5 Reasons why Daniel Bryan will never wrestle for WWE again

Everyone's favourite SmackDown Live GM in forever, Daniel Bryan, momentarily lifted the collective hearts of pro wrestling fans the world over when he started chirping about returning to in-ring action soon.

After retiring in early 2016, even then under a cloud of confusion arising from differing evaluations of his condition, Bryan has been fulfilling his on-screen role as the SmackDown Live General Manager of late.

But I'm sure we can all agree that - health permitting - we'd all much rather see him as an active in-ring participant again.

The latest on that seems to be that despite being cleared by a bevy of other doctors, the WWE doctors have (yet again) failed to clear Bryan for a return.

So as he's suggested in the recent past, does he just run down his WWE contract and take his talents elsewhere? Or does he actually stick around and settle for a bit part character-only role?

My guess is that whatever he chooses to do, it's definitely not going to be as an active competitor in the WWE again.

And here's why.

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#1 Derails Roman Reigns' push

There is no doubt who is more over...

I think it's safe to say that it's all hands on deck for Project Roman in the WWE right now, with the think tank pulling out all the stops to ensure that he gets over good before his eventual ascension to the throne at WrestleMania 34.

Why on earth will they want to shoot themselves in the foot by letting Daniel Bryan wrestle again at this sensitive period of time?

In fact, it was pretty obvious that the prime reason why Vince McMahon didn't clear him to wrestle and forced him to retire the first time around was that he was much more over than Reigns even then.

And although he hasn't laced up a pair of wrestling boot since, that still hasn't changed.

If Daniel Bryan wrestles again in the WWE, whatever little momentum Reigns has gathered of late will also evaporate completely.

And the WWE absolutely don't want that.

#2 WWE's stand on CTE

WWE much rather not risk Daniel Bryan suffering more concussions

WWE is dead serious about concussions and head trauma, especially after they attracted all kinds of negative press having been sued by a large number of their former employees about providing 'unsafe' working conditions.

And this apparently led to them taking a very stringent stand in the case of Daniel Bryan too, repeatedly not clearing him for in-ring action despite him being given the green signal by other doctors.

Although talk has arisen of him wanting to wrestle again, it would seem that history is repeating itself yet again. He's been cleared by a number of independent doctors but not the WWE ones.

And if I had to hazard a guess, he likely won't be either.

#3 Daniel Bryan's rise threatens WWE

These two men represent something very dangerous to the WWE - success against the machine

Daniel Bryan, while insanely popular and over, on one hand, is WWE's worst nightmare on the other.

We all know that the whole 'B+ player' angle that they worked with him did borrow considerably off reality as Bryan just didn't fit the mould of a Superstar that Vince McMahon likes, and yet forced the hand of the WWE to push him.

The last thing the WWE wants is that scenario to repeat itself again.

Whether we like it or not, there is a very real glass ceiling for wrestlers like Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura in the WWE.

And they certainly don't want that being blown off by anyone, anytime soon.

#4 Curtails their booking options

The WWE knows better than to book Daniel Bryan weakly

Given how popular Daniel Bryan is, there is really not much the WWE can do other than keep him in the main event scene.

And because of a plethora of reasons ranging from Roman Reigns to Vince's dislike of smaller wrestlers, there's nothing to suggest that they will do that.

Hence, they will probably end up in a fix...not being happy with how much thunder he will steal from the Superstars that Vince wants to push but at the same time, risk losing the fans if they keep booking him as a mid-carder too.

With the number of problems that WWE creative is dealing with now, this is probably one they're pretty happy to avoid altogether.

#5 He'll want to ply his trade elsewhere

A young Daniel Bryan and Kenny Omega arm wrestle

Even if the WWE finally caves into his pressure and lets Daniel Bryan back into the ring as an active competitor, who's to say that they won't rescind their blessings at the slightest hint of an injury?

Bryan has had a history of getting injured as he works a 100mph style with no chill whatsoever...and he - better than anyone else - would know just how much he's struggled to get the WWE to let him wrestle again.

But considering that D-Bry desperately wants to wrestle again, it makes complete sense for him to just run down his WWE contract, which ends sometime in 2018, and ply his trade elsewhere.

Every other promotion in the world (read NJPW) would love to have him and don't tell me that you won't drop whatever you're doing to watch Daniel Bryan take on Kenny Omega.

I know I would.