In his WWE persona, at least,

Bryan Danielson has hinted at

a return to the ring

© Gage Skidmore
COMEBACK TO REALITY In recent months in particular, Bryan Danielson has dropped hints that he could
return to the ring. Alan Counihan considers how the multi-time World champion
could experience a career rebirth if he truly believes he is healthy enough to do so.

“I can’t or they won’t let me? We’ll WALKING AWAY

see in a year-and-a-half. We’ll see
what happens.”
It was perhaps a throwaway comment in the
heat of the moment. Perhaps it was the most
clear foreshadowing on WWE programming this
year. Time will tell whether what Bryan Danielson
said on the March 7 edition of Talking Smack was
the former or the latter, but two things are for sure:
many fans’ ears pricked up, and the most honest
man in the business sounded like he meant it.
Danielson’s current WWE deal will expire in
late-summer 2018, and due to the fact that he’s been
on TV in the role of General Manager of Smackdown,
WWE has no power to extend his contract as it did
when Rey Mysterio was at home recovering from
multiple injuries. He will be a free agent, and able
to do what he wants.
That includes stepping back into the squared
circle and wrestling.
Make no mistake about it: Bryan Danielson wants
to wrestle. He believes he can wrestle, and feels as
healthy as he has since he began his wrestling journey.
Several doctors have cleared him to wrestle, but the
one that currently matters has not. It’s no secret that
he felt rushed into his February 8, 2016 retirement. It’s
what WWE, and specifically Vince McMahon wanted.
It’s likely what members of his family wanted at that
time. It was what FSM wanted, too, in an Issue 130
story that described how Bryan had suffered as many
as 12 documented concussions. But it never seemed
like it was really what he wanted; now, over a year
removed and having seen him on a weekly basis on
television, it’s very clear that it’s not what he wanted.
In the months following his retirement,
Danielson had to deal with a lot of frustration,
and even depression. This was documented on
Total Divas, and discussed by Bryan himself. As
synthetic as the show may be, Danielson is someone
who detests putting on an act, and it was a genuinely
difficult period for him. For a time, he didn’t want

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 @chance_second Every time I want to cut
the sleeves off this Daniel Bryan shirt, there's
a dirtsheet that says he's amping up for a
comeback

to be near wrestling, and he avoided WrestleMania followed his career closely in its early years, this may
© Gage Skidmore

XXXII in Dallas as best he could. seem like he would be getting stripped of all his key
Then along came the Cruiserweight Classic. tools, but that’s simply not correct, as his WWE run
Beginning in June 2016, WWE brought Danielson only showcased a small percentage of his versatility
back in a role that was brand new to him, to be the and ring intelligence. It’s this versatility that would be
colour commentator for the critically acclaimed the driving force behind him reinventing himself.
tournament. Paired with Mauro Ranallo, and voicing On June 7, 2002, Ring Of Honor was in its infancy,
matches that featured some of the best wrestlers and the feud between Danielson and Low Ki was
in the world with little to no stylistic restrictions, it already becoming a generation-defining event for
was the ideal environment for Bryan to show his indie wrestling. The rivalry saw them compete across
enthusiasm for great wrestling. Still, it was evident the country in great matches, and on this summer’s
that as genuinely excited as Bryan was for those men night it took them to Jersey All Pro Wrestling. This
getting the opportunity to walk the path he strode was a Submissions match, and it displayed many
10-15 years ago, he was in equal parts frustrated that of the reasons why Danielson would be more than
he couldn’t get in there with the likes of Kota Ibushi, adept at a style that limited hard bumps; he took
Akira Tozawa, and Jack Gallagher. only one back bump throughout the contest, and
For Danielson, a man who keeps his finger on the only strike he took above the shoulders was a
the pulse of the wrestling world outside WWE, seeing clearly pulled head kick by Ki. The bout went over
the boom of independent wrestling, the success of 20 minutes, and was an artistic masterpiece of
New Japan, and the much-praised CMLL has to be all catch-as-catch-can grappling. They kept a fast
the more frustrating. You just know he’d love to be in pace, with intensity dripping from both of them.
the thick of it. Having seen the epic Anniversary show
Mask matches that Atlantis had in CMLL in 2014 and “Having seen the epic Anniversary show
2015, Danielson has talked about how he would love
to build to something similar in that company, with his Mask matches that Atlantis had in CMLL in
hair on the line. He recently dicsussed a message he 2014 and 2015, Danielson has talked about how
received from lucha legend Blue Panther, who wanted
to wrestle him, and exchange knowledge. New Japan he would loved to build to something similar”
was very nearly a destination for Bryan in 2010, when
he had a deal on the table just prior to being re-signed
Bryan did a great job as a Cruiserweight
by WWE. Danielson has spoken with great admiration
Classic commentator, even when
of New Japan’s matches and wrestlers over the years,
discussing his friend, Brian Kendrick
and is a regular viewer of the group’s big shows.
So, the truth is that if Danielson left WWE in 2018
and wanted to resume wrestling, his options would
be limited only by the business itself. He would not
be bound by any company’s own neurologist, no
matter if that decision was right or wrong. If you look
at the success Cody Rhodes has had, it’s clear that
Bryan would be in extraordinarily high demand. He
could call his shots, and the fact that money isn’t a
motivating factor for him makes his list of potential
destinations even greater; don’t be shocked if you
see Danielson working a camp show near you, for he
wrote in his memoir that the most fun he’s ever had in
wrestling was while on tour for All Star’s Brian Dixon.

