Daniel Bryan Teases Eventual In-Ring Return?

[Jack-Hammer]

On last night's episode of Talking Smack, there was another classic confrontation in the delightful spectacle that is the Miz and Daniel Bryan saga.

Miz spent much of his time on the show ripping into Cena with Bryan defending him before it eventually got to where Miz and Bryan began trash talking each other once again. Miz poked fun of Bryan for not being able to wrestle anymore with Bryan stating "I can't or they won't let me? We'll see in a year and a half, we'll see what happens."

As you might imagine, this has generated a good deal of speculation online as to what that means. It's led many to believe that Bryan's WWE contract expires sometime in 2018, which could lead to him potentially leaving WWE to resume his in-ring career if they're not willing to. It's also led to wild speculation that Bryan might have an agreement with WWE in which he continues to undergo rigorous tests & exams and if things continue to show that he's fine, then he'll be allowed to get back in the ring. It could also be an example of Bryan getting caught up in the moment as he and Miz work incredibly well together and get under each other's skin.

Bryan's face was as red as a cherry tomato after Miz left and it makes me long for the day when more WWE promo segments can potentially be more like what we see on Talking Smack each week. It's well known that Triple H doesn't like doing scripted promos and Talking Smack isn't scripted, it has much to raw of a feel to it and there are some wrestlers who're far more compelling when talking on Talking Smack than during promo segments on Raw or SmackDown Live.

 

[Memory Horizon]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression DB can't wrestle anymore because of concussion history. If so, the more concussions you get, the larger the chance you'll have permanent damage. And if DB has even 3 or 4, the damage is permanent. I don't think he'll ever pass a physical test with WWE again, whether it's a year and a half or when he's 50.

Having said that, however, it would be a fantastic sight to see DB back again. I'm all for the GM role to keep his face on TV, but it's not the same, nor is it the same DB. He appears to not really care about it, and it tarnishes my (once) high opinion of him as a result.

Talking Smack is a fantastic show to see the exact opposite. DB is off the cuff and says what he damn well pleases...a facet that is sorely lacking on the main shows. All in all, though, with his (again, I'm not 100% sure) concussion history, the only time you'll see DB wrestle again is on the indy circuit. Until then, it's a what if, not a when he does.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

You are about to turn 37 and have a child due in a few weeks, you get paid good money to appear on TV one day a week. Stop bitching Bryan.

I understand he loves wrestling and it isn't easy to walk away from something you love, he seems determined to be the next Dynamite Kid though.

I for one have no desire to see Bryan in a wheel chair and shitting his pants at 50 because he couldnt stay away. It isn't worth it.

And before people come in and argue "he could change his ring style" no, he didn't change it when he first started having health issues. He was right back out there flying around and throwing head butts like there was no tomorrow.

For the sake of your long term health and your family, just stay away.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

I can't wait to see what kind of head harness contraption the WWE will make him wear if he steps foot in the ring again. The King of Concussions wont be 1/3rd the wrestler he was because hes going to have to protect his skull with every offensive move and every bump taken. Not worth it .

 

[Psykohurricane55]

When i heard that comment on talking smack, the first thing that came up in my mind is how bryan was just saying that to get a reaction from the IWC since most fans that watch that show are part of the IWC anyway.

Let's face it, if he wasn't going to be a father soon, i think that it would be another story and i'm sure that he would do whatever it took to risk is life to wrestled just one more match, that'S normal when you lose something you love to do and can do it anymore it'S sucks. But now that he's going to be a father, that'S another story all together, i don't see him risking permanant injury just to wrestles again and i doubt that Brie would let him do it anyway.

His in ring career as a performer is over for good, fans need to get over it. I think the best you could see from him at this point would like a 20 second in ring segment on a PPV were he beats up the miz and doesn'T have to take a bump, outside of that, i don'T see him coming back and i see comments like that as him jus having fun at the fans expense.

 

[ISkye]

That concussion lawsuit compiled of people from Sabu to recently passed Jimmy Snuka is lurking. As well as the CM Punk vs Doctor suit that seems to never move is still very well and real. They've readjusted some practices continuously and I think around Feb. 2016 they started having random check ups on their talent. Bryan can more than likely wrestle completely fine for a while on a part timer schedule or once every now and then for a few years. There also is the risk he over does it, and it's fair to say whether it be in Japan, ROH, or WWE he's guilty of that almost on the regular.

