Daniel Bryan Challenges Baseball Player to a Year-Long Beard-Growing Contest

Talk about putting your beard where your mouth is.

On Twitter Tuesday, Daniel Bryan challenged pro baseball player Josh Reddick to a beard-growing contest. Whoever can grow the fullest beard by the end of the year will be the winner.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Reddick—a right fielder for the Oakland Athletics and a huge WWE fan—has accepted the challenge.

The winner will be determined by a fan vote, according to the newspaper. The loser will have to shave.

Bryan is touching on all his wrestling promo skills to make the challenge interesting. He has issued a series of tweets calling Reddick out:

Bryan also tweets that he would like to see WWE create a title belt for the competition.

According to the newspaper, Reddick accepted the challenge in a WWE-like tweet: “Bring it. YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!”

In accepting the challenge, Reddick tells the Mercury News:

"

I'm already hearing trash talk from his fans. I know a bunch of the WWE guys, but I've never met him.

"

Reddick tells the newspaper that he feels like he is starting the challenge at a disadvantage because Bryan’s Twitter followers far outnumber his.

The newspaper reports that Reddick has developed a reputation for altering his look depending on his batting average and production. It also reports he showed up at an A’s fan event in January sporting a beard with two months’ growth.

Bryan started growing a beard shortly before winning the World Heavyweight Championship in late 2011.

Reddick tells the Mercury News that he has asked a teammate to help him fight off any urges to shave.

Others have joined in the fun. Scott Armstrong tweeted that he would like to be the “official referee” of the “BeardOff.”

Follow Bill Atkinson on Twitter at @BAtkinson1963.