WWE News: WWE Teasing A Daniel Bryan Return At ‘Royal Rumble’
From the archive: published Jan 23, 2016, 10 years ago. Details may have changed since.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan has been out of action for nearly a year after suffering a concussion last year. He was a big part of the lead up to WrestleMania 31 and even won his first WWE Intercontinental Championship there in a ladder match. It was a great moment, but like the year prior, he had to give up the IC Title after an injury and everyone was worried then that Bryan may never wrestle again.
Bryan has since been cleared to return to the ring by several doctors. One being a sports physician that even worked medical for the Super Bowl, and the other being a well known doctor out UCLA. However, WWE doctor Joseph Maroon has yet to clear Bryan, and it is thought that he could end up getting the clearance soon after the latest doctor’s diagnosis.
Royal Rumble is tomorrow, and several surprises tend to happen each year at the event. Whether it is a great match or a random return, the Rumble is always an event to look forward to for a WWE fan. Several injured stars return at this event to huge pops from the crowd. Could Daniel Bryan be the latest to join this list of great returns?
The big thing WWE teased at the end, in reference to Bryan, was the line, “What better addition to Bryan’s fairy tale career is there than for him to return to the match he never won to reclaim the title he never lost?”
This is the first time WWE has teased any sort of return with Daniel Bryan in some time. In fact, they have tried their hardest to stay out of talking about him coming back due to the issues involving the concussion lawsuit they are facing.Many believe that WWE won’t clear Bryan to come back, regardless of what others say, because they don’t want to risk losing the lawsuit if he ends up getting yet another concussion or injured to the point where it affects his life.
It will take him a while to get back into the same wrestler we remember from years ago, but that is understandable. He has only wrestled for about six months in the span of two years. Clearly, it would take him time to adjust back into full-time wrestling.
WWE has not confirmed that Daniel Bryan will be in the Rumble, but it would not be shocking for the company to have him make his big return at the event. Now might be the perfect time with all of the major AJ Styles drama. If he cannot be there, for whatever reason, a Daniel Bryan return would certainly make the Orlando, FL crowd happy enough to not boo the entire Rumble. They might still boo at the end, depending on the winner, but WWE should be used to that after the past two years of Rumble winners.
