John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Triple H prior to their SummerSlam showdownThe professional wrestling world is still reeling from the groundbreaking announcement this past Monday. Former WWE World Heavyweight champion, and one of the greatest technical wrestlers to have ever laced a pair of boots, Daniel Bryan has announced his retirement from WWE.Bryan’s history with injuries and concussions has forced the beloved superstar to bring an end to his illustrious career. Bryan initially made a name for himself on the independent scene, and earned a reputation for being one of the most technically gifted wrestlers of all time.Bryan was then signed by WWE, and has since captured the imagination of the WWE Universe.Tributes and goodwill have poured in from around the world, and the ‘Yes Man’ had the opportunity to bid farewell to the WWE Universe on RAW. Today, we give you five lesser known moments from Daniel Bryan’s storied career.
#5 Bryan had the opportunity to wrestle his mentor
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The relationship Bryan shares with William Regal is a special one. Regal took Bryan under his wing when he realized Bryan’s untapped potential and has been one of the biggest influences in Bryan’s life and career.
To this day, Daniel Bryan credits Regal for his success in the professional wrestling industry, and considers Regal not just as a mentor, but as a father figure.
One of the many things that endeared Bryan to Regal was his technical prowess inside the ring. Bryan was a ring general and learned things at a quick pace. Once Bryan was out of Shawn’s wrestling school, he started working the independents, sometimes wrestling in front of 5 – 10 people.
Bryan always performed to the best of his abilities, and never stopped learning.
The fans have always wanted to see Bryan taking on William Regal, with Regal being highly underrated, and is touted as one of the greatest in – ring technicians in wrestling history. However, Bryan already faced Regal back in ’01, and considers the match as one of the best matches in his career.
This was also when Regal understood Bryan’s potential, and took an interest in the American Dragon.
#4 Daniel Bryan faced John Cena more than a decade ago
Bryan’s match with John Cena at SummerSlam is considered to be his breakout moment in WWE. At SummerSlam ’13, Bryan’s career elevated, and he went from being one of the top guys in the company to being the guy in the eyes of the wrestling fans.
A clean victory over John Cena, and thereby winning the WWE championship cemented Bryan’s claim as the biggest star in WWE. Although the next couple of months saw WWE booking Bryan questionably, to say the least, Bryan’s popularity kept rising.
However, Daniel Bryan and John Cena had faced earlier before.
Back when Cena was newly promoted to the main roster from WWE’s developmental territory, John was working on WWE Velocity – a show which recapped SmackDown, while giving the new guys a platform to showcase their talents. It was in 2003 when WWE decided to give Bryan Danielson a tryout match, putting him on Velocity against John Cena.
Cena won the match comfortably, as Bryan was supposed to make Cena look good. In the end, however, the two superstars realized their potential, and have since become stalwarts in the professional wrestling industry.
#3 Bryan was one of the only two wrestlers to have won ROH and WWE titles
It is well known that WWE doesn’t see the ‘indy darlings’ as championship material in the company. For decades, there has been a preconceived notion about WWE wanting heavily muscled superstars to represent the company.
It is often said that the ‘WWE machine’ churns out the future faces of the company, and the WWE management perceives these superstars as the prototypical mold of what the company wants.
A prime example today is Roman Reigns, who is given multiple opportunities – something that the WWE Universe doesn’t approve of. However, two individuals, in particular, have been successful in breaking those barriers, and have won the WWE championship. These two individuals were never supposed to ‘make it’ in WWE, and are considered to be two of the greatest stars of the modern era.
Daniel Bryan and CM Punk are two of three wrestlers (the other being Seth Rollins) to have held the ROH world title, as well as the WWE championship in history.
While the two superstars have managed to capture the imagination of the WWE Universe like no other, sadly, both of their wrestling careers are now over, and there is a good chance that we might never see either of them in a wrestling ring again.
#2 Daniel Bryan was almost forced into retirement before
Daniel Bryan initially made a name for himself on the independent circuit. Known as the American Dragon, Bryan made a name for himself as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time.
Bryan’s style involved high-risk offense, considering the fact that Bryan wasn’t the biggest wrestler, and needed to incorporate a high-octane, high-risk move set in order to attract the fans’ attention.
In doing so, Bryan was involved in many legendary battles against the likes of Samoa Joe, Kenta (now known as Hideo Itami in WWE) and Takeshi Morishima. Throughout his career, Bryan suffered numerous injuries, and never thought about walking away from the business.
However, those injuries piled on, and in 2007, Bryan legitimately suffered a detached retina during his match with Morishima – an injury that forced Bryan to think about calling it a day.
Even in his book, Bryan went in depth about how his mother and sister were worried for Bryan, and the eye injury forced Bryan to rethink about his career choices. However, after talking to his father, Daniel Bryan realized that he loved professional wrestling, and no injury could keep him away from the ring.
#1 Daniel Bryan credits the Yes chant to a UFC fighter
Daniel Bryan’s success was a result of hard work, dedication and the undeniable love and support of the WWE Universe.
The ‘YestleMania’ was a great example of how the wrestling fans can alter the course of not only the direction WWE wants to go in, but also the course of WWE history. Bryan’s ‘Yes Movement’ changed many things in the company, including the way WWE perceives the smaller wrestlers.
Bryan’s success catapulted him to the upper echelons of professional wrestling industry, and a big part of that is attributed to Bryan’s ‘Yes’ chants. With just three letters and two pointed fingers, Daniel Bryan changed his fate, and became one of the greatest superstars, and the biggest underdog in WWE history.
However, Bryan was not the first person to have started chanting ‘Yes’ during his entrance.
UFC’s Diego Sanchez is one of the most intense fighters in the company, and had the habit of chanting ‘Yes’ during his entrance. Although a lot of people have criticized Bryan for using Diego’s ‘Yes’ chant, Bryan and Diego are good friends, and Bryan had given Sanchez credit for coming up with the ‘Yes’ chant.
Diego had also previously cleared the air, and is on great terms with the former WWE World Heavyweight champion.
