he has affected my career. He has affected it so much. What he’s given to me and he’s never asked for anything from me. And so, I have an infinite amount of respect for him. One of the things that would be cool is to be able to do something with his son at a huge level like that. I wouldn’t be where I’m at without William Regal. To me, I think that’s a really cool one.
On possibly working with Cesaro at a future WrestleMania:
There’s also this idea of doing something with Cesaro, somebody like that. Somebody where it’s like, ‘hey, we’ve grown up together, now we’re adults together. Let’s just do one big, cool WrestleMania match together! Let’s just throw it all out there!
Other stars he would want to face including Shawn Michaels and WALTER:
Another one I’ve always wanted but I’ve never been able to do was Shawn Michaels. He trained me and I just think the story there would be really cool. So there’s three. But I could throw out Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, WALTER, those kinds of guys. I’d love to do a big match with Big E on a pay-per-view. You start talking to me about who I want to wrestle and all of a sudden the floodgates open! You know, another one I’d love to have a big singles match with but I don’t know when or where this would happen, is with Kyle O’Reilly. I think that some of the stuff that he’s doing with ju-jitsu and grappling and stuff is so cool.
On the promo that Pete Dunne cut on him:
I did see that Pete Dunne did this promo, and it was really good, talking about he thinks he’s the best wrestler in the world. It gets you to thinking. Because I would say when I was in Ring of Honor in 2005, 2006, 2007, in my twenties and it’s like, yeah, these are guys who are becoming the best. And Pete Dunne, when you watch him work… you can’t [deny]. You may argue that some people are better. They may be better at this, they may be better at that. When you look at him and you look at some of the other guys, who’s the best? It’s become subjective. But, they’re in the discussion, right? And I’ve never gotten to wrestle [them]. God, how can I not wrestle the guys that might be the best!
How much wrestling has evolved:
There’s also this idea that wrestling keeps evolving, right? People keep getting better and better. And there’s some people that might argue that. Like, ‘Ric Flair is the greatest of all-time’ and yeah, Ric Flair is absolutely fantastic, but wrestling is evolving and different people are doing different things. Some of the new guys that are the best are going to do things and tell certain stories in a way that nobody has done before. And when you’re on that cusp of being an old guy, like I might already be one but I’m definitely on the cusp of being an old guy [laughs] I’m going to be 40 next month! Then I’m a real old guy but when you’re on the cusp of it, it’s like hey, these young guys who are great at the new style, I want to do it!