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WWE: Why Daniel Bryan’s Return Has Been A Success So Far

By Trace Johnson

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Everybody loves a good underdog story and no superstar in WWE history has thrived in that role more than Daniel Bryan, one of the most talented performers of a generation and someone who’s made a career on proving doubters wrong.

The WWE has never seen a superstar quite like what Daniel Bryan has been over the years.  His rise to super-stardom has been as unexpected as any in the history of pro wrestling, but just when it seemed like there was no slowing down The Yes Man, fate struck.

Bryan’s history of injury woes caught up to him in 2014 after his crowning achievement of main eventing WrestleMania 30 and capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  He came back months later and even won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31, but another injury setback sidelined him again.

But this time it appeared to be permanent and in early-2016, Bryan announced his retirement from in-ring competition.  He would become the new SmackDown GM a few months later and remained in that role until just a few weeks before WrestleMania 34 earlier this year when the seemingly unthinkable took place.

After months of speculation, it was officially announced that Bryan was cleared to return to in-ring competition by WWE doctors and several other world-renowned doctors.  It was a long time coming and it seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream just two years earlier, but The Yes Man was back.

It became a reality when he was victorious alongside Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 34 against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in Bryan’s first match in close to three years.  Bryan resigned from being the blue brand’s GM following WrestleMania 34 and has since returned to a full-time competitor once again.

It was nothing short of miraculous to see Bryan back in a WWE ring competing again, but he has made a career of doing the unthinkable.  Whether it was rising from the perception of being a B-plus player to becoming the most popular superstar in pro wrestling or coming back from an apparent career-ending injury, Bryan thrives on overcoming the odds.

But despite Bryan being back as a full-time wrestler, many fans have not been pleased with how his return has gone up to this point.  Some believe it has been underwhelming so far and that sentiment was even brought into a storyline on the July 17 edition of SmackDown when The Miz called his return a flop.

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Of course, that was just storyline based, but there are fans that feel the same way.  However, the notion that Bryan’s return has been a flop so far couldn’t be farther from the truth.  First of all, seeing Bryan wrestling in a ring again is a success story in itself, but what he has done so far, in a relatively under the radar manner, has been superb when you think about it.

His performance at WrestleMania 34 was solid and he came out looking like his old self.  That trend continued in the coming weeks and he had one of the best TV matches of the year so far against AJ Styles on the April 10 edition of SmackDown.  His first real feud after coming back was against the now departed Big Cass and despite most fans not buying into it, he made the most out of it.

The two pay-per-view matches Bryan and Cass had at Backlash and Money In The Bank were undoubtedly the best singles matches Cass had in the WWE.  And given how Cass was often criticized for his lack of in-ring talent, Bryan definitely brought out the best in him and made him look far better than he actually is at this stage of his career, which has since taken a rough turn.

Bryan has bounced around with other superstars on SmackDown in addition to his feud with Big Cass, having standout matches against the likes of Big E, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, and Rusev.  And just when you thought the inevitable feud with The Miz was ready to roll, an impromptu Team Hell No reunion with Kane shook things up.

The two had a few weeks of memorable TV before their SmackDown Tag Team Championship opportunity at Extreme Rules against The Bludgeon Brothers.  Team Hell No did lose that match, however, and appears as if it might be over with Kane currently kayfabe injured.

But if the most recent edition of SmackDown told us anything, we could be in for that sought-after Bryan vs. Miz match everyone has wanted over the past couple years, but thought would never happen.  No matter if Team Hell No has any life left currently or not, Bryan will have big plans for SummerSlam next month and could tangle with The Miz at the biggest party of the summer.

Simply put, the chatter that Bryan’s return has been unsuccessful so far is nonsense.  Some might feel that he should be doing more, but think about it for a second.  What made Bryan’s WrestleMania 30 triumph so great in the first place?  The long, slow buildup to get to that point.  The same thing has been happening lately, but he has still been a prominent member of the Tuesday night roster.

The WWE is playing his return smart so far by not rushing into another world title reign right off the bat.  It will make it that much sweeter when he does win the WWE Championship again.  And just think, the close defeats he has taken so far will be the storytelling catalyst for his eventual return to glory.

Next: WWE SummerSlam 2018 Match Card Predictions

Bright days are ahead for The Yes Man and seeing what the WWE has in store for him in the coming months will be very exciting and could add another memorable chapter to one of the greatest comeback stories in WWE history.

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