Daniel Bryan WWE contract expired following SmackDown defeat

Fightful Select broke news late Tuesday evening about Daniel Bryan and his WWE contract status. According to the report, Bryan’s contract expired or was set to expire last week, corresponding with his defeat to Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown.

As of this time, Bryan has not spoken out about the status of his deal directly. He has made it clear that he is in the final phases of his career and believes that there’s value in WWE wrestlers performing outside of the promotion.

The report does not mention anything happening backstage that would indicate that Bryan is leaving the promotion. As of this time, it is unknown if there are plans for him to work for the company without an established contract, or if he will re-sign soon.

On April 29, Bryan did an interview with TV Line which hinted at the idea of Reigns being his last opponent on the SmackDown brand and within the company. During that interview, there was a particular question about Bryan’s contract ending in September. Yet, Bryan did not confirm nor deny that was the actual end date.

“It’s funny that people gravitate towards the date “September,” and I think it’s because that’s when my last contract ended, but it doesn’t end in September,” Bryan said while speaking to Keisha Hatchett. “But I also need to be respectful of the people who are relying on me to go to work. I must give them an answer sooner rather than later. I am trying to figure that out, trying to be responsible as an employee of somebody who has taken care of our family very well. But then also, trying to take the time to figure it out.”

This was surprising news after an action-packed edition of NXT. After Bryan’s defeat at the hands of Reigns, many suspected that he could be in for a run on the black and yellow brand, but developments are much bigger than that. While that may not be totally out of the picture, it will be intriguing to see what happens next.

Think back to 2018 when Chris Jericho was appearing on both New Japan cards, WWE shows in Saudi Arabia, and Raw 25, then hopping back over to New Japan months later. It was a heck of a run that led into AEW and the opening of the “Forbidden Door” seen today. Could professional wrestling fans be in for something similar with Daniel Bryan? That is still unknown, but the speculation surrounding his next moves after the expiration of this contract will be felt throughout the industry.