Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday night for Jonathan Coachman’s weekly segment focusing on WWE.

When asked about the most difficult accomplishment of his life, Lesnar says it was winning the NCAA championship. That one took a long time to train for, since he was wrestling from the age of 5. That said, none of his accolades have been easy.

Coach asked about his favorite WrestleMania moment. Lesnar says he doesn’t really have a favorite moment because he’s looking to the future. He’s looking forward to beating Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose at WWE Fastlane on Sunday, then going on to main event WrestleMania 32.

Lesnar talked about his botched Shooting Star Press from WrestleMania 19, noting that it wasn’t a good idea.

Regarding Paul Heyman, Lesnar said his career wouldn’t be where it is today without Paul. They’re like bread & butter, they’ve been successful for years and they just work. He says they work very well together and Heyman has been there supporting him since day one.

When asked about Daniel Bryan’s retirement, Lesnar says Bryan made a wise choice. Lesnar doesn’t even know how many concussions he’s had. He commended Bryan for understanding there’s more to life than wrestling, fighting or football.

.@BrockLesnar shares his most memorable WrestleMania & his reaction to Daniel Bryan's retirement due to concussions. https://t.co/QUbg7Hr8wY

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 17, 2016

Regarding Ronda Rousey’s admission that she was suicidal after getting knocked out by Holly Holm, Lesnar said he’s a big fan of Rousey but you have to learn that you must lose before you can win, you have to be able to get back on the horse. One fight isn’t going to make or break her career. they talked about Rousey possibly wrestling for WWE and Lesnar said she can do whatever she wants. Right now, Rousey has a lot on her plate with her MMA & movie careers. At some point, she’ll have to take a step back and decide what she really wants to do.

• VIDEO: Ronda Rousey Talks About Contemplating Suicide & What Convinced Her To Keep Fighting

Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” this morning to discuss Daniel Bryan’s retirement from WWE due to concussions. Here are some highlights from the appearance:

– Bryan revealed that he had been hiding his post-concussion seizures from Brie until she witnessed one, which she called heart breaking. Bryan said that he begged her not to tell anyone because he knew WWE would end his career if they knew what he was going through.

– When asked about wrestling being “fake,” Bryan said, “It’s not real and it’s not fake.  When I get slammed, I am really getting slammed, but I’m helping him slam me.”

– Brie was asked about the rumors that she is also looking to hang up the boots. She confirmed that the news is true and that her retirement announcement will probably come “this summer.”

TMZ Sports caught up with Steve Austin this week and asked him about Daniel Bryan’s retirement and whether not WWE is facing a concussion epidemic. Austin said,

“I just think Daniel Bryan worked a very physical cruiserweight style and finally, after everything he did, it kinda took it out of him. I don’t think it’s going to be an epidemic…

Over the past 20 years, there’s only been a couple guys that had to bow out with concussions. Daniel worked his ass off and he was a hard worker, and his style finally caught up with him. It is what it is but I don’t think it’s an epidemic.”

Austin will be hosting the next installment of his WWE Network podcast this Monday night after RAW. His guest will be The Big Show.

• Related: Steve Austin Talks About Injuries Plaguing WWE, Wishing He Could Have Faced Lesnar & CM Punk

– Former WWE & TNA champion Kurt Angle says he feels Daniel Bryan is “one of the all time greats.” The Olympic gold medalist commented on Bryan’s retirement via Twitter, comparing Bryan’s in-ring work to two of Angle’s old WWE opponents. Here’s what he had to say:

Very sad to see @WWEDanielBryan retire. One of the all time greats. I put him up there with #Michaels and #Benoit. He will be missed.

— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) February 9, 2016

– Jim Ross recently spoke on the news of Daniel Bryan’s retirement as an active pro wrestler. On his blog at JRsBarBQ.com, the WWE Hall of Famer says he feels strongly that Bryan and WWE should consider a behind-the-scenes role for him in the company. Here’s an excerpt:

I feel that WWE would be best served here to keep Bryan Danielson on the staff and put him in a position to help young talents adjust to life in the WWE not only from an in ring standpoint but from life away from the ring as well. No company can ever have enough people the quality of Bryan Danielson helping develop their brand and, most importantly, their young talents who I feel will respond in a big way to the coaching of one of the great overachievers ever in the business.

