10 Wrestlers Who Achieved The Impossible

1. Daniel Bryan: Coming Out On Top And Coming Back

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Bryan did the impossible twice.

Firstly, he became a megastar in WWE. A vegan who doesn't even own a TV, a "deformed" nerd with "zero personality", he was buried deep underground but uprooted the soil with a winning blend of crazy in-ring talent and just an effervescent joie de vivre. Anointed by the public as The Man in 2013, he was booked as something of a Steve Austin character later that year - just a hapless version unable to overcome the machine. In the end, he had to; the fans hated Batista, CM Punk hated his life, and WWE were left with no choice but to save WrestleMania XXX by closing it out with his grand celebration. That crazy in-ring talent came at a major cost.

Secondly, he returned from years of cumulative concussion problems via revolutionary, experimental oxygen treatment two years after he was told he would never be cleared to compete. In an age of such careful oversight, this was incredible stuff for science, much less wrestling. Bryan was relentless and comprehensive in his drive to achieve clearance from the world's leading neurological specialists.

Bryan successfully fought for his dream of once again entering a WWE ring.

He shared it with Big Cass, but still. He did it.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!