8 Indie Wrestlers Who Could Be The Next Daniel Bryan

The dust has settled on DBry's retirement, but who will rise to take his place?

By John Bills /

Daniel Bryan held a special place in the hearts of many professional wrestling fans. He was a performer who started at the bottom and dedicated himself to perfecting his craft. He went to school, he immersed himself in the sport and did what he needed to do to become the best that he could be. Never a victim of ambition, there was a sense of gratitude about his early career that many in the industry seem to lack. His story was one of starting out in less than glamorous surroundings, clawing his way up the ladder in order to reach a career peak in the most decorated of circumstances. Life as an independent wrestler is one of making towns and performing in front of whatever crowd is assembled, and Bryan did this all the way until being snapped up by WWE, and then he continued to grow until he put together the greatest individual performance in the history of the biggest night in the sport, WrestleMania. But as his career comes to an end, the door is now wide open for someone to move into his niche. The good news is that professional wrestling outside of WWE is as healthy as it has ever been, and the talent pool is remarkable. A new generation of wrestlers are perfecting their craft, putting together a body of work that will become harder and harder for the top brass to ignore. Who from the wider wrestling world could fill those giant shoes? Here are eight names that might just be able to do that.

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