A sport that thrives off violence turns eco-friendly
When Daniel Bryan defended his WWE Championship against AJ Styles this past Sunday at the 2019 WWE Royal Rumble, he showed wrestling fans that it’s possible to mix violence with an eco-friendly lifestyle. Upon receiving his championship belt, which has always been leather, he tossed it aside and presented a new belt – one made out of hemp.
The move was the fulfillment of a promise made by Bryan previously. After presenting the new, stylish hemp belt, which was designed and created by Wildcat Belts, he said, “I said when I became the WWE Champion that I was going to change the world, but to change the world, we need new symbols!”
It may come as a surprise to some, but Bryan is a vegan. The new belt is 100% sustainable and made from organic hemp, and will be showing off the championship goods when he defends his title against five other WWE stars next month.
Not all fans watching the match on Sunday at Chase Field were impressed. Many booed the new belt and jeered Bryan as he called the new trophy “the new symbol of excellence.”
Some fans approved, however, and met the announcement with a thundering roar. It has been applauded on a number of social media channels, including Twitter. Chris Vannini of The Athletic tweeted, “Daniel Bryan just threw the WWE title in the trash because, as an environmentalist/vegan, he despised that it was made of leather. He has replaced it with a championship belt made of HEMP and wood. Pro wrestling is amazing sometimes.”
