WWE: DANIEL BRYAN RETIRES -- Thank you, Bryan

[GarbageGoal]

They keep saying all this stuff about how he changed the game.

But the people at the top haven't changed their views about anything at all.

It's still about the look, and the people with the look will get pushed.

I think the one thing I'll remember about Daniel Bryan, is the same thing I remember about Punk.

How they had something very special, and completely ruined it because they didn't fit their picture of what they wanted.

They gave Punk a shot I guess, but they ruined it to push a former star and their guy. They never really gave Bryan his proper shot and now he's done.

So much talent wasted.

I think a lot of it has to do with durability. Vince thinks guys like Cena and Reigns and Orton are simply better at withstanding the demands physically.

 

[DD03]

I think a lot of it has to do with durability. Vince thinks guys like Cena and Reigns and Orton are simply better at withstanding the demands physically.

That's arguable though.

HBK had a pretty good run, he got injured in that casket match, but was fairly durable after that.

Especially if they don't have to do all those high risk moves.

Bret Hart wasn't exactly the biggest guy, didn't hurt a guy in his career, and didn't seem to have MANY injuries.

Orton gets hurt a lot, and Cena's been seriously injured twice now. Reigns is just a matter of time obviously. Everyone gets hurt in this business..

The difference is, you need to take advantage of some one who is hot and use it to their advantage. He did it before with Austin and Rock, but now he seems so hesitant because it's not the guys he wants, or the look that they want. It's ridiculous and that's why I'm saying I'm hesitant to say Bryan changed all these things in the game, but HHH and Vince haven't really changed their mindset on the "look" being what they need to make a new star.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

That's arguable though.

HBK had a pretty good run, he got injured in that casket match, but was fairly durable after that.

Especially if they don't have to do all those high risk moves.

Bret Hart wasn't exactly the biggest guy, didn't hurt a guy in his career, and didn't seem to have MANY injuries.

Orton gets hurt a lot, and Cena's been seriously injured twice now. Reigns is just a matter of time obviously. Everyone gets hurt in this business..

The difference is, you need to take advantage of some one who is hot and use it to their advantage. He did it before with Austin and Rock, but now he seems so hesitant because it's not the guys he wants, or the look that they want. It's ridiculous and that's why I'm saying I'm hesitant to say Bryan changed all these things in the game, but HHH and Vince haven't really changed their mindset on the "look" being what they need to make a new star.

I don't think they really intend to say that they've changed the higher-ups idea of what a main eventer is but they have made mention of how they recruit guys to come into WWE has been changed in large part due to him. I think that's a bit of a different case. I think they're saying that DB is the reason why they're more willing to bring in 'indy guys' when before they would point to a quota of 'indy guys' as a reason why they wouldn't bring someone in. I also wouldn't be surprised if he vouched for a whole bunch of guys to be brought in.

 

[DD03]

I don't think they really intend to say that they've changed the higher-ups idea of what a main eventer is but they have made mention of how they recruit guys to come into WWE has been changed in large part due to him. I think that's a bit of a different case. I think they're saying that DB is the reason why they're more willing to bring in 'indy guys' when before they would point to a quota of 'indy guys' as a reason why they wouldn't bring someone in. I also wouldn't be surprised if he vouched for a whole bunch of guys to be brought in.

I mean.. One of the things WWE has told people now is if they don't make it when they try out at the PC, then to go into the indy's and make a name for yourself there and get experience.

Can that be attributed to Daniel? Maybe. But not completely. Because basically if you don't make it in WWE, where else are you going to go? The indy's.

 

[TribalPhoenix]

It's a weird one for me. I've seen greats retire in many sports/entertainment/etc. And to be honest, I don't give a ****. Next guy up, IMO. But this one is the first time where a guy I honestly don't even know has affected me and actually made me feel terrible that we will never get to see him in WWE again. It's beyond strange.

Exactly. Even with Edge, who was my favourite from the day he walked in as the "You Think You Know Me" dude in the rafters, never evoked a serious reaction other than "damn, that sucks." Next Monday, life went on.

