This doesn't come out of nowhere - Zayn/Owens/Shane/Bryan stuff has been pointing in that direction as a payoff, and there were hints of movement from the usual sources. Still, this is a thing to read:
Following more than two years of extensive evaluations, four-time World Champion Daniel Bryan has been medically cleared to return to in-ring competition by leading neurosurgeons, neurologists and concussion experts, including Dr. Robert Cantu, Dr. Javier Cárdenas and Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher.
Bryan underwent a full review of his medical history and received comprehensive neurological and physical evaluations independent of WWE. He was cleared by each doctor as well as WWE’s Medical Director, Dr. Joseph Maroon.
Not said, but assumed: WWE saying Daniel Bryan can wrestle means Daniel Bryan isn't leaving WWE in September when his contract expires.
I feel really happy for Bryan; the guy has clearly been desperate to wrestle for so long. It must have been incredibly frustrating with all those tests coming back so positive but with WWE not budging. Good for him, and good for us.
Step 1: Using Kurt Angle's recent revelation that WWE management figures have separate management and in-ring contracts (which allowed him to force Stephanie and HHH to wrestle), Daniel Bryan reveals that, having retired as an in-ring performer, he is a free agent.
Step 2: "The Big Dog" Roman Reigns is sent to jail forever for beating up three US Marshalls, which is kind of a huge crime, so he has to go to jail forever and can never be on TV again.
Step 3: Daniel Bryan arrives on Raw and challenges Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at Wrestlemania: The Showcase of the Immortals, taking the spot vacated by Roman Reigns, who is now in jail forever and can never wrestle or appear on TV ever again.
Step 4: Baron Corbin has Kane's Mask permanently fused to his face somehow and becomes The New Kane. This is unrelated to Daniel Bryan being cleared as an active wrestler also unconnected to Roman Reigns having to go to jail forever and never wrestling or appearing on TV again, they just make Baron Corbin wear the Kane mask now and be the new Kane.
the return of both Daniel Bryan and Unlikely Scenarios, the renowned series of wrestling adventures of the imagination, this is an utterly miraculous afternoon
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyStep 1: Using Kurt Angle's recent revelation that WWE management figures have separate management and in-ring contracts (which allowed him to force Stephanie and HHH to wrestle), Daniel Bryan reveals that, having retired as an in-ring performer, he is a free agent.
Step 2: "The Big Dog" Roman Reigns is sent to jail forever for beating up three US Marshalls, which is kind of a huge crime, so he has to go to jail forever and can never be on TV again.
Step 3: Daniel Bryan arrives on Raw and challenges Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at Wrestlemania: The Showcase of the Immortals, taking the spot vacated by Roman Reigns, who is now in jail forever and can never wrestle or appear on TV ever again.
Step 4: Baron Corbin has Kane's Mask permanently fused to his face somehow and becomes The New Kane. This is unrelated to Daniel Bryan being cleared as an active wrestler also unconnected to Roman Reigns having to go to jail forever and never wrestling or appearing on TV again, they just make Baron Corbin wear the Kane mask now and be the new Kane.
STEP 5: Daniel Bryan defeats Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34, which takes place in New Orleans, where Daniel Bryan won at Wrestlemania XXX. Also at Wrestlemania XXX, John Cena defeated Bray Wyatt, who has now been DELETED from history, causing a void that MUST BE FILLED. As a result: Wrestlemanias 31-33 and all surrounding booking and angles are removed from continuity, and history is re-written so that Daniel Bryan defeated Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania XXX, the very same night that John Cena challenged the 21-0 Undertaker in a Career vs. Streak match.
Step 6: Jeff Jarrett leads a TNA Invasion that begins at the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony when he - joined by AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Bobby Roode, EC3, Mickie James, Eric Young, Drew McIntyre and Perhaps Others - beat up a bunch of old people and honorees and officials, especially Road Dogg, at the Hall of Fame. New WWE Universal Champion Daniel Bryan must fend off a Styles, Joe and the rest. HHH is very publicly shamed and fired for being an irresponsible person who hired a bunch of former TNA guys just because he got praise online for it, and this gets a lot of coverage in the press, you know, a lot of "HHH actually has always sucked" articles. The day is saved when it is revealed that EC3 is actually Daniel Bryan's former protege Derrick Bateman who has been a mole for his mentor all this time.
Step 7: R-Truth shows up well after the TNA Invasion angle and tries to invade by himself, then apologizes for missing the angle.
Originally posted by thecubsfan Not said, but assumed: WWE saying Daniel Bryan can wrestle means Daniel Bryan isn't leaving WWE in September when his contract expires.
