Pro wrestling veteran Bryan Danielson shared insights on his journey to improve his wrestling entertainment skills during a recent episode of The Nikki & Brie Show. He recalled spending six months in England in 2003, where he performed at the Butlins Holiday Camp, an all-inclusive family vacation destination that offers meals and entertainment for guests.
Danielson explained the nature of holiday camps like Butlins, noting,
“You pay, let’s say $1000 for a week, but with that $1000, you get all your meals paid for and all your entertainment is included. There are singers that come in, there are magicians, there is wrestling. It’d be the middle of the afternoon and you’d go out there and wrestle in front of people, most of whom are not wrestling fans. They don’t know what they’re watching. I was wrestling with an older wrestler named PN News. I was there because the wrestling part of wrestling has always been easy to me. The entertainment part was very difficult and very challenging. That’s one of the reasons I went over there, to become a better entertainer for people who are not wrestling fans.”
Karaoke’s Role in Enhancing Performance Skills
While wrestling at Butlins, Danielson often shared the stage with PN News, a wrestler known for a troubled past. Speaking about his time with PN News, Danielson said,
“This guy, PN News, who got blackballed from the American wrestling scene because he stole money out of people’s bags. By the time I was there, I loved him, he was great. Great in the sense that I really enjoyed him as a person. He still had a problem with stealing. He couldn’t walk into a gas station without stealing something. He was awesome. Just a really kind person, at least to me. He said, ‘If you really want to get better at this, what you should do is karaoke.’ He and I would do karaoke all the time and other guys would come and do karaoke.”
Danielson emphasized how karaoke helped him develop as a performer, especially given his lack of singing ability. He added,
“It teaches you to be a better performer, especially when you’re a horrible singer, like me. When you’re a horrible singer, you have to be a good performer, and I learned to become a better performer through doing more karaoke.”
The Lasting Impact of Karaoke on Bryan Danielson’s Career
Bryan Danielson credits karaoke as a valuable tool that enhanced his ability to connect with audiences beyond traditional wrestling fans. By embracing a challenging performance style outside the ring, he refined the entertainment aspect of his craft, which often demands captivating the attention of diverse spectators. This experience remains a meaningful chapter in his career, highlighting how unconventional methods can strengthen a wrestler’s overall presence.