BURNING AMBITION
The man himself is no fool, though. No matter how
Cody Rhodes has shown
good he feels, and no matter how many doctors
how even a mid-card WWE
have cleared him to wrestle, he knows he’s had a
star can be in demand on
dangerously high number of concussions, and the
the indies
seizures he has experienced in the past would scare
the toughest and most driven of athletes. If he were
to come back, Danielson would almost certainly take
steps to play it safe, and it is likely that he has a whole
new style mapped out in his head that would remove
the reckless bumping of his past.
The clear things to avoid would be hard back
and neck bumps, and strikes to the skull. Bryan’s
trademark missile dropkick (which includes a hard
© Scott Finkelstein

back bump), his dives to the floor, and taking rough

suplexes (like the one he had Luke Harper deliver
to him in one of his final singles matches, on March
2, 2015) would be best removed from his playbook.
For fans of WWE Daniel Bryan, who may not have

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 © Tony Knox
WoS star Johnny
Moss can see how
Bryan could adapt his
style to fit his goals
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In Tommy End, Perkins, and Moss, Danielson
was faced with three very different opponents.
The End match – which is available for free on wXw’s
YouTube channel – was particularly masterful, and
so well done as a 10-minute bout based almost
entirely around leg kicks. Danielson went after the
Dutchman’s leg like a savage, robbing him of his
kicking skills. End had to resort to trying takedowns,
but with his leg weakened, Bryan was able to sprawl
and keep it standing. He continued to batter the limb
with strikes, eventually forcing End to switch stance,
and while a well-timed leglock looked like it would
signal the finish, End survived to a great reaction
from the crowd. Eventually, the damage done was
overwhelming, and End lost by TKO when he was
unable to get back to his feet to beat a 10-count.
CHANGING ATTACK
Thinking about this match makes a new Danielson
style tantalising. What if he was to expand this leg
attack tactic to being a signature part of his act?
There’s been few people as good as him at getting a
move over, something witnessed when he won many
ROH matches with an inside cradle, humorously
causing him to be nicknamed “Mr Small Package”.
Not only would it work on a realism level, where
nuanced viewers would get into the idea of him going
for his leg kicks as a consistent strategy, but it could
also catch on with more casual fans in the manner of,
say, “Suplex City”, where it’s often not so much about
the tactic of Brock Lesnar hitting suplexes to win the
match, but rather fans being able to count along and
feel as though they are part of the show. Bryan is
someone who can appeal to both types of fans.
The brilliant
Minoru Suzuki
has become a
At this early point of his career, Danielson had
master of facial
clearly already become a submission wizard, as
expressions
his training under the likes of William Regal while in
Memphis gave him a great grounding in that element
of the sport. The highspots were not big slams or
high-flying moves, but rather clever switches of
position, or one guy looking like he was toast but
making a great escape. It might take a keen eye to
appreciate these moments as highspots, but indie
wrestling is all about showcasing styles beyond the
mainstream, and if it was possible to engage JAPW
fans coming right off ECW and the Attitude Era,
then the fans of 2017 should present no barrier.
In 2010, wXw Germany held its first Ambition show,
designed to offer the group’s “shoot style” wrestling
in a more concentrated manner. Using a one-night
tournament format, wXw gathered great practitioners
of different martial arts-based styles, such as Johnny
Moss, TJ Perkins, Rico Bushido, Zack Sabre Jr, and
Jon Ryan. Danielson, having just left WWE following
the Nexus angle, was the perfect fit. In the eight years
between the JAPW match and this event, he had
added many strings to his bow, having been living
in Las Vegas and training extensively at the Extreme
Couture gym. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai
© Tony Knox
skills he developed there greatly expanded his bag of
tricks, and thus the fighter seen at Ambition was far
more polished than the one that wrestled Low Ki.
28/04/2017 09:05
 @VaughnMJohnson The Miz
roasting everyone in sight, Daniel Bryan
foreshadowing a comeback. #TalkingSmack
turned into shootmania this week.

