100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
46. Daniel Bryan’s Unlikely In-Ring Reprise (WrestleMania 34)
Emotional wrestling fans were unprepared for the miserable reality of Daniel Bryan's retirement in 2016. It'd only been a few years since Bryan took everyone on a trip to nirvana at WrestleMania XXX. How could it be that he was forced to call it quits already?! Obviously, Dan went on to enjoy a second in-ring life, and he's also gleaned personal satisfaction from a post-WWE run in AEW.
That all seemed so impossible when he tearfully waved goodbye to fans in 2016.
By 2018, a medical miracle occurred. Bryan was cleared by doctors, and he returned to the ring right in time for 'Mania 34. It was in a tag-team setting with Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, not in a singles bout, but everybody was giddy about the prospect of such a beloved worker being able to do his thing all over again. WrestleMania's packed crowd in New Orleans got loud when Bryan locked a submission in on Zayn for the victory.
Truthfully, they'd have been happy just to chant "YES! YES! YES!" along with Daniel as he made his way to the ring. Few knew if ring rust would be a factor, or if Bryan's health would hold up long enough to make the match step one on his proper comeback trail. Good news: It did. There was something so utterly pleasing about Bryan Danielson's return to form.
It was one of 2018's most unexpected pleasures. The stars aligned for Bryan and WWE on this occasion, then they knocked the presentation out of the park.