Earlier Monday afternoon, Daniel Bryan dropped a bombshell, tweeting that he'll be announcing his retirement on Monday Night Raw.
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
While die-hard World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fans are bound to hold onto the hopes of this being a plot for a future storyline to return Bryan into the fold, we at Tech Times have to take the man for his (impending) word. Let's not forget that he's coming off serious head and neck injuries and was eagerly anticipating WWE medically clearing him to return to the ring.
While the WWE Universe awaits his detailed explanation on Raw, one thing's for certain — if this is the end of the road for Bryan's WWE career, what a ride it has been. In a short period of time, Bryan became something of a phenomenon for the company, skyrocketing to main event status with his array of high-risk maneuvers, while getting packed arenas to stand on their feet and raucously chant, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
If Bryan does indeed announce that he's retiring from WWE, he has given fans a library worth of footage to relive his flashes of greatness for years to come. Here, Tech Times counts down our personal favorite Top 5 Daniel Bryan WWE Matches.
5) Vs. Sheamus in Two-Out-of-Three Falls Match at Extreme Rules (2012)
The ironic thing about this two-out-of-three falls match is it came just weeks after Daniel Bryan lost the WWE World Heavyweight championship to the Celtic Warrior in less than 20 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII back in April 2012. The rematch wouldn't be as easy, though Bryan gave Sheamus everything he could handle and more in this back-and-forth match.
The bout saw Bryan actually sacrificing the first fall just to inflict even more damage to Sheamus' shoulder to knot the match up at one fall apiece. Although Sheamus would have his hand raised by the end of the Extreme Rules affair to retain the World Heavyweight title, there was no doubt that Bryan carved out a lane of his own as a force to be reckoned with.
4) Vs. CM Punk at Over the Limit (2012)
When CM Punk and Daniel Bryan squared off for Punk's WWE World Heavyweight title at the Over the Limit pay-per-view in May 2012, it didn't matter that they weren't in the main event — there weren't two Superstars who the WWE Universe took to more than these two, and the thousands at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. made that abundantly clear as they put on a show.
The highlight of the match — not to mention, ending — came when Punk reversed the Yes Lock, getting a controversial pinfall on Bryan. Damn, did Bryan ever pay his dues.
3) Vs. John Cena at SummerSlam (2013)
Would you believe that the 2013 SummerSlam marked the first time Bryan co-headlined a WWE pay-per-view as a main eventer? Told you he paid his dues.
Well, Bryan made his WWE PPV main event debut more than count, cutting the more powerful John Cena down to size with his electric kicks before landing his running knee with everything he had — and more — to win the World Heavyweight title and bring the Staples Center crowd in Los Angeles to their feet with chants of "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Well, the scintillating win proved to be a short-lived celebration, though, as special guest referee Triple H dropped the newly-crowned champ with the Pedigree, rolling out the red carpet for Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and easily pin Bryan for the win. Bryan got screwed.
2) Vs. Triple H at WrestleMania XXX (2014)
So, the gauntlet was set and easy to understand. If Daniel Bryan was to advance to the main event at WrestleMania XXX back in April 2014, he would need to win his singles match earlier in the same pay-per-view event. Standing in his way? The consummate WWE Superstar Triple H.
The Game didn't take long to surgically pick Bryan apart, working on his injured shoulder before 75,000-plus looked on in anticipation at the Superdome in New Orleans. The match almost played out like a David vs. Goliath in the sense that the King of Kings had over a decade of WrestleManias under his belt and acted like it, beating the daylight out of Bryan without mercy to the point where it appeared as if the Beard had nothing left to give and was hanging on by a thread.
However, Bryan somehow managed to stick around long enough to reverse Triple H's Pedigree and land his running knee for the victory, advancing to the main event and his chance to make history later on the grandest stage of them all.
1) Vs. Batista and Randy Orton in Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania XXX
You can't stop destiny and determination ... even if it's running on fumes. Fumes and a bum shoulder is how a heady and hobbled Daniel Bryan entered the ring to go for his shot at the coveted WWE World Heavyweight title at the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
Already battered to a pulp at the hands of Triple H, Bryan faced a fresh Randy Orton and Batista in a triple threat match for the gold. With the crowd behind him, the Beard made his childhood dreams come true, hoisting the World Heavyweight title by the end of the match to usher in his own wave and time. It was a classic WWE moment.