I don’t know of another wresting company that protects their athletes as thoroughly as WWE does their talents. Thank goodness that WWE did do all the extensive testing on Bryan’s injury and that they did not bend to the pressures of the talent or his fans to return hm to the ring. If DB had been wrestling for another company, any company, would he have received the care that he needed to determine the actual severity of the concussion issue?

In the proverbial, ‘good old days’ the concussion issue would have been largely ignored and the talent would have been returned to the ring as quickly as possible.

At the end of the day, Daniel Bryan is blessed to be wrestling in today’s marketplace and specifically for WWE where he has received amazing, medical care from a battery of specialists who certainly don’t work cheap but who likely have intervened to help ensure that the athlete who overcame numerous odds to become a star in WWE can live a productive life as a husband, father and son.

There are a litany of ways that Bryan Danielson can help the business that he loves to grow and better navigate the talent’s future

You can read J.R.’s entire blog entry here.

Last night Daniel Bryan posted the following message on his Instagram account right after Jonathan Coachman’s interview with him aired on ESPN Sportscenter:

Just wanted to say THANK YOU. To all of you. The incredible amount of love and support you’ve given me, not just in the last 48 hours, but over my entire career, sends chills thru my body. My life is better because of all of you. Gratitude. Always.

Here’s the full Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBlp-D5yVOu/

By the way, if you haven’t seen it yet, WWE’s Instagram page posted a really beautiful photo of Bryan and his wife Brie right before his retirement speech in Seattle on Raw:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBkwbW_AFKH/

As Bryan explained on Sportscenter, a new form of testing revealed a lesion on his brain that was responsible for the post-concussion seizures had had been experiencing and hiding (it’s not clear if he means from WWE only or his family as well). The test was done using the eVox system from Evolve Neuroscience, which you can read more about in this Digital Trends article.

Dr. Shelby, the former Anger Management Therapist for Team Hell No, has posted a video message reacting to Daniel Bryan announcement that he must retire from the ring. Dr. Shelby did some incredible work during his time on WWE television and shares some coping techniques for fans who are having trouble coming to grips with Daniel Bryan’s situation.

In related news, Kurt Angle and the Young Bucks are the latest wrestlers to comment on his retirement:

Very sad to see @WWEDanielBryan retire. One of the all time greats. I put him up there with #Michaels and #Benoit. He will be missed.

— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) February 9, 2016

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/696981013935710208

– WWE Performance Center trainer Matt Bloom tweeted these photos of himself with Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura is now in the United States and is in the process of taking his medical physicals ahead of his NXT debut at Takeover: Dallas on April 1st.

Many moons ago and recent. Two of the best talents and friends I know. @wwebalor @ShinsukeN pic.twitter.com/xjvQ5bYAOY

— Matt Bloom (@NXTMattBloom) February 10, 2016

Daniel Bryan appeared on ESPN SportsCenter on Tuesday night and spoke with Jonathan Coachman about his retirement from professional wrestling. Bryan revealed startling new details about his condition that puts his attempts to wrestle again into an entirely different light.

Bryan’s doctors have been able to document 10 of his concussions, but he’s probably had more than that since it’s hard to document them all or even define what a concussion is.

His recent EEG brain scan revealed some [brain function] slowing and “a small subacute or chronic lesion” on the area of the brain responsible for causing seizures. In fact, he’s been suffering from post-concussion seizures that he’s been keeping quiet about for a long time. He’s glad this latest test revealed why he’s been suffering the seizures and doctors are confident he should be okay in the long time.

At the end of the day, he had an incredible career and is grateful for the ride he was fortunate enough to take. He’ll miss the people the most, but he plans to keep in touch with everybody and we have not seen the last of Daniel Bryan.