Maaaaan, I dunno. I'm not a doctor, nor a Dr. Unlikely, nor do I play one on TV, so who am I doubt the ACTUAL doctors who gave him the YES! YES! YES! to compete, but the brain is a wonky thing. A dude who was forced out due to concussions and (reportedly) seizures now being allowed back in to fall on his back/shoulders/head over and over? Yeah, I dunno. Every time he takes a bump I'm gonna be holding my breath.
Hopefully he's not wrestling a full schedule, and hopefully hopefully he's smart enough to realize he needs to change up his style. No more top rope headbutt, no more suicide dives, no more dropkick-in-the-corner-where-he-lands-on-his-head, no more unnecessary head drops.
Hopefully he's not wrestling a full schedule, and hopefully hopefully he's smart enough to realize he needs to change up his style. No more top rope headbutt, no more suicide dives, no more dropkick-in-the-corner-where-he-lands-on-his-head, no more unnecessary head drops.
Originally posted by thecubsfan Not said, but assumed: WWE saying Daniel Bryan can wrestle means Daniel Bryan isn't leaving WWE in September when his contract expires.
Why is this the assumption?
I've been out of the loop for a good while, but I'm guessing that Bryan was planning to leave when his contract was up so he could go wrestle anywhere they'd allow him to. So WWE is trying to get ahead of this by finally clearing him and reminding him of what a WWE crowd can offer that no one else can.
If Bryan was hell-bent on wrestling anyway, this was the right way to go. He was going to be get a ton of publicity and a lot of attention when he eventually announced his return. If you're WWE, might as well let that publicity and attention be for your company.
Originally posted by Spaceman SpiffHopefully he's not wrestling a full schedule, and hopefully hopefully he's smart enough to realize he needs to change up his style. No more top rope headbutt, no more suicide dives, no more dropkick-in-the-corner-where-he-lands-on-his-head, no more unnecessary head drops.
Hopefully the guy trained by Michaels will adopt HBK's less-is-more style from his comeback run.
George Michael weighed his options. Maeby had chastised him for not taking risks, and what would be a bigger risk than perpetuating a lie about software just to ignite the passions of a woman? Of course it would be a lie, and since Maeby wouldn't know it was a lie, he wouldn't appear to be taking a risk. Perhaps the bigger risk was to tell his father he was lying, that he came up with it because he wanted his father to leave so he could enjoy what remained of his senior year. After all, he wondered, wouldn't that be the course of action taken by an overtly sexual man, a man who owns a pair of matador pants? He had not responded now for 41 seconds according to his unfailing internal clock, and it was time to come clean.
Originally posted by thecubsfan Not said, but assumed: WWE saying Daniel Bryan can wrestle means Daniel Bryan isn't leaving WWE in September when his contract expires.
Why is this the assumption?
1) He really wants to be in WWE. The treatment is one thing, but all the things he went to do to get that clearance - visiting his own doctors, demanding Maroon give him a list of doctors he'd listen to, going to be examined by all of them - is something you're only doing if you really want to be in WWE.
2) His motivation for leaving WWE was WWE not allowing him to wrestle. He'd probably still like to wrestle all the people outside of WWE, but he always phrased it "if WWE doesn't let me wrestle, I'll go."
3) they're going to offer Bryan the world to stay. They were going to already, but Bryan Danielson who is OK to wrestle is a difference maker. The WWE economy would go on find without him but there's an ego blow there that would be tremendous.
Bryan is a different guy, who doesn't seem motivated by the fame or money WWE provides, and so there's always a chance he'll leave anyway. Either way, he has tremendous leverage in the moment and I hope makes use of it to get whatever he wants.
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyStep 4: Baron Corbin has Kane's Mask permanently fused to his face somehow and becomes The New Kane. This is unrelated to Daniel Bryan being cleared as an active wrestler also unconnected to Roman Reigns having to go to jail forever and never wrestling or appearing on TV again, they just make Baron Corbin wear the Kane mask now and be the new Kane.
“It’s the Red Baron Kane! Formerly Baron Corbin, he’s now branded as the man in red! The Red Baron Kane is taking no prisoners tonight! Kane is the Red Baron!”
“Yes, Michael, the Red Baron Kane is a house of fire right now. Red Baron Kane!”
Nous ne nous pouvons pas sortir. Well if Shane's out with diverticulitis I believe/dream that the stars have aligned for Derek Bateman to save Daniel from a handicap match.
This episode of NXT marks the beginning of the Dusty Rhodes Invitational Tag Team Classic, which promises to be a lot of fun, but might also perhaps contain the odd clunker of a match. Case in point: The very first match of this tournament(?