'Total Bellas' coming to E!, new 'Total Divas' cast announced

E! has announced the new series “Total Bellas” with Nikki and Brie Bella, a spinoff of the network’s hit series “Total Divas.” The six, one-hour episodes will give viewers exclusive access into the lives of The Bella Twins and their significant others, John Cena and Daniel Bryan, as the WWE Superstars move in together and enter a new chapter of their lives, both professionally and personally.

After Nikki goes through delicate surgery on her neck and spine, her sister and brother-in-law move into the house she shares with Cena in order to care for her and keep her company during her long and protracted recovery. The Bella Twins will continue to appear on “Total Divas,” which concludes its fifth season tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET.

“We are excited to build on one of our most successful franchises with this new series that goes exclusively inside the world of WWE fan favorites The Bella Twins,” said Jeff Olde, EVP, Programming and Development, E! “Nikki and Brie Bella have an undeniable charm and wit that matches their irrefutable beauty, and we are thrilled to get an intimate look into what it’s like to be in a relationship with some of the hottest sports entertainers in the world.”

Additionally, E!, WWE and Bunim-Murray Productions’ hit series “Total Divas” will return for its sixth season this fall. Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Eva Marie, Naomi, Natalya and Paige will continue to give viewers an inside glimpse at balancing life in the spotlight and the non-stop action of their professional careers with the drama of their everyday lives.

In addition, Season 6 will introduce "Total Divas" fans to Lana, Renee Young, and Maryse, a former two-time WWE Divas Champion and wife of Mike “The Miz” Mizanin.

Evolve’s Gabe Sapolsky discusses Paul Heyman, Daniel Bryan, WWE

Brie Bella On Why She's Leaving WWE

WWE.com posted an interview with former Divas Champion and recently retired Brie Bella, who confirmed that WrestleMania 32 was her retirement.

Leaving WWE:

"Yes. WrestleMania 32 was my last match. I wouldn't say my last match forever, just my last match that you'll see in a while. I am here at home because Daniel Bryan and I want to start a family soon. Or I shouldn't say soon — we want to start it now! We're going to start having babies, so I have to put my career on hold. It doesn't mean that I'm going to be gone. I'm going to be an ambassador for WWE. But I'm going to try motherhood."

If she'll miss the term 'diva':

"No! Absolutely not. Granted, of course, I have so many memories being a Diva. I guess it will always hold a special part of me. We always called ourselves Divas. I came in through Diva Search. I was a Divas Champion."

I always felt like it had this negative feeling to it because a Diva is so much more high maintenance, and that's the last thing we women wrestlers are. I'm really happy to see it go, just as I was really sad when I saw the original Women's Championship go away. It's amazing to just finally have it. So, yeah, I definitely won't miss it.

Women's Championship:

"Oh, my gosh. It was crazy. It's so hard to explain because it was such an overwhelming feeling. I couldn't stop smiling. I was just so proud of the three girls in the match. I felt like this is probably what women felt like the day it was announced that women can vote, or the day that women started in business and started feeling equal to men, owning and running companies. For me, I just felt like "Whoa, this is it! This is no longer about men and women. This is about all of us being Superstars." It's a very surreal feeling, and I just can't believe that I was actually there to witness it and be a part of it."

You can see the full interview at this link, where Bella talks about getting support from fans, her decision, and more.

Total Divas Recap 04/05/16

Rumor Mill - Brie Bella retiring from WWE in April

WWE Diva Brie Bella will retire after the April 4 edition of RAW, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reports.

While Bella’s in-ring career will end after the first post-Wrestlemania edition of RAW, she will still be involved in other WWE programming, Satin adds.

Bella originally said that she planned to retire this summer but is stepping away earlier because her husband Daniel Bryan is experiencing some kind of medical issue, according to the report.

WWE Network Unveils WrestleMania Week Programming

Total Divas Recap 03/22/16

WWE Issues Statement on Why Daniel Bryan Has Been Pulled from Upcoming Live Events

WWE has pulled Daniel Bryan from the advertised “Daniel Bryan Night” at Madison Square Garden originally scheduled to take place at the WWE live event this Friday night. In an email sent to ticket holders from Madison Square Garden, scheduling conflicts was cited as the reason why Bryan has been pulled from the events.