“I am not the biggest, I am not the strongest, but I am damn sure the toughest!” – Daniel Bryan

For those that watched last night’s edition of Monday Night Raw, the WWE Universe watched one of the WWE’s best hang up his boots after 16 years in the industry. It’s moments like those that portray what it’s like to be a wrestling fan.

In the last seven years, Monday Night Raw has been the place for retirement ceremonies. Ric Flair retired on the WWE’s flagship show after WrestleMania 24. Shawn Michaels told the WWE Universe his goodbyes after WrestleMania 26. WrestleMania 27 showcased Edge’s final match in the WWE.

Some say that was the worst of them all because it was completely unexpected. It wasn’t as if Edge tweeted earlier in the day, or that he lost a retirement match at WrestleMania. A surprise MRI had doctors break the news to Adam Copeland that he could never wrestle again.

Yesterday was an emotional day for the WWE Universe.

Around mid-day yesterday, Daniel Bryan sent out a tweet that said he was retiring due to medical reasons.

Due to medical reasons, effective immediately, I am announcing my retirement. Tonight on Raw, I’ll have a chance to elaborate. #gratitude

— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) February 8, 2016

All day, wrestling fans thought it was just a work by the WWE and Bryan was truly returning to competition. However, that wasn’t the case. If anybody is still skeptical, Bryan and his wife, Brie Bella, shared a powerful moment backstage in the gorilla position.

Daniel and Brie share a moment. #ThankYouDanielBryanpic.twitter.com/P6m5R6oitW

— Total Beekage (@JaimsVanDerBeek) February 9, 2016

It was real.

The theme of Bryan’s speech on WWE Raw last night was gratitude. He mentioned that the fans don’t owe the WWE stars anything. Every wrestler in the back wants to go out and perform because they love it and it’s their passion. That’s what Bryan is all about.

For all intents and purposes, Bryan should’ve never made it to the WWE. He was six feet tall and under 200 pounds. The American Dragon was an Indy wrestler who had a knack for connecting with fans across the world.

WWE noticed him and he was on the inaugural season of NXT. This was the time where the wrestling world got a look at Bryan Danielson for his innate ability to perform. He wasn’t an entertainer. He was a wrestler. A wrestler he always remained, which is the only way anyone wanted it.

Throughout the years, Bryan not only devoted his life to his craft, he sacrificed his well-being for the betterment of entertaining the fans. To encapsulate the top Daniel Bryan moments, here are five that made the cut:

1. Daniel Bryan’s World Heavyweight championship loss in record time to Sheamus
2. Bryan doesn’t give into Bray Wyatt’s demands on WWE Raw inside a steel cage
3. Daniel Bryan and the fans Occupy Raw.
4. In Seattle, the fans hijacked WWE Raw.
5. Daniel Bryan defeats Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista at WrestleMania 30 to become the WWE champion.

That doesn’t include Team Hell No or his title win against the Miz to win the United States title.

Throughout his WWE career, Bryan was always considered as a B+ player. In fact, that was the gimmick WWE officials used to describe him while chasing the WWE championship. That wasn’t only a gimmick, it was real.

Much like CM Punk, multiple roadblocks always got in Bryan’s way. He broke them down and went on to be a future-WWE Hall of Fame wrestler. Triple H, who never shied away from telling Bryan he was a B+ player, commented on his retirement with the only way logical.

One of my favorite @WrestleMania moments ever.
Always have been and always will be an A+. #ThankYouDanielBryan pic.twitter.com/DBVaeuFQvO

— Triple H (@TripleH) February 8, 2016

Even several hours later, it still feels like a nightmare that Daniel Bryan won’t wrestle again. Just like Edge, it was the right move and proper decision for his health. He even mentioned it last night. Bryan and Bella want to start a family.

At this point in his life, starting a family is the most-important thing to him. WWE fans shouldn’t be upset about Daniel Bryan retiring. It’s not as if he won’t appear on WWE TV ever again.

