Undersized, outmuscled and lacking the seemingly requisite tan, Daniel Bryan, though obviously talented, didn't appear to have the skill set needed to survive in wrestling's major leagues. While his gift for constructing incredible matches in the ring guaranteed him a spot on the roster, he was relegated to the middle of the card. An immense talent—but one too flawed to make the perilous climb to the top.
But a funny thing happened on his path to being just another guy. Along the way, Bryan managed to connect with fans in a way few have in the modern history of the industry. Routinely, night after night, Bryan received the most consistently positive response, bigger, louder and more robust even than wrestlers presented as much bigger deals on television.
In time, WWE took note. At WrestleMania 30, Bryan triumphed against all odds, in both storyline and real life, to become WWE champion.
In May of 2014, however, just as his story was getting started, Bryan was forced out of action with a lingering neck injury. A surgery that was supposed to keep him on the shelf for eight weeks kept him at home for eight long months instead.
On Thursday, he makes his much anticipated return to Syfy, main eventing WWE SmackDown as the popular cable show moves to a new night. Bleacher Report caught up with him for an exclusive interview about what exactly happened and what is to come.
Bleacher Report: Wrestling fans rarely agree about anything. But I think, to a fan, everyone believes it's pretty great to have you back. Are you as excited as we are?
Daniel Bryan: I'm so excited (laughs). You know, I don't remember being this excited in a very, very long time. There's nothing I love more than getting in the ring and wrestling. And it's been a long, long eight months being out. I can't wait to come back.
B/R: I remember hearing you were going to be out for a couple of months. And then all of the sudden, a couple of months turned into eight months and even rumors you'd never return at all. It sounds like quite a journey. Can you walk me through how we ended up where we are today, with you returning to SmackDown this Thursday?
Bryan: It actually happened in the summer of 2013. I was in a match with Randy Orton and did a suicide dive out of the ring and missed. My head hit the guardrail, and I felt a shooting pain go down my arm.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329304-big-show-has-much-more-value-to-wwe-in-a-speaking-role
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