Superstar of the Week - Week 2 - Bryan Danielson *CONTAINS NXT SPOILERS*

As for my gear, Josh Mathews alluded to there being a story behind it… and there is. As you may have seen in some of the videos on NXT, I was originally trained by Shawn Michaels in 1999. In 2000, however, WWE signed me to a developmental deal and sent me to Memphis, Tennessee where I met William Regal, then wearing the maroon gear that had been his trademark. Regardless of how you feel about him, William Regal is an excellent in ring technician and is passionate about wrestling… he’s also a great mentor and teacher, which is why I alluded to wanting him as my WWE Pro rather than The Miz. He spent quite a bit of time with me, teaching me the ins and outs of the submissions, essentially giving me for free what it took him years to learn. After he got called back up to tv and I was let go from my developmental deal, we stayed in touch. He helped me get booked in Europe for the first time, leading to me going over there consistently for the last 7 years, making great friends in the process. He would also ask for tapes/dvds of my matches and give me helpful, honest critiques to help improve my game. In 2003 he got a nasty stomach virus (I think) while touring India which kept him out of action for quite a while. When he was finally cleared by the doctors, he asked me to come out to Atlanta to help him get ready for his return to the ring. We spent a week just wrestling, with him continuously teaching me new techniques in what was probably one of the most fun weeks of my life. At the end he told me that he had some new gear made, but he was switching up his wardrobe so he’d never have a chance to use them. He gave me his brand new trunks, knee pads and boots, all very nice, and all maroon. I’ve worn maroon ever since. Its my way of showing respect to a man without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today.

My interview this week on NXT sucked. I know it did. It didn’t help that Matt Stryker interrupted me, but its not like I was going to light the world on fire anyways. When he said “passion,” the idea that ran through my head was this: Explain the Daniel Bryan Manliness Meter. Describe one thing I’ve done that was really manly (in 2007 I detached my retina in a match and then continued fight for another ten minutes). Say that not only was that manly but it shows the passion I have. My closing line was going to be “Passion is what got me here, and passion will take me home.” It’s a line I’ve heard somewhere else, but I can’t remember where. Alas, I never got there and I didn’t feel like I had enough time after the interruption, so I just went for a cheap crowd reaction. And I DO love England! As a side note, I saw Vickie Guerrero later in the evening and she said “You sucked tonight.” Nothing to boost the old confidence like constructive criticism

I’m as sad as everyone else that Shawn Michaels’s career is over, but I was glad I could be there to witness it live. Shawn trained me, and I wrestled my first match in his promotion, the TWA. His wife Rebecca helped me get my first passport, and his mother even talked to my mom before I moved down to San Antonio to reassure her I would be taken care of. It felt fitting to watch his final match live, and I don’t know if there’s ever been a better retirement match … If there is, I’ve never seen it. I was able to speak with him briefly Sunday night, and he told me that it was my time now and if I ever needed anything to just let him know. Words cannot express my gratitude for the great training he gave me, and for his support. I’m sure he will miss wrestling, but wrestling will miss him even more.

- As far as NXT goes, I was excited to be ranked #1 in the Pro’s poll, but I also know I have a long way to go to get to where I need to be and to silence my critics. I know I’m not what WWE usually looks for in a superstar. It’s quite obvious by Michael Cole’s commentary that he doesn’t think I have what it takes and I know there are even more people in the back who think the same thing. They doubt my mic skills and they doubt whether the WWE Universe can get behind someone who looks as plain as I do… but none of them doubt my in ring ability. I may not be what the WWE looks for when they’re recruiting, but most of the people they recruit don’t have the passion for this business that people like Shawn Michaels have. I do, and I’ve proven it over the last 10 years. I will outwork, outsmart and outclass 99.9% of the muscleheads and pretty boys that they think have the right "look."