Daniel Bryan won’t be returning to action any time soon, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter ‘s Dave Meltzer. As documented by 411 Mania , the former World Champion recently transitioned into a backstage role as a member of the Friday Night SmackDown creative team. That will be his priority for now.
Bryan has reportedly been involved in the creative side of things for months now. As The Inquisitr recently reported, both he and Edge have been lending their talents to the SmackDown and Monday Night Raw writing teams, respectively.
Bryan supposedly had significant input and influence over his own storylines prior to his new position. The transition into coming up with ideas for the blue brand’s flagship show makes sense in many ways.
As Sportskeeda pointed out, Bryan was supposedly responsible for performers such as Drew Gulak receiving a push on the blue brand. He’s used his influence to try and elevate younger talent it seems, as he and Gulak were aligned on television until recently, shortly after competing against each other at Elimination Chamber .
As The Inquisitr article highlighted, Bryan has stated that he plans on retiring after his current contract expires. Perhaps the reason he accepted his current position is that he’s looking at life beyond the squared circle and trying to gain some valuable experience.
The 411 Mania report stated that the reason for Bryan accepting his current role is because of the pandemic. He recently became a father and he doesn’t want to risk catching COVID-19 and passing it onto his family.
However, the report also revealed that his last appearance on WWE television saw him involved in a segment with AJ Styles and Renee Young, both of whom tested positive earlier this year. It’s possible that Bryan caught the coronavirus and had to take some time off.
The pandemic also coincided with his wife, Brie Bella, being deep into her pregnancy. The article speculated that the superstar chose to stay away from the company as a precautionary measure. Bella was reportedly concerned about his health due to him having a depleted immune system.
Bryan has reportedly recorded some footage to be used on SmackDown in recent months, so he could still appear on television in some capacity. He hasn’t retired from wrestling either, and it’s only a matter of time before he re-enters the squared circle.
Bryan’s last match took place in June. The superstar was defeated by Styles in the final of the Intercontinental Championship tournament.
