It’s the day of WrestleMania 32 , and last year at this time, everyone was expecting Daniel Bryan to play a huge part in the event. They were expecting him to play a huge part in numerous Pay-Per-Views and WWE events for years to come. Now, he’s been retired about a month-and-a-half after doctors would not clear him to return. The thing is, does Bryan believe he still has more to give outside of WWE, and will he try to work elsewhere?
Back in mid-February, Bryan shockingly retired on Monday Night RAW . Everyone had a feeling it was coming, but they merely hoped it wasn’t. Unfortunately, it had to happen, and Bryan didn’t want it to happen, but he knew it needed to take place.
He recently spoke with Esquire Middle East,who asked him about his retirementand if he believes he can keep going. Daniel Bryan may finally have realized that his time in the ring being over is in his best interest.
“I have to look at my career as ‘it was what it was’, but I do wish there was more of it. I really didn’t want to do the retirement speech. I wasn’t ready for it. RAW just happened to be in my home city of Seattle, and two days earlier I had heard from doctors that for the sake of my health, I probably shouldn’t wrestle again. I didn’t want to retire, but, if I had to, at least all my friends and family could be there to see it, so I just sucked it up and did it.
“Ultimately, I think that it helped me focus on the reality of my situation, and helped me move on. I got injured in April 2015 and was solely focused on returning to the action, but then all of a sudden it dawned upon me that I couldn’t do it anymore, and that I had to move on from the thing that has been the entire focus of my adult life.”
The majority of the wrestling world — fans, performers, and promotions — all thought that Daniel Bryan had to be bad to announce his retirement. Sure, many wrestlers have come out of retirement and there is the old “never say never” quote, but not with Bryan.
His injuries were just too severe and too much. Fans noticed it. Other superstars noticed it. Daniel Bryan noticed it.
The fans have been wondering just what Daniel Bryan was going to do now that he will no longer be an active in-ring competitor. Word is that he would be an ambassador for WWE and travel with the company to represent them around the world.
Fans would certainly love that, as they’d still be able to see him and interact with him, even though they could never see Bryan in a ring again. As WrestleZone reported, though, Bryan may not be able to handle that kind of thing.
“Part of me wants to stay involved in wrestling, because I love it. But the thing I loved most about it was the wrestling part of it. I didn’t get into it to be famous, or to be a TV star, I got into it because I loved the act of wrestling.
“I do love the travel and the interaction with the fans, but if I can’t wrestle any more then it will be tough. There are so many amazing things you can do in this life, so why not try and do something else that I’m interested in? I’m into environmental and ecological issues, so maybe that is an avenue to go down. That’s what I’m trying to figure out right now.”
Bryan’s time in the world of wrestling may just about be entirely done. It’s easily understandable why he couldn’t travel with WWE while not being able to wrestle. One imagines it would have to be extremely difficult to be around the sport you’ve given more than half your life to, but not able to participate.
Daniel Bryan’s retirement and totally walking away from the world of wrestling would make even more sense if his wife, Brie Bella , really does retire soon. He has given his all, and his injuries have gotten the better of him. Daniel Bryan may not be around WWE for the rest of his life, but don’t look for him in TNA, GFW, Ring of Honor, NJPW, or anywhere else, either.
[Image via WWE]