On this matter, FSM spoke to current WoS star,

and trainer Johnny Moss – who Danielson defeated
in the hard-fought Ambition final – about whether
it’s possible to wrestle a style which doesn’t involve
hard bumps or strikes to the head, while keeping
fans engaged.
“It involves being very clever in the way you
work, and being economical in the ring,” he explained.
“To tell a great story, you don’t have to kick someone
in the head or take ridiculous bumps. You do this by
educating the audience as you wrestle, working in and
out of holds, trying different ways of escaping before
finally coming out of a hold. Anybody can understand
good facial expressions and body language.”
Moss feels that what Danielson presented at
Ambition could provide an approach to his matches
going forward.
“I know he was firmly behind the idea, and
loved the concept. Passion is his biggest strength:
he loves what he does, and can adapt to any style
there is. People doubted he’d fit in when he signed
with WWE, which was ridiculous, as anyone who
is as talented as he is learns to adapt very quickly,
and realises what works and what doesn’t.
“Any style and any hold can get over with the
right push behind it. Having the commentators
explaining what is happening is a big help,” Moss
added. “The key to keeping people engaged is by
making it obvious what you’re doing.
“People only get bored when they haven’t got
a clue what’s going on.” of Jushin “Thunder” Liger, KUSHIDA (who’s training
under Nobuhiko Takada and Kazushi Sakuraba could
LIKE A ROLLING STONE make him an ideal opponent), and the one that
Moss can still go on the mat with the best of them, Danielson may want as much as any, Minoru Suzuki.
and a re-match between he and Danielson would be If ever there has been a wrestler who has mastered
an exciting prospect. The list of potential opponents the art of using facial expressions and body language
that could provide great matches with a returning as Moss described, it’s Suzuki.
“American Dragon” would have to be written on a
roll of Andrex. Anyone who watched a Zack Sabre THE WAY FORWARD
Jr. match during the Cruiserweight Classic will have Come next summer, if Danielson’s intentions to
noted Danielson gushing over the Isle Of Sheppey wrestle again prove to be legitimate, you know
native in his commentary, and the pair met on just a he’ll be chomping at the bit to get back at it. His
few occasions when Sabre was still in his formative head will no doubt be flooded with ideas, and the
years. It would be a different ball game now, with fact that one of the most intelligent wrestlers of his
Sabre carrying the confidence and swagger of generation has had this much time to think of ideas
a peak ROH title-reigning Danielson. is a massively exciting prospect. On top of that, fans
Bryan is clearly fascinated with the idea of will be desperate to see him; for the first six months of
wrestling in CMLL, and particularly the concept his return, he could probably have matches featuring
of grappling with legends like Atlantis and Blue nothing but headlocks (long-time PWG fans will know “There’s been
Panther. Another name that really stands out, he’s not averse to this) and get amazing reactions. few people
though, is Negro Casas. At 56 years of age, Casas Using that initial period of excitement to get a new
is spitting in the face of Father Time on a routine style over could work out quite well. in history as
basis, with amazing performances not just for his Obviously, there will be concern about Bryan’s good as Bryan
vintage, but for someone of any age. His fast-paced health, and nobody who cares for him will want
lucha matwork would provide a great contrast for to see him engaging in matches the likes of which
at getting a
Danielson’s more functional grappling style, and there has caused Katsuyori Shibata devastating injury. move over,
is potential for them to create something magical. On
the younger end of the CMLL roster, Rey Hechicero
However, if it’s clear that Bryan is taking the
protection of his head and neck seriously, and
something
is carrying the flag for the new era of the “maestro” not giving in to temptation or getting carried witnessed
style, and he too would be a great opponent.
If New Japan makes a play for Bryan, then the
away in the heat of battle, then we might all
just be able to sit back and enjoy a brand new
when he won
floodgates open on dream matches for him. The chapter in one of the greatest careers of the century. numerous ROH
tricky thing will be whether he can get over a new At a macro level, the man who came up with the World title
style in a manner that would allow him to compete in original concept for EVOLVE Wrestling may wind
main event title matches. At the very least, though, up being the one who takes the sport forward with matches with
there are “showcase” encounters against the likes a new, more sustainable style that fans will accept. inside cradle”
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