Jim Ross Praises Daniel Bryan, Says He's Among The "Top 4 Or 5 Guys In The World"

During the Grilling JR Podcast, Jim Ross went over the career of The Miz. One of his more memorable feuds that seemed to have no end to it was with Daniel Bryan.

Miz and Daniel Bryan could be described as polar opposites. Miz came to WWE as an aspiring actor and a member of Tough Enough, while Bryan worked his way through the indies for 10 years before getting a chance in WWE. Ross talked about what worked so well between two and referenced their backgrounds as a major reason why.

"Look at the background, look at their journey's," Ross said. "What route did Miz take to get to his destination, and compare that to Daniel Bryan to get to the same destination. I don't think Daniel Bryan totally respected Miz in the early going because of Miz's journey. Let's be honest about it – the greatest goal Miz could have is to be as good, or as close to good, as Daniel Bryan in the ring. That could go for 99% of the roster."

One of the more memorable moments of the feud between the two was on Talking Smack. Miz and Bryan got into an argument over Bryan being retired, which led to The Miz screaming about how important the Intercontinental Title is to him. Ross talked about the Talking Smack segment and why it went over so well with the fans.

"It was real and that's the thing that made it work," Ross said. "I didn't believe these two cats were bulls–tting me. I didn't believe they were doing a wrestling promo; I felt like they were talking realistically and honestly to me. and they were bearing their soul.

"It was obvious that once Daniel Bryan got the chance to play, he could play as big and as impressively as anybody that's ever laced boots. Miz and Daniel Bryan might have had different philosophies. I don't know what was real, but I do know Miz got better every time he was around Daniel Bryan. I think working with Daniel Bryan was one of the great things for Miz's career to improve his game and level of intensity."

Ross also mentioned how years later, Bryan and Miz still found a way to continue their feud. During Daniel Bryan's run as champion, he and The Miz had an altercation where Bryan agreed that Miz was right about him. JR said great stories don't have time restraints and can last as long as possible with certain elements to them.

"If you tell great stories, there's no time limit on them," JR said. "A great story arc has no definitive time restraints. As long as it's good and you're adding a new element and keeping it plausible, time limits and a short attention span can be completely x'd out of the equation. 8 years off and on [they've been feuding]. It's because it always stayed fresh, it was believable, and the two guys performed their asses off."

Ross also continued to mention how highly he thinks of Daniel Bryan.

"He's as good as there is. Everyones got their opinion – I'll give you mine here. I think [Daniel Bryan] is one of the best top 4 or 5 guys in the world. I'm a big fan of Daniel Bryan."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Grilling JR with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.