Bryan is still under contract with the WWE. He will make random appearances and help promote WrestleMania 32.

What echoed throughout the WWE Universe last night was sadness and joy. Cameras were on random fans in the crowd with tears rolling down their face. That’s the power and beauty of pro wrestling shining through.

Wrestlers make a connection with the fans that can’t be measured. Like Edge, Bryan is not only a special talent, he’s a special person. There will never be another Daniel Bryan in the history of pro wrestling.

After all the matches wrestled, blood poured, sweat drawn, injuries sustained, stress taken, sleepless nights and unforgettable moments, there’s only one thing to say:

Thank you, Daniel Bryan. We are grateful.

– Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle website has published a heartfelt open letter by Gabe Sapolsky addressing Daniel Bryan’s retirement.

– Speaking of Gabe, he announced on Monday night that Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay will headline the EVOLVE 59 live event in Dallas on 4/2 during WrestleMania 32 weekend. For ticket information and details of how you can stream the show live, visit MoreThanMania.com.

https://twitter.com/BookItGabe/status/696897070742028289

– New Japan Pro Wrestling star Kazuchika Okada says he’ll never follow in Nakamura’s footsteps and work for WWE.

Weekly prowestling magazine issuing tommorrow.

Okada said "I will never go to WWE." pic.twitter.com/Tnj7XTDrGn

— enuhito(English) (@enuhito_eng) February 9, 2016

Following his retirement speech on Monday’s RAW, two of Daniel Bryan’s most famous pre-WWE opponents paid tribute to him on Twitter. Current NXT star Samoa Joe and former WWE Champion CM Punk both reacted to the news of Bryan’s retirement — Joe with a heartfelt message, and Punk with an old clip of the two together.

As I sit here tonight, I do so with a mix of emotions. Everything from selfishly profound sadness to relief tinged.. pic.twitter.com/i63PWnaHds

— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) February 9, 2016

pic.twitter.com/SBu6hqlPMY

— player/coach (@CMPunk) February 9, 2016

Related: Daniel Bryan Post-RAW Interview (Video), Fan Kicked Out During His Retirement Speech

– Daniel Bryan will be appearing on ESPN Sportscenter tonight to discuss his retirement as an active pro wrestler. He’ll be on at 9PM ET.

– Reddit user u/DuragVince was in attendance at Monday’s RAW, and revealed that security had removed a fan from his seat for interrupting Daniel Bryan’s retirement speech. It’s unknown if the fan was removed from the building, or just somewhere he couldn’t be heard on camera. Here’s his report from the arena:

“So some guy ended up getting thrown out (and roughed up) by security for trying to start a chant by singing that “na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye” song while Daniel was talking,” he wrote. “It was during the moment the whole place went silent while he was going over his gratitude; the guy started screaming the tune at the top of his lungs. Three security guys rushed him and just pulled him out of our row and he was out of there quick. You can tell by the look on his face that he didn’t even know what was happening.”

Related: What Happened After RAW Went Off The Air

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-z0NuXSO-Y

After RAW went off the air on Monday, Daniel Bryan continued celebrating in the ring. The entire roster came out on the ramp and applauded him.

Bryan hopped out of the ring and high-fived all the fans at ringside. As he was walking to the back, Vince McMahon came out and gave Bryan a big hug for WWE Network cameras. Bryan then walked to the back to close out the event.

• Video: Daniel Bryan & Nikki Bella Talk About His Retirement After RAW

Daniel Bryan’s in-ring career is over. The former WWE World Heavyweight champion broke the news on Twitter on Monday afternoon and then addressed the WWE Universe at the conclusion of Monday’s RAW. Bryan came out to a tremendous ovation from the crowd. Loud yes chants and a thunderous Daniel Bryan chant. Another yes chant broke out as Bryan took it all in. Bryan said he was able to feel the crowd’s love and it’s something he will never forget. He jokes about cutting his hair and trimming his beard. He says he donated his hair to a charity called Wigs for Kids. Bryan said he’s been wrestling since he was 18 and has gotten many concussions throughout his 16 year career. He did everything he could to get cleared, but WWE’s doctors won’t let him get back in the ring. A Thank You Daniel chant begins. A week ago he took a test that told him his brain might not be as good as he thinks it is. He has a family now, he and his wife are thinking about having kids soon. The crowd chants Yes and Bryan said that’s what Brie says all the time. The crowd began chanting That’s What She Said.

