Shawn Michaels did an exclusive interview with WWE.com to discuss training Daniel Bryan and his future in the company. You can read the entire interview by clicking here. Here are a few excerpts:
On his first impressions of Daniel Bryan as a student:
“Heck, I knew at first glance what a talented young man he was. He came in good, for heaven’s sakes. His work ethic, his integrity, his dedication, all of that stuff was all phenomenal from the get-go. And honestly, he had an understanding that it was going to be tough. He knew it was going to be a long road for him, and none of those things bothered him. He had a fantastic attitude absolutely every day, day in and day out. Our [training] facility — it was no WWE Performance Center. It was dirty, it was hot and there was never a complaint out of him. I cannot remember one time the young man ever had anything other than a good and positive attitude.”
On if he followed Bryan’s Indy career and if he ever thought he’d be a big star:
“Honestly, I was never really concerned about checking up on him. In my opinion, I knew it was only a matter of time. Every time he came in for a tryout, so to speak, I would ask him how it went and then I would sort of say, ’It’s really up to you whenever you want to leave what you’re doing and come here. And when you come here, it will still be an uphill battle.’ Not to imply in any way, shape or form that I called him years ago and I take any credit for anything, because I don’t.
I just knew that he was unbelievably talented, and that can’t be denied. I don’t care if you’re three inches tall. If you’re as talented as he is, you’re going to get an opportunity if you’re patient and you stand the test of time. And he’s done that part, so absolutely nothing that’s going on with him right now is any surprise to me whatsoever.”
On his prediction for how Bryan will be perceived in the long-run:
“I believe he’s going to be a player in WWE for a long, long time, and that’s when greatness is established — over time. It’s not in one day. Greatness is something that stands the test of time, and I think that’s what he should focus on.”
