10 Real-Life Dramas That Made It To Wrestling TV
3. The Life Of Bryan
Daniel Bryan's physical deterioration towards the end of his career was a legitimately sad thing to watch. Occurring right as he became the biggest star in the entire world for a hot minute, fans and Bryan himself were willing his body beyond its eventual capabilities.
The mounting knocks became as big a part of Bryan's rise as the ascension itself, with WWE Network cameras following him for documentaries that told the triumph and tragedy of his tales.
This included addressing the awkward interaction between the 'Yes' man and Triple H following 'The Game's sensible decision to halt a June 2013 Monday Night Raw match with Randy Orton when Bryan suffered a stinger.
Foreshadowing real and storyline issues between company and performer in the years to come, frustrations boiled over at the decision, despite the best interests of the company gradually improving how it treats injured performers.
The situation would be mirrored less than two years later, when company doctors refused to clear Bryan fit to work after months on the shelf with concussion problems he believed were under control. A tear-soaked retirement eventually followed when when the hometown hero told his Seattle crowd that a doctor had finally tied his issues to seizures he had secretly been suffering from during his convalescence.
With both regret and relief, Bryan had no choice but to call time on his career.