This guy was just the embodiment of a lot of peoples daily struggles... both in and out of character. I remember during the Occupy Raw bit how visceral it felt - like this was a guy so similar to you, and people were standing behind him because they believed in him. You could believe in him, because you honestly believed he'd believe in you the same way. It's a level of catharsis that you don't find in wrestling due to it's fictional nature.

Daniel Bryan was believable as being a guy named Daniel Bryan who wouldn't stop fighting and was truly passionate about what he did.

The Undertaker is not an undead mortician, he's Mark Calloway who loves bikes and saving pit bulls. Bret "The Hitman" Hart didn't walk around telling people at the grocery store that he was the "Excellence of Execution"... he was a guy named Bret Hart who was a pretty chill dude. The Rock isn't a bombastic blowhard who screams "It doesn't matter what your name is!" when a waitress introduces herself and tells him she'll be serving him at a steakhouse... he's Dwayne Johnson, and a super cool, chill, and inspirational guy.

Daniel Bryan was Bryan Danielson and Bryan Danielson was Daniel Bryan. And that's what made him different.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I mean.. One of the things WWE has told people now is if they don't make it when they try out at the PC, then to go into the indy's and make a name for yourself there and get experience.

Can that be attributed to Daniel? Maybe. But not completely. Because basically if you don't make it in WWE, where else are you going to go? The indy's.

Yeah, that's what they tell people now. Before there was a PC, there was a huge stigma that WWE had against 'indy guys'. We're talking before NXT became a thing. Daniel Bryan's presence and work was a big reason why that stigma has more or less gone away now with WWE. But before him, that stigma was real. CM Punk has talked about it. It's also a reason why you can't really attribute that stigma's decline to Punk because Punk was actually a big reason why that stigma existed due to how he carried himself and dealt with people in WWE.

 

[Morozov]

They keep saying all this stuff about how he changed the game.

But the people at the top haven't changed their views about anything at all.

It's still about the look, and the people with the look will get pushed.

Rollins was champ for how long?

It's never going to be all one way in WWE where just the indy darlings get pushed, but let's not pretend like over the past 5 years Punk/Bryan/Rollins haven't accounted for a very significant chunk of time of the guy with the belt.

And yes, prepare for the influx of people who will respond with "they had the belt but they weren't THE guy", or "Rollins had the belt but was booked so weak" or whatever. These are still "little" guys who came through on their own, and hit the top of the ladder.

We can't just restrict that to the top either, the amount of talent filtering through from the indys and overseas is pretty clear to see. Again, they don't account for all of the roster, that's never going to be the case, but we can still see the shift to these guys getting more attention.

Even at the rumble we have AJ debut, with his own name, hyped as "the biggest free agent in wrestling" and actually spend a long time in the rumble. Not all that long ago it isn't hard to envision that AJ would have debuted under some different name after spending a bunch of time in development, where they could have repackaged him as their own thing.

So some things have changed, just not as much as some people would like.

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

I saw this on my phone when it first came out, couldn't even look at it and just shut off my phone. Don't even personally know the guy but can't but feel so bad for him.

That photo is definitely going to speak volumes over the years.

PS - Don't know if anyone else caught it but some jackass on reddit made a thread calling out people for crying or caring about DB in any way because they didn't personally know him and he just got ROASTED inside out (and deservedly so)

 

[Paris in Flames]

Where did that photo originate? Looks like it has standard instagram filters and the size fits...but who?

Also anybody who hasn't seen the shift towards acceptance of Indy darlings is nuts. Rollins/Bryan/Punk aside...Samoa Joe and Austin Aries are in the WWE...AJ Styles is in WWE...Kevin Owens is large part of each show. Will Vince's presence still be felt? Sure...but the Indies are thriving in WWE.

 

[TribalPhoenix]

Where did that photo originate? Looks like it has standard instagram filters and the size fits...but who?

Also anybody who hasn't seen the shift towards acceptance of Indy darlings is nuts. Rollins/Bryan/Punk aside...Samoa Joe and Austin Aries are in the WWE...AJ Styles is in WWE...Kevin Owens is large part of each show. Will Vince's presence still be felt? Sure...but the Indies are thriving in WWE.

