The wrestling world received shocking news last night. Daniel Bryan's WWE contract expired shortly following his match with Roman Reigns last Friday on SmackDown.
After Daniel Bryan lost the match, he was quickly moved to the alumni section of WWE.com. However, many assumed it was just part of a storyline that would see him move to either RAW or NXT. With the news breaking last night that his contract has expired, that likely isn't the case.
In an update to the situation, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reports that WWE is "pushing hard" to sign Daniel Bryan to a new deal sooner rather than later.
Bryan has spoken in-depth in recent weeks about potentially working for multiple companies in the future, but he wasn't sure if WWE would allow that to happen. Now, Bryan seemingly holds all the power in future contract negotiations.
Will Daniel Bryan return to WWE?
Daniel Bryan has also been very complimentary of AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as of late. His kind words have led to some people speculating that Bryan might be AEW bound. However, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has shot that down.
Sapp reports he's been speaking to two AEW sources who believe Bryan will sign a new deal to return to WWE instead. But until a deal is done, anything can happen.
It will be interesting to see how much power Bryan can demonstrate in his ongoing contract negotiations with WWE. If he manages to get the company to give him what he wants, it could be a game-changer in the wrestling industry going forward.
Are you surprised that Daniel Bryan's WWE contract has expired? What do you predict will be the next move for the former WWE Champion? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.