Daniel Bryan Reveals His Pride At WWE Survivor Series 2018 Match With Brock Lesnar
"I don’t think there’s been anybody in the history of WWE who’s been more excited to take a German Suplex from Brock Lesnar than me."
Mar 26, 2021
Daniel Bryan has talked of his delight at finally getting to wrestle Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2018, and his pride at how the match went.
Bryan, as WWE Champion, faced Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in a Champion vs. Champion match at the November event just a few days after winning the title from AJ Styles on Smackdown.
Bryan had been hoping to face Lesnar for a long time and used the match as a test for his durability, having only returned from an enforced retirement due to concussion injuries six months prior.
The 39-year-old also revealed how much Lesnar actually enjoys wrestling and how the two loved working together on the match.
When asked about facing Lesnar, Bryan told TalkSPORT: "I was thrilled, I was absolutely thrilled. I wanted the Brock Lesnar match for a long time.
"But how I always envisioned it was babyface Daniel Bryan! Yes man Daniel Bryan, underdog Daniel Bryan against the killer Brock Lesnar, but I had literally just become the Planet’s Champion and kicked AJ Styles in the nuts!
"So it was a really weird thing, but I think the weirdness of it also made it fun and made it more pleasurable for me.
“Wrestling Brock Lesnar, I don’t think anybody appreciates how great Brock Lesnar is and the mind that he brings to wrestling. I also think, and from a character perspective I’ve said this on a Talking Smack or whatever, but it’s actually not true, is I think Brock Lesnar loves this.
"He just also loves farming, loves being at home and he’s not going to do it just because he likes doing it, he’s going to do it because ‘hey, you need to pay me to put my body on the line’ that sort of thing, right? But his eyes light up when he does this. That’s the thing.
"That match is something that I’m really, really proud of and it was a test for me. I don’t think there’s been anybody in the history of WWE who’s been more excited to take a German Suplex from Brock Lesnar than me. Just to be like ‘Ok, let’s see! We got to see what I got here. Am I good?!’ German Suplex… ‘Yep, I’m good!'"