Bryan said it is with a heavy heart that he has to officially announce his retirement. He’s gone through a range of emotions but when he woke up today, all he felt was gratitude. Bryan talks about things he loves. The Seattle Seahawks. The crowd reaction when his music hits. Diving through the ropes. He’s wrestled in the parking lots of gas stations and in front of 70,000 people at WrestleMania. Kane. William Regal. Conor. He’s grateful that everybody got behind him. Bryan talked about the night the fans hijacked RAW in this arena in the ceremony of champions with John Cena and Randy Orton. His father was ringside that night and that was the last time his dad got to see him wrestle. Because of wrestling, he got to meet the most wonderful woman in the world. He’s grateful that he gets to have this moment with his family at ringside, his wife in the back and everything else. Tomorrow morning, he starts a new life where he is no longer a wrestler. But that is tomorrow and that’s not tonight. He got the crowd to do one last Yes chant as Brie came to the ring and they celebrate to end the show.

WWE.com cameras caught up with Daniel Bryan his wife Brie Bella as they arrived at Seattle’s KeyArena for tonight’s Monday Night RAW. Brie was asked about Bryan’s retirement and admitted that she will probably get emotional tonight. It’s incredibly hard for her to see her husband’s dream ripped away from him, but he’s a very positive person and they are both looking forward to starting a family together and the next chapter of their lives.

She also posted the following on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBi1MpfMaHl/

WWE has posted footage of Daniel Bryan’s arrival at the KeyArena in Seattle, site of tonight’s Monday Night RAW. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion showed up with wife Brie Bella and was asked how he’s doing. Bryan responded, “I feel good. Um, you know, it’s a hard day.”

Bryan announced earlier today that he is retiring from WWE effective immediately and will provide more information regarding his condition on RAW.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jonathan Coachman will speak with Bryan tomorrow night on SportsCenter. Coach set the record straight for fans questioning if Bryan’s retirement is legitimate or part of a wrestling angle.

Let me be VERY clear. This is not a work. Not a storyline. Real life. And it stinks for one of the really good guys. https://t.co/KknKb5yLQb

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) February 8, 2016

With Daniel Bryan announcing his retirement on Twitter, the wrestling world has been reacting in the last hour or so. Here are some of the tweets that have gone up so far from both WWE stars and other wrestlers from all over the industry:

#ThankYouDaniel ? One of the guys who made me want to better myself even more! ? https://t.co/xCUQZKuhfv

— RYBACK (@Ryback) February 8, 2016

https://twitter.com/MartyScurll/status/696773165285040128

Love you @wwedanielbryan! You are one of the smartest, funniest, strongest, most courageous and… https://t.co/whwDWDLOFS

— Nikki & Brie (@NikkiAndBrie) February 8, 2016

https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/696768100922839040

@WWEDanielBryan :(

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) February 8, 2016

Just Landed in Seattle from @NFL #SuperBowl #SB50 and heard that @WWEDanielBryan is Retiring tonight on @WWE #Raw #ThankYouBryan in Advance

— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) February 8, 2016

#ThankYouDanielBryan @WWEDanielBryan pic.twitter.com/elkqBE4iK5

— ??Rodriguez ?????? (@RRWWE) February 8, 2016

The retirement of @WWEDanielBryan – tonights Triple Threat contract signing on #raw – breakin' it all down on #rawpreshow 7:30p @WWENetwork

— Scott Stanford (@scottstanford1) February 8, 2016

Damn! I hope this is a swerve ? https://t.co/RJ9DsmKh3k

— JTG ( JAY THA GAWD ) (@Jtg1284) February 8, 2016

#ThankYouDanielBryan https://t.co/O2yrMKAkVc

— Westin Blake (@TheWestinBlake) February 8, 2016

https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/696774740636098560

People are STILL telling me no, @DanicaPatrick. It’s my job to change their answer to… #SmallButPowerful @Tide #ad pic.twitter.com/Jw1KcqhPiv

— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) February 7, 2016

During the Super Bowl on Sunday, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan tweeted a new commercial he stars in. The spot is for Tide, and features Bryan giving a brief rundown of his journey to become WWE champion.

