One of the most anticlimactic and sad stories in recent wrestling history is the 2014 of Daniel Bryan. Instead of 2014 being the year he finally broke through the glass ceiling and captured the WWE world title, it became the year of his biggest disappointment. Bryan won the World title in the main event of Wrestlemania XXX, defeating Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista all in the same night to claim wrestling's ultimate prize. It was the culmination of his long journey from midcard comedy act to the biggest star in wrestling. Fans were excited that someone had finally broken through to the main event and Bryan was someone different that the fans could finally get behind. However, in May 2014, Bryan announced that he would have to undergo neck surgery and was going to be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time. He has not returned to the ring since, having undergone several follow-up surgeries and leaving his return in doubt.