WWE has also pulled Bryan from advertised dates this weekend and the upcoming post-WrestleMania tour of The UK.

WWE has issued the following statement to PWInsider.com in response to Bryan being pulled from the events:

“Daniel Bryan requested time off and it was granted.”

Total Divas Recap 03/08/16

Total Divas Recap 03/01/16

Does WWE star Daniel Bryan's concussion retirement signal change for sports?

If you're not a regular viewer of "Monday Night Raw," you missed a look at the future of concussions in sports.

In an emotional retirement speech, WWE star Daniel Bryan, whose real name is Bryan Danielson, said he's walking away from the world of professional wrestling due to concussion concerns.

Danielson spent most of 2015 sidelined after a spring concussion.

WWE would not clear him to wrestle, and as the year went on, Danielson began making noise in interviews about wanting to perform, if not in WWE then elsewhere.

But on the Feb. 8 episode of "Monday Night Raw," Danielson made an about-face and announced his retirement.

Danielson, 34, explained that he'd fought WWE's refusal to clear him because he had gotten EEGs, brain MRIs and neuropsychological evaluations showing he was fine. Then he took another test, and his focus changed.

"A week and a half ago," Danielson said, "I took a test that said that maybe my brain isn't as OK as I thought it was."

Danielson also said he had suffered three concussions within the first five months of his career. Sixteen years later, Danielson said, "it adds up to a lot of concussions."

WWE wouldn't say what specific test Danielson took that pushed him into retirement, nor would they make him available for an interview. On ESPN, Danielson described it as an EEG — basically measuring electrical brain currents, he said — while doing reflex testing.

The test found some "slowing" and a lesion, Danielson said.

Watching at home, my ears perked up. That a person can do well on his tests, then take a new one suggesting he's not "as OK" as he thought is a scary prospect, especially when you consider that the science around concussions still has a long way to go.

Retirements like Danielson's are going to happen more often in the coming years, as new tests give doctors better tools for gauging brain health.

Dave Meltzer, who writes the Wrestling Observer newsletter each week, said he thinks it's the "start of a big deal."

Many wrestlers and football players whose brains were found after death to have CTE — chronic traumatic encephalopathy, defined by Boston University as "a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma" — were guys who would not have retired under normal circumstances, Meltzer said.

"I absolutely believe you'll see shorter careers and people retire earlier because they're going to find out what condition they're in," Meltzer said. "Even if they want to continue, the governing bodies will say (they) can't."

Personally, I suspect many athletes who otherwise appear to have good brain health are less OK than they think...More?

source: chicagotribune.com

Daniel Bryan to Return to WWE for “Daniel Bryan Night” at Upcoming MSG Live Event

The official website of Madison Square Garden, TheGarden.com, has announced that the March 25th live event will be billed as “Daniel Bryan Night.”

Daniel Bryan will be attending the event, which will also feature the following:

– Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus (with Triple H)

– Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose (30-minute Iron Man match for the IC title)

– Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio (US Title match)

– Big Show vs. Bray Wyatt

– AJ Styles makes his MSG Debut

Plus, there will be appearances by Ric Flair, New Day, Demon Kane and more.

Former WWE Star Says Daniel Bryan Might Still Be Wrestling If It Weren't For 'Concussion Lawsuits'

Former WWE and WCW star "Big" Vito Lograsso, who is one of several former talents currently involved in the "concussion lawsuits" against WWE, posted the following statement on Facebook.

It should be noted that WWE was getting involved in concussion research and awareness long before Vito and other wrestlers brought suits against WWE.

