The Miz On Daniel Bryan: He's Not At The Caliber That I'm At Right Now
The Miz recently opened up on the Gorilla Position about Daniel Bryan. He praised him at first, but turned things around quickly to say Bryan acts like he doesn't want the fame and notoriety but that is all a facade.
"One of the most talented in-ring performers that WWE has ever seen behind me. He is incredible in the ring he was incredibly on the mic, he creates sympathy," The Miz said of Bryan.
"I also think that, how do you put this? Daniel Bryan looks like he doesn't want the attention but he does. He acts like he doesn't want the notoriety but he does. If he didn't want — I say it through and through — I want notoriety I want people to look and see what I want, you know what I mean? I want people to say 'wow The Miz is doing this, this, and this.' Daniel Bryan kinda pushes it off and says: 'no, no, no.' But he really does. Because if he didn't then he would have left WWE but he liked the attention. "
The Miz addressed the famous Talking Smack segment where he let loose on Bryan. He described his mindset during that time as he vented his frustrations on Bryan and what really set him off during the famous segment.
"People always sit there and talk about Talking Smack. They always bring up the incident of Talking Smack. What did I do on there that was so terrible? Because if you do remember and nobody does remember exactly what happened just talks about Talking Smack, Talking Smack, Talking Smack but they don't really look into it and see exactly what happened.
"I came in there and Daniel Bryan came at me. He called me a coward which wasn't the worst part about it. It was him saying I have a soft style of wrestling which really kinda triggered everything. That's when it really just clicked and I kinda went off on him all the frustrations I was going through in my life was just taken out on Daniel Bryan."
The Miz said sometimes he goes on autopilot and his mouth keeps going, this is what he said took place during Talking Smack. He said Bryan is all about fighting for his dreams but on that day he walked away. Bryan previously spoke to Gorilla Position and admitted he walked away because he didn't want to punch The Miz in the face.
"I was expecting to get hit. I was expecting something to happen," The Miz continued. "Then he walked away. So I had to literally turn to the camera and show focus where focus was due and that Intercontinental Championship and myself."
The Miz addressed what he thinks is really going on between him and Bryan. The eight-time Intercontental Champion said it all boils down to jealousy because he was able to do something Bryan wasn't. He also said Bryan isn't on the level he was four years ago and hasn't reached the same caliber The Miz is at yet.
"I think there's some jealousy if I'm really being honest of the fact that I was able to do what he couldn't. I was still able to do what he couldn't, but now he's able to do that. But I don't think he's at the level that he was four years ago. He's not, and people are always saying Miz vs Daniel Bryan, Daniel Bryan vs The Miz but he's not at the caliber that I'm at right now.
"Has he showcased anything since he's been back that he is a main event-level talent beside the audience doing the, 'yes, yes, yes' that was cool four years ago? Has he had a match where you go, 'wow he's back. He's showcasing all the stuff that Daniel Bryan knows how to do.
"Granted he was very long in the Greatest Royal Rumble but that's the Greatest Royal Rumble Match. You can sit there and take somebody's finisher and not get thrown over the top rope and just lay there for an hour. Granted, did he lay there for an hour? No. But that is not a singles match. He is not at the talent that he was four years ago and it takes a lot of time. This isn't like riding a bike."
If you use any portion of the quotes in this article please credit Gorilla Postion with a H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription