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David Otunga has once again brought to light one of the most controversial moments in recent WWE history: the firing of Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) after the debut of The Nexus in 2010. Although it has been repeated for years that Bryan lost his job for "choking" ring announcer Justin Roberts with a tie, Otunga claims that was not the real trigger.
On his YouTube channel, Otunga stated that the main reason was different: Bryan spat in John Cena's face during the mass attack by Nexus on RAW on June 7, 2010.
Everyone heard that it was because of the tie incident. But I was there and saw something else. Daniel Bryan spat in John Cena's face. If he had spat on me, I would have punched him right there.
It is worth noting that in 2024, Danielson himself said that both incidents (the spitting and the tie incident) contributed to his firing. However, Otunga's version adds an important nuance: what WWE found unacceptable was not only the violence of the segment, but the lack of respect towards the company's biggest star.
Otunga also recounted how he and the other rookies received direct instructions from Vince McMahon that the attack had to be absolutely savage. "This has to look vicious. If not, you're fired."
The atmosphere was so chaotic that, according to Otunga, many veterans believed that Nexus had acted on their own: "The guys backstage thought we had gone crazy. Some veterans were about to come out and really fight us. The agents had to stop them."
After his controversial firing, Daniel Bryan quickly became a common cause among fans. The pressure from the audience, combined with the internal recognition that he was one of the most special talents of his generation, led WWE to rehire him just a few weeks later. Bryan returned at SummerSlam 2010 as part of Team WWE, replacing The Miz in the match against Nexus. His return not only closed the chapter of controversy: it marked the beginning of a meteoric rise that would ultimately make him one of the most beloved wrestlers in the modern history of the company.