I think he's fine venting his frustrations, and I'm pretty sure he's well aware he has a kid. Trying to pretend he hasn't been excited / preparing to be a father and settling down isn't there. That could also be scaring him, and it wouldn't surprise me if he felt the stress lurking. He reached his dream after being more than possibly the best of his generation and then had it crushed. For someone who literally lives and breathes wrestling it's sad, and It's fine for him to be frustrated.

He's level headed, and without the entire context it's beyond stupid to say "Quit bitching". Even with what we can asses or assume it's beyond stupid to say that, actually. Ultimately I think it's best to cut him off now where he was at regardless of the severity and actual damage that may be lingering in the future. He has more than an entire collection of classics, and one of the best builds to a big show / main event in more than recent history. The consistent pro-wrestling deaths and careers ended just by going that little extra distance is enough to ground Bryan.

I'm used to him not wrestling at this point, and he was a great before he even came to WWE. Add his WM 30 performance, and even his match with Reigns and the IC title win I think it's fine to say the title is locked. He works it up sometimes on Talking smack and some of his interactions with The Miz, but the retirement speech and all that was reality. Luckily he's paved way for a lot of things people enjoy now, and still is more over than most current active roster members. I think he'll settle in given a little more time.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

I sincerely doubt DB will ever wrestle again. He has serious concussion injuries. It would be dangerous for him to do it. WWE will never clear him to wrestle again and rightfully so.
Not only that - any other wrestling organisation that clears him to every wrestle again would leave themselves open to a huge law suit that would bankrupt them should DB get another injury of any kind - this is because the argument can be used that DB is known universally across the Wrestling/Sports Entertainment industry that he has permanent concussion damage and should not be involved in physical activities within the wrestling business.

Now it IS possible he wrestles again but it would be ridiculous to do so and very dangerous - for both him and his family and his opponents.

 

[GOOZEKING]

I am may sound like an idiot or a conspiracy theorist but I still believe that Bryan isn't as hurt as wwe wants you to believe. I mean the guy went to 3 other doctors and they ALL said that he was fine with Bryan telling those doctors about his history of concussions and getting tested. Then he goes to 1 doctor and all of a sudden he can't wrestle. You are telling me that knowing that he has had so many concussions and seizures those professional doctors still cleared him. Either those doctors aren't doctors, Bryan never got tested and is s moron, or he is fine.

 

[Messiah]

If Daniel Bryan decides to wrestle again, he's the biggest fucking dumbass in wrestling. We live in a world of CTE now, he can't risk anymore head trauma.. This guy has gotta think about his future, he has a wife, he has a child on the way.. It's not worth it.. Be smart and just be a family man once his contract is up.

 

[OYDK]

There's really no reason for him to get in the ring again other than his own desire, which admittedly seems very strong. On the one hand you can look at the decision to wrestle again as selfish. As others have mentioned, the guy has a family and a kid on the way, he's making good money to act as a glorified figure-head, and if the concussion issues are as serious as WWE wants us to believe they are, than another one or two intense blows to the head can seriously impact his life later down the line. On the other hand, nobody really knows what's in Bryan's own mind and the steps he's been taking off-screen. I'm sure he's talked to a number of doctors who have probably assured him that it's okay to get in the ring but knows that Vince is adamant on never letting him wrestle in the WWE again. If there's one guy who's life seems completely tied into wrestling, it's Daniel Bryan.

I mean, I played a decently high level of baseball until I blew both of my shoulders out a few years back and every spring, I still get the itch to get back on a baseball field. I can barely step on a field nowadays without getting a bit sad. I can imagine that Bryan's desire is about 100 times stronger than my own in regards to wrestling again, plus, he legitimately seems to think that he's completely fine. I think he would hold a lot of regret if he never wrestled again.

