Daniel Bryan is ready to reintroduce himself to Boston. The bearded, bushy-haired superstar will be wrestling at TD Garden tomorrow in the WWE’s Survivor Series pay per view.
The 32-year-old Bryan grew up in the small logging town of Aberdeen, Wash., and pursued his wrestling dreams the moment he graduated high school.
“I always wanted to be a wrestler,” Bryan said. “I went to wrestling school the night I graduated high school in 1999. I graduated and then drove to (be trained in) San Antonio.”
Though he has battled with the biggest and the baddest, wrestling’s behemoths are not even Bryan’s major obstacle. The idea that a 5-foot-10 superstar could be the best in the world is a notion that makes many in professional wrestling scoff.
“The reason I got to WWE was because I cultivated a skill-set and a name on the independents and internationally that warranted them wanting to bring me in,” Bryan said. “Even when they brought me in, I don’t think they expected me to get to where I am now based on my size and personality.”
Bryan’s talent in the ring has left his adversaries unable to pin him down on the mat. He’s been the WWE’s most popular wrestler since the summer, with crowds erupting the moment he begins his entrance to the ring.
“I’ve always seen wrestling as more artistic than sport, but I like being physical,” Bryan said. “This is such a physical form of art so uniquely designed for my personality.”
Though he was born and bred on the opposite side of the country, Bryan holds a soft spot in his heart for the city of Boston.
“I’m engaged to (WWE diva) Brie Bella, and our very first date was in Boston,” Bryan said. “We went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and that was when we realized we really, really liked each other. That was in January of 2011, and now we’re getting married next April.”
While Bryan teams up with CM Punk tomorrow at the Garden against the diabolical Wyatt Family, he will be wrestling with a heavy heart. His dog, an 11-year-old yellow lab named Asparagus the Wonder Dog, died just five days ago.
“He was legitimately my best friend,” said Bryan, who admitted he is still grieving the loss. “Every title I’ve ever won, I would always take a picture with Asparagus with the title and proclaim him the champion. He was a very special dog.”
As for his work in the ring, Bryan guaranteed fans a night to remember at the Garden at the WWE’s 27th annual Survivor Series.
“You’ll see me bring an energy and enthusiasm when I team with Punk against the Wyatts,” promised Bryan. “It’s a very different style matchup. The Wyatts are just big wild brawlers, while we’re aerial, technical wrestlers. It’s a grudge match, and we’re not going to find out who the best wrestlers are. We’re going to find out who the best fighters are, because this is definitely going to be a fight.”
