What’s the story?
Ever since the birth of his daughter, Birdie Joe, Daniel Bryan has been off television on paternity leave, tending to his wife and newborn child. If the Cageside Seats rumour section is any indication, that the timeline for his return is unclear as yet.
In case you didn’t know...
Birdie Joe was welcomed into the world in the dying seconds of May 9th, to much goodwill from the entire pro wrestling fraternity. Daniel Bryan, who serves as the General Manager of SmackDown Live, left his on-screen duties to be with Brie during the delivery.
The heart of the matter
Daniel Bryan's hiatus from WWE television programming has meant that Shane McMahon has been forced to bear the mantle of authority figure all by himself on SmackDown Live. To his credit, however, he has stuck to the task and Bryan’s absence hasn’t been felt all that much.
However, this could give the WWE Universe the chance to acclimatise themselves to the fact that he isn’t around, as Bryan did tease on Talking Smack that he may be exploring life outside of the WWE once his contract is up in 2018.
Also read: 5 things Daniel Bryan needs to switch up in WWE
What’s next?
Daniel Bryan’s return date is not confirmed as of now, although logic would dictate that anytime after Money in the Bank could be a possible timeline for his return. Although he isn’t part of any concrete storyline on SmackDown Live, just seeing him in and around the show has been a welcome sight for fans.
Author’s take
If Daniel Bryan is taking some time off for being with his family, it is a right that he has earned. And it is also heartening to note that the WWE doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, allowing him to take as much time as he needs.
One hopes, however, that he will be back on television sooner than later.
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