The run of Total Bellas on the E! Network appears to be coming to an end after six seasons. WWE produced the reality spin-off of Total Divas looking specifically at the lives of the Bella Twins. Brie and Nikki were the stars of the show with their family and love interests being main cast members as well.
Daniel Bryan was a fixture of the show from day one as Brie’s husband. John Cena had limited appearances on the series during his time dating Nikki before the couple split up. Bryan’s current free agent status can be impacted by any changing variables in his life. Find out just how the end of Total Bellas could spell the end of Bryan in WWE.
End Of An Era
The success of WWE's reality show projects on the E! Network led to the Bella Twins reaching new heights in their careers. Total Divas and Total Bellas validated Brie and Nikki as top stars bringing a different fan base to WWE. Daniel Bryan became a huge part of each show when Brie was in the bigger storylines showing her home life.
Total Divas lasting six seasons shows how important it became to the E! Network. Recent reports have indicated that Brie and Nikki are each considering ending the series. Brie's daughter Birdie does not enjoy the cameras at home and Nikki is fearful of her son Matteo resenting her in future years for putting his childhood on television.
The show's ending would lead to huge changes in the careers of all involved. Brie recently teased the Bella Twins returning to the ring, which makes sense if losing out on the income and platform of their own reality show. However, Bryan is the biggest variable with this news since he is still a huge name on the free-agent market following his WWE contract expiring.
Bryan's Relationship With Reality TV
Daniel Bryan is the last wrestler anyone would have expected to become part of a reality show, but his love for Brie Bella led to him changing his stance. The use of Bryan helped Total Divas become a breakout hit since he was having his main event run play out. Total Bellas became even more important since he was the third most important cast member after Brie and Nikki. For those who may not tune into the drama amongst women but for the dry and sharp humor of Bryan, Total Divas had something for everyone.
Bryan did leave the first season of Total Bellas when battling depression following his retirement, but he always returned for Brie. A past segment on Total Bellas even confirmed fan assumption that Bryan’s role in Brie’s reality shows played a huge factor in him re-signing with WWE over AEW or becoming a freelancer on the independent circuit again.
WWE lucked out by having Bryan tied to their projects outside of the ring. Even though Bryan is passionate about his WWE work, the desire to wrestle elsewhere has been discussed more than a few times. Total Bellas was an underestimated part of the equation that essentially made it impossible to leave without hurting Brie. The pressure of harming his wife’s biggest career project would no longer exist during his current free agent status.
The Future Of Daniel Bryan
There is no wrestler like Bryan in WWE when it comes to his intentions for wrestling. Bryan wants to have fun wrestling talents of different styles and constantly references his love for dream matches outside of WWE. Total Bellas ending could be the biggest game-changer in his decision moving forward.
Bryan has made it clear he doesn’t want to wrestle full-time anymore due to the desire for more family time. AEW’s game plan will never see them touring as much as WWE. New Japan could provide the occasional tour where he only leaves home for a few weeks out of the year. WWE would likely match the part-time aspect, but it all comes down to what Bryan wants.
The future of Bryan is more unpredictable than any other wrestling free agent in a long time. WWE losing one of their biggest bargaining chips is flying under the radar as a flurry of releases dominates the news cycle. The company will have to prove to Bryan that they will provide strong and enjoyable programs for him if he does re-sign. Bryan has more options than ever before with little holding him towards another obvious WWE extension.