"My thoughts on this week so far are something to talk about. People are now starting to get in the know on CTE. If it wasn't for this lawsuit, Daniel Bryan would be going to Wrestlemania. Who knows what would have happened if he kept wrestling. I am happy he will be OK. The fear on losing your spot is real. Are you hurt, NO. You keep going. It was the culture. All the people now sharing concussion stories. All the awareness. But a year ago, this lawsuit and everything about concussions, CTE, was laughed at, made fun of, thought it was a load of crap. Now, it is reality. The education you are getting now, but what about back then ? Now people want to step up and be spokesmen and help. No one could care or donated there time last year. They could care less. Glad I made this possible for all to see. I speak for me, the others and the guys not here no more. My wish is for this to settle and make this a great thing. Right now it's a pissing contest instead of working together. Make things right and go for the gold on this. Waste your money on fighting something that is true won't get you any votes. Just prolonges what will be. Do it classy and not as a must. -Merit- , is what we have, the facts are there. Daniel Bryan moves on to have a family and keep his head together, a real positive here. If not for me taking this on , who knows what would have been. #fightvitofight"

Chris Nowinski Talks Daniel Bryan’s Retirement Due to Concussions, Comments on WWE’s Improved Concussion Culture and More

Former WWE Superstar Chris Nowinski, who co-founded Concussion Legacy Foundation, recently spoke with FOX Sports, and below are some interview highlights:

Daniel Bryan’s retirement due to concussions:

“I felt extraordinary sympathy for Daniel. It’s tough to walk away when you feel like you could still perform. In a sense, I was lucky because I had headaches I couldn’t kick and other problems that told me I shouldn’t go out and do (wrestling) again. He didn’t have that. He had to really dig deep to find the justification to walk away from the job he loved. It has been very interesting to watch the process. I’ve read that he was upset about WWE’s decision, but he saw other doctors and WWE really encouraged him to find another path because they recognized his brain was injured too much.”

WWE’s improved concussion culture:

“Superstars are more likely to report concussions. That’s big. Wrestling also has an advantage over sports in general because you can write wrestlers out of storylines or have them participate without physical exertion when they are recovering from concussions.”

Video: Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella Appear on “Good Morning America”

Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella appeared on a very newsworthy “Good Morning America” segment today, during which Brie revealed that her WWE retirement announcement should be coming sometime this summer.

The couple also talked Bryan’s concussions and seizures, and Triple H made an appearance as well. You can watch footage of the segment below:


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Daniel Bryan Talks Retirement, Explains His Injuries, Reveals How Many Concussions He’s Had, Talks Medical Testing & More

The following is a recap of ESPN's WWE Off The Top Rope segment, featuring special guest Daniel Bryan.

Jonathan Coachman starts the show by playing highlights of Daniel Bryan’s retirement speech from WWE RAW, then welcomes Bryan to the show. Coach asks how difficult it was for Bryan to make his speech in his hometown, and Bryan talks about trying not to cry and getting emotional in front of his family.

Coach asks about his injuries and Bryan says they have ten documented concussions, but it’s impossible to define each one. Coach then asks about how Bryan found out about his career being over, and Bryan says he went to New York for some EEG tests, and this one measured electrical brain activity while doing reflex testing. Bryan says it’s a newer form of the test, but he wanted evidence to support his petition to come back to wrestling. Bryan says his other EEG and MRI test were great, but this one showed he had some slowing, and evidence of “a small or subacute or chronic lesions” in the area of his brain that causes seizures. Bryan says he has had post-concussion seizures that he hid and it was unknown why, but now they found out something to link the symptoms. Bryan says he’s learned that you need to report concussions, and you need to heal your brain before returning to a contact sport like wrestling or football. He says it’s about the responsibility you have to yourself and your family.

Coach then asks about the YES chant, and Bryan says it caught on, but Bryan started it to be annoying. He says it looks great when people in the arena do it, and it really propelled his career forward. Coach talks about last night’s speech and the locker room being their for him, and Bryan says the coolest thing about last night was he could feel the reaction when he closed his eyes, and it was unbelievable.

Coach asks how Bryan made it to the top despite his size, and Bryan says he likens it to a writer, and he can’t explain it, but the audience connected with him. Bryan says he is very fortunate, then Coach asks about his favorite moment. Bryan says he mentioned it last night, but the Seattle Slammy Awards show where the fans hijacked the show and his father seeing him wrestle again was his favorite.

Coach asks if Bryan thought about what’s next, and Bryan laughs and says he’s had time to think, but he’s not sure. He says he wants to do something to help people and the world, and he might get involved with concussion awareness. He says working with WWE allowed him to do some great charitable things, and mentions Connor’s Cure, and says he wants to help with stuff like and just needs to figure out what’s next.