Related: Spoiler: Daniel Bryan scheduled for televised WWE event

Bryan premiered the commercial in a tweet replying to fellow Tide Super Bowl spokesperson Danica Patrick:

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/696468611024756736

Bryan is currently sporting a different look than he had during the filming of the commercial. You can see a photo here.

A former WWE World Heavyweight champion was spotted today at Phoenix Airport flying to Seattle. PWInsider.com is reporting that Daniel Bryan is scheduled for this week’s RAW. He is currently not booked for SmackDown. Here’s a photo of Bryan awaiting his flight at the Phoenix airport:

Daniel Bryan hasn’t been on WWE TV regularly since the end of the most recent season of Tough Enough.

We posted a photo earlier of Daniel Bryan sporting a new look at a restaurant on Saturday.

It looks like Daniel Bryan has changed his look a little bit from what we’re used to seeing on WWE TV. A photo posted on Instagram on Saturday shows the former WWE Champion with much shorter hair and a cleaner trimmed beard.

The photo was posted by Dr. Jimmy Yuan, the doctor who leads the Warrior Restoration clinic where Bryan is a patient. The photo was taken as the two, along with Brie Bella and other guests, had dinner at True Food Kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBeKOyuMJ4h/

Is this the sign of a return, or a retirement? Do you prefer the “Hobo” Bryan look? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Even after Daniel Bryan won the WWE championship at WrestleMania 30, it’s as if he’s fighting a losing battle. In New Orleans, the Aberdeen, Washington-native defeated three-fourths of Evolution that evening. Due to CM Punk leaving the company and the WWE Universe wanting Bryan on top, magic happened that night.

On June 9, 2014, the Authority stripped Bryan of the WWE World Heavyweight championship. The belt ended up in the hands of Brock Lesnar, which created the mega-star known as Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 31.

The “C-word” in professional sport known as “concussion” took a toll on Bryan’s health, which is why he hasn’t returned from wrestling since his tag-team match with John Cena at the WWE Smackdown tapings on April 15, 2015.

Since that dark day in pro wrestling, Bryan has fought hard to get back to his wrestling shape. He’s visited countless doctors, physicians and even specialists to try and get cleared.

Bryan has yet to get cleared by WWE’s lead concussion specialist, Dr. Joseph Maroon.

Before the inevitable skepticism of how WWE is handling this situation occurs, here’s the definition of a concussion from the Mayo Clinic:

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination.

Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. These injuries can cause a loss of consciousness, but most concussions do not. Because of this, some people have concussions and don’t realize it.

If a concussion is severe enough, that particular athlete will never compete again. Marc Savard, former-NHL All-Star, sustained two concussions in the span of 10 months. That was from 2010-2011. He hasn’t played a game since.

In the wrestling world, Chris Benoit is an infamous case of having too many concussions. It took a toll on his health, and ultimately, his life. Therefore, WWE is extra-critical of concussions and their protocol is one of the more-strict set of rules for return in all of professional athletics.

This is where the frustration of WWE fans, including Bryan, are found.

Since he relinquished the Intercontinental championship, the former-WWE champion has worked extremely hard to get back in a WWE ring. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to go anywhere else, but back to the place that made him a worldwide phenomenon.

Multiple concussion specialists have cleared Bryan. In the last few days, he was cleared by UCLA doctors to return. Even earlier than that, Bryan’s personal doctor said he was “good to go.” Apparently, that’s not enough to convince Vince McMahon and the entire WWE medical team.

