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What's the story?
According to a rumour that was broken by The Dirty Sheets, WWE actually approached Daniel Bryan about competing at WrestleMania 34. However, it seems that it would not be a competitive match and Bryan wouldn't be allowed to take bumps, according to rumours.
Bryan did not wish to compete in such a match and turned the offer down. We were super close to seeing the best wrestler of our generation in the ring yet another time!
In case you didn't know...
Daniel Bryan was perhaps the most popular superstar of the modern era before he was forced to retire prematurely because of the injuries he sustained through his career.
He decided to stay on as the SmackDown Live General Manager, making matches on screen, staying away from the in-ring action.
He's been at odds with SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon in recent times, and it was assumed by fans that if cleared, McMahon and Bryan would compete at WrestleMania.
The heart of the matter
As per the rumour, the nature of the match that was laid out did not really appeal to Daniel Bryan. Bryan is obviously a superstar who takes a lot of pride in his in-ring work, and to be a part of a match where he did not take bumps was not an appealing prospect.
It is not known what the nature of the match was, but one can assume that a lot of smoke and mirrors must have been involved. We'll have to wait to see Daniel Bryan in action again.
What's next?
It'll be interesting to see where Daniel Bryan goes when his contract runs out. NJPW or ROH would love to hire him as their top star and book him as a top-tier talent. Bryan has maintained that as a father, he'll make a judicious call, so one has to wait and see if he does indeed hang up his boots.
Author's take
Man, I really feel for Daniel Bryan. For someone as gifted as him to not be able to compete is near criminal, in my opinion.
I'm fairly certain that we'll see him compete again, just not in WWE.
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