10 Wresting Title Reigns That Were Ruined By Injury

The injuries that ended Daniel Bryan’s Intercontinental Title reign obviously had more catastrophic consequences, but nobody could’ve known that they’d lead to his eventual retirement. By comparison, his surrendering of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was immediately heartbreaking, particularly given the circumstances.

At this point in his career, Bryan was one of WWE’s most beloved performers, and a regular standout on WWE programming. Sadly, this wasn’t reflected in his push. Bryan seemed doomed to an eternity of forever being held-back, particularly when he was passed over in favour of Rey Mysterio as the 2014 Royal Rumble’s final entrant.

Things steadily improved, however. Bryan was booked to face Triple H at WrestleMania, with the stipulation that if he won, he’d join Randy Orton and Batista in fighting for the World Title. Fans assumed another burial was afoot, but no: Bryan defeated Triple H, and tapped Batista out to capture the belt in the night’s main event.

It was a hugely cathartic moment, and one of the most memorable in WWE history. Bryan’s win felt like a victory not just for him, but a fanbase that had supported him through thick and thin.

But it was short-lived. Tragically, Bryan ran into significant neck and tricep issues. He tried battling through them at first, but was eventually rendered unable to compete, and was stripped of his belt that June.