Coach asks how Bryan would like to be remembered, and Bryan says he doesn’t necessarily need to be remembered himself, but he wants people to remember the experience of just going to the show together. Bryan tells a funny story about his family going to a show and the Ultimate Warrior pantsing Rick Rude, and says that is still a great story in his family. He says it means a lot for a family that isn’t a wrestling fan family, and he hopes everyone remembers good times about going to wrestling shows.

Daniel Bryan Officially Announces His Retirement, What Happened After RAW, Why He Cut His Hair

Daniel Bryan officially announced his retirement on tonight's WWE RAW from Seattle. Bryan said he's had several concussions after 16 years in the business and it got to the point where he was told he could no longer wrestler. Bryan fought that for a long time until he had tests one week ago that told him that his brain isn't as well as he thought it was. Bryan said that led to his retirement because he has a family to worry about and wants to start having kids with wife Brie Bella.

“Within the first five months of my wrestling career, I’d already had three concussions,” Bryan explained. “For years after that, I would get a concussion here and there, or here, or there, and it gets to the point when you’ve been wrestling for 16 years that it adds up to a lot of concussions. It gets to a point where they tell you that you can’t wrestle anymore.

“I have loved this in a way that I have never loved anything else. But a week and a half ago I took a test that said maybe my brain wasn’t as OK as I thought it was. And I have a family to think about, and my wife and I want to start having kids soon.

“I’ve been angry, I’ve been sad, I’ve been frustrated, and all that. But when I woke up this morning, I felt nothing but gratitude.”

Bryan was then given a send-off by the WWE locker room, including company EVP Triple H (real name Paul Levesque) and majority owner Vince McMahon, Levesque’s father-in-law.

Levesque had been involved in a well-received onscreen feud with Bryan in the spring of 2014, culminating in Bryan’s Wrestlemania victory, in which Levesque and his on- and off-screen wife, Stephanie McMahon, taunted Bryan by claiming he was not the type of wrestler to lead the WWE.

Last year, it emerged that the WWE was being sued by three of its former performers for allegedly concealing the effects of head trauma, in a lawsuit similar to that between the National Football League (NFL) and its retired players.

Bryan delivered a great speech for the RAW over-run, going to 11:30pm EST almost. Bryan also revealed that he cut his hair for the "Wigs For Kids" organization, which provides wigs to kids with cancer with no charge to the family.

After tonight's RAW went off the air, the WWE Network opened up with a live shot from the key Arena with Bryan greeting fans at ringside while the entire roster came to the stage and joined in on the "yes!" chants, including Tripe H, Stephanie McMahon and Vince McMahon. Michael Cole, JBL and Byron Saxton stayed on commentary to remember Bryan's career. Bryan made his way to the ramp and was joined by Brie. With the roster behind him, he faced the crowd and did one last "yes!" chant. Bryan walked up and was hugged by Vince before walking to the back.

Daniel Bryan Announces Retirement

Daniel Bryan announced today on Twitter that, effective immediately, he would be retiring from in-ring competition. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion announced that he would elaborate on tonight's episode of Raw.

Due to medical reasons, effective immediately, I am announcing my retirement. Tonight on Raw, I'll have a chance to elaborate. #gratitude

— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) February 8, 2016

Rumor Mill - Daniel Bryan Reportedly Tried To Give WWE His Notice, Was Blocked From Doing So

It's been widely speculated that former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan may be appearing on Raw tonight from Seattle, fresh off of his brand new Tide Pods commercial. However, a new report has surfaced, which says that Bryan tried to leave the WWE, but was blocked from doing so.

Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer posted on the Wrestling Classics forum, saying that "He did give notice and was told he did not have the right to give notice."

Bryan's contract has been frozen due to an injury, a provision in Superstar contracts that helps WWE make up lost time when a talent is sidelined. The company was at odds with former WWE Champion Rey Mysterio due to this same clause.

As is pertains to Bryan not having the right to give notice, based on the available talent contracts, that appears to be true. The contract can be pretty much permanently frozen unless Bryan takes the WWE to court.

Bryan has been out of action since last April, when he suffered a concussion in a six-man tag match in the UK. In total Bryan has only been able to wrestle a little under three months over the course of the last 22.

Did WWE Sign AJ Styles To Replace Daniel Bryan?