It really isn't my job to judge him either way. He obviously needs to discuss things with his family if he's adamant on wrestling again and if he does go somewhere else, I just hope his brain doesn't end up a pile of mush. Than again, this could all just be a power-play to force WWE to let him in a ring again. I think he has it pretty good right now and I honestly don't legitimately think he would leave either way.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It's a way to get him off the GM role while Brie has their kid... They need some way to get dissention between Shane and Bryan so that he can be removed for a time... It starts with a smart ass comment like that, soon he's mouthing off a bit more and Shane has to check him... then he's getting involved in the Bella/Cena/Miz/Maryse match at Mania and talking Shane into an AJ match... Shane has to say "enough", you're suspended or removed... Teddy Long comes back as the HOF'er to make the most of that momentum...

It's not rocket science guys...

 

[The Man Of 1004 Holds]

I think we will see Bryan back in the ring next year. This seemed like true emotion and we all know his passion has always been wrestling. It made me think he has a year and half left at WWE and then if they still wont clear him he will move on, id imagine likely back to ring of honor and have one last run at the company he helped build.
We've got to remember, it was reported a lot that his own doctors and regular doctors cleared him and it was WWE doctors that wouldnt allow him to wrestle. once he's free other companies might not be as cautious and let the man make up his own mind.
If he does, fair play and good luck to him, its his choice.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm thinking more along the lines of him just being caught up in the moment. As has been pointed out, Bryan is making good money, he works a total of usually 5 days out of the month, he's almost 37 years old and he has a baby on the way. I remember an article sometime last year that included a DB interview in which he claimed if he wasn't about to be a father, he'd probably get back in the ring at some point.

It was either on Total Divas or Total Bellas in which Bryan, in the gym with Sami Zayn, showed off some of this new in-ring technique he'd been working on that'd lessen the impact he'd take. In a lot of ways, I think it incorporates some of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira as it involves a great deal of complex movement, keeping your opponent off balance, takedowns combined with strikes. I remember thinking Bryan was moving a lot like a monkey and that it looked both kind of odd and cool at the same time. In short, I think it's something that would be over Vince's head, therefore he wouldn't like it or go for it even though I'd say fans would quickly get into it because it'd be Daniel Bryan doing it.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

In WWE, i don'T think that this will ever happened, but some that i just remembered was that his contract ends in a year and a half with WWE so if he really wants to go back in the ring and wrestles, then theirs really nothing that can stop him from wrestling somewhere else after that if that's what he really wants to do. After his contract expires, that his decision if he want to resign and continue to do on air stuff likes he'S been doing or if he want to go back to wrestling and sign with somebody else.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I was never a big Daniel Bryan fan..or Bryan Danielson for that matter. Nothing against him, I just wasn't interested in him. That being said, I wouldn't be up in arms if he did come back or didn't come back. He's not the only wrestler to ever retire and wrestle again. It's not like it would be some slap in the face or whatever. Guy never wanted to retire in the first place and presumably can't stand not being in the ring.

None of us know how bad he is medically wise besides him and doctors I suppose. If he wants to get back in the ring and they say he's good to go then good for him. If he's not medically cleared and decides to leave and wrestle somewhere else that's his decision.

I'm not good with these topics because I'm very indifferent to them a lot of the time. I was probably the only one on earth who didn't care about Flair wrestling again after his send off. I don't know his situation or what goes through his head and I don't know Bryan's so it's very hard to comment on such. Basically it's their lives and their choices. We all have big life decisions or choices to make every day. For anyone getting their panties in a bunch about Bryan MAYBE wanting to wrestle again, they might want to check their own lives out before jumping all over someone else about theirs.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Guys he's just teasing a match. He's not going to wrestle and shouldn't.

This is nothing more than a work and developing the Miz and Bryan feud.

 

[L@RISANO]

I wouldn't be surprised if Daniel Bryan returns on a part-time basis a la Cena and Orton when his next contract is close to ending. WWE is still yet to find an all-out popular babyface and the AE part-timers are all practically too old now to induce excitement for their matches.

The likes of Cena, Orton, Lesnar and Daniel Bryan as the new wave of part-timers isn't a bad direction when going forward as the new guys truly take over the mantle in the next couple of years.

 

[ShinChan]

I don't know or rather we all don't know what's the health condition of Daniel Bryan.

He and his family know much better about it. I can understand Bryan's passion for wrestling but nothing is more important than health. If you're healthy, you can do whatever you like. But if you're unhealthy or have a concussion history like Bryan, you should be more careful about it as it could ruin your real life.

I don't think that Bryan or Brie Bella is stupid enough to let it happen of he isn't healthy.