Absolutely the case. The pro wrestling consumer demands authenticity these days. It's why they reject the Roman Reigns of the worlds, but get behind guys like Sami Zayn, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens. Ditto Enzo and Cass. Guys who are likable, believable personalities rather than over the top characters.

 

[DD03]

Rollins was champ for how long?

It's never going to be all one way in WWE where just the indy darlings get pushed, but let's not pretend like over the past 5 years Punk/Bryan/Rollins haven't accounted for a very significant chunk of time of the guy with the belt.

And yes, prepare for the influx of people who will respond with "they had the belt but they weren't THE guy", or "Rollins had the belt but was booked so weak" or whatever. These are still "little" guys who came through on their own, and hit the top of the ladder.

We can't just restrict that to the top either, the amount of talent filtering through from the indys and overseas is pretty clear to see. Again, they don't account for all of the roster, that's never going to be the case, but we can still see the shift to these guys getting more attention.

Even at the rumble we have AJ debut, with his own name, hyped as "the biggest free agent in wrestling" and actually spend a long time in the rumble. Not all that long ago it isn't hard to envision that AJ would have debuted under some different name after spending a bunch of time in development, where they could have repackaged him as their own thing.

So some things have changed, just not as much as some people would like.

Thing is, WWE is either going to get guys from the Indy's or they're going to get guys who they've developed on their own.

These guys just aren't falling out of the sky to become wrestlers. They get training somewhere.

WWE has failed to create a solid superstar in how long? Since Cena? How many years ago was that?

The rest of them are legitimate Indy guys because WWE has no other choice because they can't develop a talent.

You can give credit to Punk or Bryan, or you can also realize that WWE has no other choice but to give these guys chances because they can't create anything on their own because they suck at writing and developing.

A right step has been NXT, but even then, they're just poaching off the Indy's now anyways.

 

[Morozov]

Thing is, WWE is either going to get guys from the Indy's or they're going to get guys who they've developed on their own.

These guys just aren't falling out of the sky to become wrestlers. They get training somewhere.

WWE has failed to create a solid superstar in how long? Since Cena? How many years ago was that?

The rest of them are legitimate Indy guys because WWE has no other choice because they can't develop a talent.

You can give credit to Punk or Bryan, or you can also realize that WWE has no other choice but to give these guys chances because they can't create anything on their own because they suck at writing.

They could have very easily, had they so chose, not put the belt on Punk or Bryan or Rollins. Instead, those three account for what probably 800 days of the title over the last five years or so.

Rollins held the belt for so long until he was injured, so again let's not pretend like only guys who fit that supposed WWE idea of what a guy should look get pushed.

You're moving the goalposts to talking about creating talent. You said nothing has changed and only the guys with the look get the push, reality is those three are a very significant amount of total time spent holding the world title, guys like KO come in and can make noise now. Is he already World Champ? no, but he's already been making a good mark for himself and his "look" is horrible by the standards we assume WWE applies anyway. Aries got rejected for Tough Enough years ago because he was "too old", yet now he's on NXT.

But the roster is always going to cater to a range of talents and a range of tastes. It's never just going to be a bunch of indy style guys. What proportion of guys on the roster are just guys being pushed because of their look? not really that many. But the ones who are obviously stand out, particularly in places like this, because people disapprove so much. I don't like the Ryback's of the world either, but WWE isn't always the gushing over muscles fest that some wish to portray it as nowadays. Yes, the pretty one has been getting the big push at the moment, but again let's look over the history of who has been the champ over that stretch of time, it isn't all just pretty muscles.

If they wanted to just fill their rosters with ex college football players, college wrestlers and body builders then they could.

WWE always has a choice in who they want to push and who they want to employ.

 

[DD03]

They literally had no choice but to push Punk and Bryan, and they still messed them up. Rollins has been the only one they've pushed that they haven't "had to". So really Rollins is the anomaly here because the fans didn't hijack to have him pushed or anything.

And again, it's not that they're the only guys they push, it's the only guys they fully believe in. Again, with Rollins being the anomaly in the situation, WWE hardly put all their eggs into Bryan or Punk. They actually held them back instead of pushing them more. I don't think that can be argued.

