“YES”
One word has captured the hearts and support of millions of WWE fans for the past few years. A word so simple but has been chanted through hundreds of WWE shows. This chant truly encapsulates the reaction when the return of this WWE fan-favorite was announced.
That fan-favorite is Daniel Bryan. The leader of the “Yes Movement” was cleared to return to wrestling after two years of retirement due to head and neck issues. Although his well being was more important, even Daniel questioned if this day would ever come. The impossible day is here and “D-Bry” is ready for action!
The Wait Was Worth It
We’ve seen stars like Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Edge, Christian, Lita, Corey Graves and a few others that either had their career ended or shortened by head and neck injuries.
Bryan’s 2016 retirement was more of a safety measure. And although the moment was sad, everyone had his safety in mind. But as he got married and even returned to WWE programming; one question roamed the wrestling world: “Will Daniel Bryan Ever Wrestle Again?”.
“Following more than two years of extensive evaluations, four-time World Champion Daniel Bryan has been medically cleared to return to in-ring competition by leading neurosurgeons, neurologists and concussion experts, including Dr. Robert Cantu, Dr. Javier Cárdenas, and Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher. Bryan underwent a full review of his medical history and received comprehensive neurological and physical evaluations independent of WWE. He was cleared by each doctor as well as WWE’s Medical Director, Dr. Joseph Maroon.”
After two years of testing and evaluations, Bryan was cleared Tuesday by Dr. Jospeh Maroon. The hard work was worth it in the end. It was a challenge for Bryan as his future in the WWE was being questioned. New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor rumors were swirling around the internet when the thought of a Bryan return was brought into a discussion.
Unluckily for those companies, Bryan is still on the WWE roster and now is once again ready to compete.
https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/976276868683898880
As we saw Tuesday night on SmackDown Live, Bryan was moving very well and explosive
What This Means for Daniel Bryan
Bryan is only 36 and still has some time left in the ring. This means that Bryan can still entertain the fans but of course with some caution. Many wrestling experts are expecting for Bryan to remove the diving headbutt from his move set. Even the running corner dropkicks were considered by many fans to be removed but he executed that move pretty well this past Tuesday night.
On an emotional level, this means that Daniel Bryan can truly return to his love of Wrestling. Losing something you love is hard so this storyline is rather easy to write. Bryan will be testing and pushing himself as he returns to greatness.
What This Means for the WWE
Well firstly, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs Bryan and Shane McMahon is most likely confirmed after Tuesday night’s beating by Owens and Zayn. Bryan returning to the building that he won the WWE World Title in is some very inspirational stuff to watch.
Overall, this shows that the WWE was smart to keep Bryan under contract and towards the end of his contract, he was cleared. With Bryan happy, expect him to resign and create some awesome dream matches; which will be the topic of my next article!
More predictions and analysis at Doc’s Sports.
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