At the Royal Rumble, WWE talents were surprised he didn’t show up in the match.

It’s normal to get a second opinion. So, Bryan got one. He also got a third, and presumably a fourth opinion.

Is it obvious yet as to where this is going?

Bryan’s posted videos on social media training to get back into action. He’s tweeted his displeasure and even poked fun at Total Divas, where he was showing his wife, Brie Bella, a wrestling move.

Want to see me wrestle? Right now your only opportunity is on #TotalDivas… You might see more… https://t.co/MdBubrjgys

— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) January 27, 2016

If that’s the only place WWE fans can see Bryan wrestle, then Total Divas is about to get record-breaking ratings.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the WWE said he won’t be cleared and offered him non-wrestling jobs within the company. With Bryan, it’s not about the brand he’s competing in at this point. He could end up in Ring of Honor when his contract with WWE expires.

Right now, it’s a “wait-and-see” situation with Bryan and the WWE Universe. It’s quite evident that everyone wants to see him return and wrestle again. Not having him on television is still an odd sight to see.

As curiosity increases, so will speculation that WWE doesn’t want Bryan to come back at all. That’s a big claim, but why can’t that question be asked?

What if the WWE doesn’t want Daniel Bryan back?

It’s not a secret that in his spare time (he’s had a lot the past couple years), Daniel Bryan enjoys training in submission grappling. When he lived in Las Vegas, he was a regular at the Xtreme Couture gym to train with coach Neil Melanson, a catch wrestling expert whose mentors include former pro wrestler “Judo” Gene LeBell. Since moving to the Phoenix, Arizona area, he’s training at The MMA Lab, run by John Crouch, under whom he trains Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, recently earning his blue belt. At The Lab, he’s befriended many of the athletes, including former UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson, who’s the gym’s star fighter. Anyway, yesterday, Henderson tweeted this:

Guess who I heard was back???#DanielBryan, yeah buddy!!!#FakeWrestlingRealAthletes #Respect pic.twitter.com/F2ee3cKQTf

— TheOnceAndFutureKing (@BensonHenderson) January 22, 2016

There are three possible explanations for this:

1. Bryan actually told Henderson that he’s coming back.
2. Henderson, like many others, misread the reports that Bryan was cleared to return by a UCLA neurologist (he was, but only the decision of WWE Medical Director Dr. Joseph Maroon has any bearing on if he’s coming back).
3. Henderson is screwing with everybody.

Which is the truth? We’ll probably find out at some point this weekend, either at the Royal Rumble or the following night on Monday Night Raw.

A neurology specialist at UCLA recently evaluated Daniel Bryan, where he underwent a battery of tests to determine if he is fit to wrestle again. Bryan was given the the green light to return to WWE, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Unfortunately, as of this writing, Bryan still has not been cleared by a WWE doctor due to his concussion history.

Bryan is ready to return to action as soon as WWE allows him to, if they ever do. Earlier this week, he tweeted the following in response to somebody quoting him from Total Divas:

"I'm still trying to COME BACK TO WRESTLING" – @WWEDanielBryan

The MAGIC words. #TotalDivas pic.twitter.com/GQsDckIxVR

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 20, 2016

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/689655658707181568

One of the biggest ongoing pro wrestling stories of the last two years may finally be coming to a head this week. PWInsider.com’s Mike Johnson is reporting that Bryan Danielson, best known by his WWE name of Daniel Bryan, will be heading to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week, presumably to visit Dr. Joseph Maroon. Bryan is appearing at the World of Wheels convention in Pittsburgh this weekend, so it’s not clear how much of what Johnson is saying is speculation vs. hinting at something he can’t say outright. Seth Rollins was the originally scheduled WWE guest for the convention and the change was made fairly late (WrestlingInc.com’s Raj Giri reported it just eight days ago on January 11th), so this could be a situation of “killing two birds with one stone.” That’s entirely speculative, though.