And what was their reasoning? Because of their size? Or was it because they couldn't sell merchandise? We know the reason. So to say WWE has really changed their stance isn't really true. Rollins is a superior talent to almost everyone on the roster.. And again, Owens is a completely different monster. There's very few who guys who are THAT good of a heel and get cheered still. You hear a FIGHT OWENS FIGHT or something like that every week. There's no stopping Owens.

I'm not moving the goal posts. We were talking about them recruiting people from the Indy's, regardless of size. But usually the Indy's don't really have the biggest guys either. So the guys WWE poaches are generally guys without size, because WWE wants the guys with size. Their recruiting hasn't really changed at all, unless it comes to filling their roster with actual talent because they can't create some themselves.

 

[Del Preston]

Where did that photo originate? Looks like it has standard instagram filters and the size fits...but who?

WWE's Instagram account. It was taken before Bryan came out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBkwbW_AFKH/

 

[Emperoreddy]

It's a weird one for me. I've seen greats retire in many sports/entertainment/etc. And to be honest, I don't give a ****. Next guy up, IMO. But this one is the first time where a guy I honestly don't even know has affected me and actually made me feel terrible that we will never get to see him in WWE again. It's beyond strange.



Punk could have run as the main heel from SES all the way til his last day. DB could easily have done the same as a face after WM 28. Dude was so mega over. There is no better thing then when an underdog chases the title and DB was the ultimate one. We DAMN sure got screwed out of no Lesnar/DB and no Punk/DB on the biggest stage of them all. What a ****ing damn shame.



Thank you, Kimi.

Its a damn ****ing shame we don't get a Brock/DB match, or a Punk/DB which is sad because it wasn't just because of his health (which was bad. He said on ESPN today he was hiding post-concussive seizures).

Part of it was Vince's ********.

But we might finally one day get a match like Brock/Dean, or maybe Brock/Finn and that will happen thanks to DB.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Daniel Bryan revealed that the latest tests revealed swelling and a lesion on the brain that causes seizures. Bryan then revealed that he's been dealing with post-concussion seizures recently that he's kept hidden for a long time, and before these final tests, he had no idea why he was getting the seizures.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Daniel Bryan revealed that the latest tests revealed swelling and a lesion on the brain that causes seizures. Bryan then revealed that he's been dealing with post-concussion seizures recently that he's kept hidden for a long time, and before these final tests, he had no idea why he was getting the seizures.

That's some scary ****. I know about seizures but not post-concussion ones.

 

[Paris in Flames]

The entire internet may owe the WWE medical team an apology.

 

[Emperoreddy]

The entire internet may owe the WWE medical team an apology.

I don't think the WWE medical team was aware of any of this and was at best just airing on the side of caution and at worst was still trying to hold Bryan out for political reasons.

The still cleared Dreamer who has a worse history then DB's so I'm not in any position to be giving their medical team props.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Yeah...I dunno. I'm not sure how or why the WWE came across the right decision but it was the right decision.

Not sure why he would hide seizures from anybody though.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Daniel Bryan revealed that the latest tests revealed swelling and a lesion on the brain that causes seizures. Bryan then revealed that he's been dealing with post-concussion seizures recently that he's kept hidden for a long time, and before these final tests, he had no idea why he was getting the seizures.

That's no joke. I can actually speak from experience on that since that lesion type of thing is what did my dad in after he had multiple strokes.

Like clockwork, they happened every 2 months it seemed like. That's something that will affect him for the rest of his life too. Good thing he got out while he did.

So my theory of him lying about his health was partially correct and he didn't want to let go. Shame.

 

[Morozov]

The entire internet may owe the WWE medical team an apology.

Most of it.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Observer saying that the WWE was willing to keep paying DB's "monster" downside for the very long term to prevent him from wrestling anywhere else.

So honestly it might of been a lucky accident that saved DB's life. Doesn't sound like WWE legit had any clue the actual status of DB's brain. No reason to keep paying him like that if they knew he was done health wise.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

On Team Hell No, Bryan said in his book that Kane said Team Hell No was the funnest part of his entire career. For a guy who had the run he did in the Attitude Era, that says a lot.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Why is this the first time I'm seeing this: https://streamable.com/knjw