Daniel Bryan Says He’s Trying To Get Cleared To Wrestle Again For WWE

SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan said in an interview Thursday he is working on getting medically cleared for an in-ring return.

Bryan hasn’t wrestled since 2015 due to concussion issues, which included seizures brought on by concussions.

Despite that, Bryan discussed the process of a potential comeback and where WWE may stand on the subject in an interview with Mike Ashmore of The Trentonian.

I’m trying to get cleared as we speak,” Bryan said. “All my tests have come back fantastic, better than people who have never had any concussion-type stuff. But it’s a weird thing. We’re in a weird situation politically with the climate around concussions; right now, it’s very difficult. WWE would love to have me back, but is that the smart thing for me as a business to bring me back? If I was to come back, and they let me back, would they get a lot of flak for it? They have a ton of stockholders that they’re responsible for. It’s more than just, ‘Is he healthy to do it?’

In recent months, however, Bryan has been outspoken about his desire to return to wrestling as an in-ring performer.

The recent return of Kurt Angle, who also has an extensive injury history, has possibly helped Bryan’s case for a comeback. In September it was reported that Bryan had been training his wife Brie Bella for her own comeback. Bryan has also implied that he will be seeking opportunities outside of the WWE if they refuse to give him the chance to wrestle again. He said the situation is complicated because of the nature of the wrestling business, but he’s staying positive.

As part of the interview with Ashmore, Bryan suggested the overwhelming majority of doctors he has consulted with believe he should be cleared.

He said, “There’s more than that to the whole situation. All the concussion doctors think that I’m healthy enough to do it, and that I should be able to do it—well, I don’t want to say all of them, I’m sure there’s somebody out there who doesn’t think that—but there’s a lot more than goes into it than just that. That’s the unfortunate situation with giant corporations and big business in the United States.”