Maroon, who’s based in the city, heads WWE’s Talent Wellness Program, and when prospective WWE talent gets medical testing done, it’s done in Pittsburgh.Danielson has been out of action since early last spring, when he was sidelined with a concussion. Since then, while he’s been cleared by his own neurologist, who was the neurologist for last year’s Super Bowl, as being good to wrestle. Reportedly, Maroon is concerned that he’s suffered too many concussions over the course of his career to clear him.

Danielson has, at bare minimum, suffered seven diagnosed concussions during his career. That’s going by his book and other public reports. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently pegged the number as ten diagnosed concussions, but the number is likely more if you include undiagnosed trauma. While probably the most well-adjusted human being in the business outside of the ring, Danielson is a risk taker in his matches and has a bit of an obsessive streak about being able to wrestle.

When he was out of action in 2014 from neck and elbow injuries that caused weakness in his arm, he started learning every kind of pro wrestling and grappling move that he could do one-armed. He figured that he could get cleared and change his style to be “that wrestler who’s able to be great only using one arm.” Most famously, he lost his temper for the only time in his whole career to scream at Triple H for stopping a 2013 Randy Orton match he was set to win cleanly because he suffered a stinger. It’s not entirely unreasonable for WWE to feel the need to protect Danielson from himself.

There’s also the issue of the lawsuits against WWE alleging that WWE hid the dangers of head trauma among other things. These lawsuits are still ongoing, and the plaintiffs got a major victory last week when, in one of the cases, the judge lifted a stay that barred discovery, or WWE having to produce documents. That means that the lawsuits aren’t going away for at least a little while, and if that’s a factor, then I wouldn’t expect Danielson to be cleared as long as the cases are outstanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXOgVF_v580

Total Divas is back this Tuesday (January 19th) at 9:00 p.m. ET on E! Entertainment Television, which means that WWE has started to push out all sorts of promotional material for the show’s season premiere. For example, Paige revealing that she has a concussion was part of an interview promoting the premiere, E! is running more Total Divas content on their website again, and even In Touch Weekly’s website got in on the act by featuring a Rosa Mendes baby bump photo. Of course, it also means that WWE has released preview clips for the episode on their YouTube channel.

In the first clip, Brie Bella/Brianna Danielson (remember, Total Divas is weird about names) and husband Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson talk to someone about some business proposal of her’s. Somehow, Bryan’s gardening and jelly/jam-making hobby play into this. In the brief clip, he does talk about how there’s now the possibility that he may be done wrestling.

Then there’s the resolution to last season’s cliffhanger, as Dolph Ziggler/Nick Nemeth says he could give Nikki Bella/Nicole Garcia-Colace babies and marriage if they got back together. Then he tries to kiss her in front of her and John Cena’s bus. This does not go well.

Later, she finally tells Cena. It looks like it may not go well, but they cut it off before “it gets good.” I guess we’ll have to tune in to find out what happens next, unfortunately.

Over the weekend, a rumor that WWE was releasing Daniel Bryan picked up some steam when it was floated by longtime wrestling writer/reviewer Scott Keith at his blog. The nature of it (an anonymous email from a supposed WWE human resources employee) was more than suspicious enough that most sites, including SEScoops, didn’t pick it up. However, since a similar situation led to Keith getting the story about John Cena’s hiatus to film a TV show right, some sites did decide to pick up the story.

Mike Johnson debunked the rumor in a post at PWInsider while Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor Dave Meltzer tweeted late last night that WWE was denying it:

WWE denies it. https://t.co/9stK1UtlAT

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) January 13, 2016

It should come as no surprise, then, that WWE issued the following statement to WrestlingInc.com’s Raj Giri this morning:

There is no truth to this letter from a supposed WWE employee.

That should be that for now, I guess. Bryan has not been cleared to wrestle since suffering a concussion during the spring European tour last year. While he tests normally, there is concern that he’s suffered too many concussions during his career to keep wrestling, with Meltzer having speculated on his podcast last week that the number is around 20.