10 Most Shocking Daniel Bryan Moments

4. Forced Retirement

daniel bryan retires
WWE.com

Less than two years after that, Bryan was forced to tearfully bring the curtain down on his in-ring career.

Serious injuries and concussion issues had left him with no choice. When doctors refused to clear Daniel for active wrestling, he agreed to appear on the 8 February 2016 episode of Raw (in his home state of Washington) and announce his retirement. The speech remains an affecting piece of real-life drama.

Bryan's tears were 100% real, and fans, both in attendance and watching at home, knew it. This was harrowing for the man, not least because he'd given everything to live his dreams as a pro wrestler. Now, in one promo, it was all over, and it felt like air was slowly being released from a deflated balloon as he agonisingly closed his eyes.

Of course, Bryan would make a comeback, but nobody knew that in 2016. Back then, people (Daniel Bryan included) struggled to come to terms with the idea that one of the world's greatest in-ring performers might never get to do what he loved ever again.

Advertisement
In this post: 
Daniel Bryan
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.