Daniel Bryan had been giving the impression that he could still go and wanted to return to the ring. The WWE's medical staff would not clear him. You obviously cannot compare injuries, but there are a lot of guys that have suffered more injuries in their WWE career than Daniel Bryan, but the WWE keeps bringing them back. I know very well concussions are a serious thing. Given the recent bad luck of Daniel Bryan these last two years and his wrestling style, I can understand the WWE not wanting to risk it.
I still would have brought him back for one more chance. His last chance. If he suffered another major injury within a few months of his return, the WWE would have every right to never let him wrestle again. And if he refused to settle for a non-wrestling role with the company, they would have every right to let him go. Some fans might be upset about that, but what other option would there be?
Something Daniel Bryan would have to do on his end, if they brought him back, was tone down his style. He doesn't just bring energy and enthusiasm with the "Yes!" and "No!" chants. He wrestles with that energy and enthusiasm. And there is a price to pay for it. I remember watching a Daniel Bryan match last year and one specific spot sticking with me. It was a missed diving headbutt. That just looked like something that could eventually injure him again. Injuries aren't something you can easily predict, but it was just going to be a matter of time before Bryan got injured again, especially given his style. And if he did not change, that last chance I would have liked him to have, and many fans would have loved him to have, would only end in another injury.
I see many fans saying that the WWE pushed him into retiring because they do not want him back to get in the way of Roman Reigns. I would not say that. It is no secret that this is not someone the WWE wanted to push as an A+ player. Even after giving in and letting him win the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania a few years ago, it was no guarantee that he would be pushed as the new centerpiece. CM Punk held the title for 434 days. And he was never pushed as the centerpiece of the company. That was still John Cena. Despite all that, I do not think the WWE refused to bring Daniel Bryan back because he would be a distraction.
Go back to last year. Did Daniel Bryan coming back really ruin the push Roman Reigns was getting? No. The WWE had Roman Reigns go over Daniel Bryan to retain his title shot at Wrestlemania. Daniel Bryan was still arguably the most over guy in the company. He got a nice consolation prize, winning the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match at Wrestlemania. But the WWE did not let Daniel Bryan fans get exactly what they wanted. Daniel Bryan had said he would have liked to face Brock Lesnar. I am sure many fans would have loved to see that for Wrestlemania last year. But the WWE did not give in. If the WWE did bring Daniel Bryan back this year and it seemed like his overness might be an issue again, they could just hold an iron fist like they did last year. That's the beauty of the men's division. There is still plenty of space to build and feature stars outside of the centerpiece position.
Another thing to realize, it is not Daniel Bryan's fault that Roman Reigns has issues connecting with smarks. Those issues will be there even without Daniel Bryan. Roman Reigns is not a great in-ring performer. He has a character many fans criticize. And he's the guy the WWE wants to push better than every other full-time performer. That's a recipe for trouble. It is the same story as John Cena. John Cena has not gotten a mixed reaction during his decade as the centerpiece because there is any one specific performer fans would rather see get his spot. A lot of vocal fans just do not like Cena and how he has been pushed. Same thing with Roman Reigns. And that is just the way it is going to be with or without Daniel Bryan. The WWE might have less pressure now without Daniel Bryan, but having him around really did not stop them from doing what they wanted and he is not to blame for Roman Reigns not working out properly.
Who takes Daniel Bryan's spot? I think the WWE has already prepared for that. They have some talented wrestlers that would appeal to the type of fans Daniel Bryan was appealing to even before his debut. Specifically, they have AJ Styles. He is a talented in-ring performer. They already seem to be trying to push him to fill the void Daniel Bryan has left.
In terms of overness, who replaces Daniel Bryan? In terms of position, anyone and everyone can be replaced. In terms of the results someone can bring from that position, some people are not easy to replace. Daniel Bryan was the only A+ player in terms of overness that comes to mind on the full-time roster. And what makes his story great is that he did it without being pushed as an A+ player. Roman Reigns definitely isn't that loved. AJ Styles is not there, yet. If he is ever going to get there, he needs to eventually step up and come into his own. He has all the tools to connect with wrestling fans. He needs to go that extra mile and get over with the wider audience, like Daniel Bryan did. Will this end up being an example of the WWE taking something for granted and never being able to properly recapture that level of success?
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