Daniel Bryan announced his retirement from professional wrestling this week, ending one of the most unique and unexpected careers ever. Bryans rise from the independents to the main event of Wrestlemania XXX is so unlikely, Hollywood writers probably couldnt script it. Bryan made it in the big time because he was one of the most gifted technical wrestlers of the past 15 years. However, a lot of what brought Bryan to the top and beyond was due to circumstances that were completely beyond his control. One reverse decision at any of these points, and Bryan could have had a different career entirely. Did you know that Bryan may have ended up in WCW in 2000, or in a tag team with Brian Kendrick on Raw in 2009? Did you know that Bryans Money in the Bank win and subsequent World Title cash-in werent decided until the day of the show? Or that Team Hell No was originally a one-night-only team? Bryans original opponent for Wrestlemania XXX is revealed, as well as the cause of his neck problems that forced him to vacate his WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2014. Many of these stories come straight from the horses (or goats?) mouth, as Bryan gave an interview as part of his DVD Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes! confirming most of these events. Bryan himself has mused about how much of his WWE career is a result of circumstances beyond his control. In chronological order, lets look at 10 events in Daniel Bryans WWE career, starting with the infancy of his professional wrestling career and ending with his retirement this week, that shaped his career but were completely out of his control.
10. His Tryout Match And Developmental Deal
Bryan Danielson started his wrestling career in late 1999 training with Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez in the Texas Wrestling Academy, along with Brian Kendrick, Paul London, and Lance Cade, among others. Only four months into his training, Michaels got Danielson and three of his other students (Kendrick, Cade and Shooter Schultz) a tryout dark match before a Sunday Night Heat/Smackdown taping. Originally, they were going to get 12 minutes to show their stuff, but were told shortly before the match that their time was cut in half. Michaels intervened on their behalf and told them to go with the original match as planned. It was Danielson (wrestling under a mask as American Dragon) teaming with Schultz to face Kendrick (as Spanky) and Cade. After the match, which took place on a Tuesday, none of the four men heard back from WWE for a couple of days. On that Thursday, Michaels told Vince McMahon he was going to take all four of them to WCW, which was still alive and kicking (though on its last legs). All four men then received developmental contracts on the spot. Danielson was sent to Memphis Championship Wrestling to train under William Regal, who Bryan has said had the biggest impact on his career. Bryan was released in 2001 after MCW was folded, but there were plans in place for him to join a new light heavyweight division in WWE (which was also scrapped).
