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WWE Network Special Report
“WWE 24: Daniel Bryan”
Premiered March 28, 2016
Aired on WWE Network
Kicking off WrestleMania Week, WWE aired a 40-minute documentary on Daniel Bryan’s final night as a WWE wrestler from the February 8 Raw in his home market of Seattle.
The documentary started with Bryan and Brie Bella arriving at the building for Raw. Bryan talked to a first-person camera about wanting to be a pro wrestler ever since first grade, starting the story of how Bryan overcame obstacles to become a top WWE star.
Seth Rollins talked about heroes growing up, including Daniel Bryan. Paul Heyman said Bryan was a fan on the front row who happened to have the ability to have the best match on the card. Chris Jericho said he was the best at one time. Corey Graves said Bryan made everyone feel like “that’s my guy.” A.J. Styles said Bryan showed everyone that it’s not about size. John Cena said he turned an industry upside down. “There’s a really small group of people who can do that,” Cena said.
Bryan said in the talking head: “I wasn’t really ready to be done. I’m still not ready to be done.”
The documentary went back a few days to Vince McMahon asking him to do his retirement on Raw in Seattle. Bryan said he wasn’t ready, but Brie said he should do it in Seattle, otherwise it wouldn’t have the same effect.
WWE showed Bryan entering the building, walking past surprised New Day, and sitting down in his locker room. WWE then interviewed wrestlers outside the building about Bryan retiring tonight. Darren Young, Chris Jericho, Zack Ryder, and Becky Lynch talked about being bummed out for Bryan.
In a surprising scene, Kane, as Glenn Jacobs, talked about his immediate reaction of sadness for Bryan. Kevin Owens said he was selfishly upset that he did not get a chance to wrestle Bryan in WWE. Seth said it was hard for him to see his friend give up what he loves. Triple H said it was devastating for Bryan. “It was a tough day,” Hunter said.
WWE cut to Hunter, Bryan, and Brie talking in the hallway about his retirement speech coming closer. Bryan hugged Ric Flair, who said it’s hard to say good-bye and talked about crying through his retirement speech. Bryan said in the first-person that it’s not like he’s never going to see these guys again, but it won’t be the same since he won’t be a wrestler.
WWE cut to Bryan talking to Mark Henry inside the arena, where Bryan noted everyone is hoping he’s pulling a “Mark Henry” with the fake retirement turning into an angle. Henry smiled as he recalled his fake promo in the memorable salmon-colored suit. In the talking head, Bryan credited Henry for getting behind him in the early days of his WWE run at a time when Henry had no reason to get behind him. “That was one of my favorite things,” Bryan said of Henry.
WWE went back to WrestleMania 30 at the Superdome when Bryan accomplished his WWE Title goal in the main event of WrestleMania. Triple H recalled standing in the ring with Stephanie and telling her to look around at the stadium doing “Yes!” chants. Styles talked about everyone being excited for Bryan because everyone wanted to be in his position. Cole said when Bryan won the WWE World Title in the main event, there was a rush in the stadium that he had never felt before. Heyman said the conductor finished his symphony and everyone was celebrating with him.
Bryan recalled seeing Connor the Crusher on the front row during his WrestleMania celebration. Bryan noted Mania is a long show for any kid, especially for a kid who is sick, but Connor was excited to greet him after the match. “That is really special and also makes you think about in that moment what is important,” Bryan said. Bryan said that was the first time many of his family members saw him at WrestleMania. Styles said it was an amazing story seeing what he went through to get there. Kane said he was really happy for Bryan and it was gratifying as a friend of Bryan Danielson to see him experience that.
WWE cut to Bryan and Brie backstage celebrating the title victory with colleagues of different ages and experience on the spectrum. Bryan said WM30 was very special for him and his family. “I will never forget that,” Bryan said.
Bryan talked about main-eventing WrestleMania being his career highlight and marrying Brie Bella being his personal highlight. He recalled getting back from the honeymoon and finding out that his dad died. Bryan said it was the best two weeks of his life followed by the worst week of his life with his dad dying and Connor dying. He said his dad got him more than anyone else on his planet. “Bryan and his dad were best friends,” Brie said.
WWE cut to Raw in Seattle showing Bryan’s family arriving at his locker room for his retirement speech. Bryan said he thinks his dad would be really sad for his career ending, but also happy that he can begin life after wrestling.
Bryan went back to post-WM30 when he was forced to have neck surgery and give up the WWE World Title. Bryan went back to June 2013 when he went for a suicide dive on Randy Orton when he injured his neck and Triple H stopped the match. Bryan recalled not being able to move his arms after he went into the ringside barrier. Bryan said his pride got in the way of his thinking and he stomped back through the curtain ready to fight whoever stopped the match. He said it got him even more upset that Triple H stopped his match when he finished a match with a broken quad.
Bryan recalled Dr. Chris Amann giving him his options of how to handle the neck situation. If he got a certain surgery, he definitely would not have made WrestleMania 30. Bryan fast-forwarded to post-WM30 when he lost his dad, Connor, the title, and his health. He said he was working hard at physical therapy trying to to get feeling back in his body.
Kevin Owens talked about Bryan going to the Performance Center to work out. Bryan said it took him eight months to finally get cleared, then he won the IC Title at WM31. Then, things got sticky when he got a concussion.
Bryan said he suffered the initial concussion at the Smackdown TV taping in Texas in early April, shortly after WrestleMania. Bryan then wrestled again on the post-WM31 European Tour. Brie recalled meeting up with Bryan on the tour and seeing in his eyes and hearing him talk that he had a concussion. “In my heart, I thought, ‘This is probably it,'” Brie said.
WWE went to May 2015 when D-Bryan was forced to give up the IC Title belt because of his concussion.
Back to Seattle. Bryan said Brie made him promise that the next time he has a concussion, he has to come clean on all of his concussion issues. Included was Bryan having four post-concussion seizures during his career. Bryan said there was nothing in his brain MRIs, but Dr. Maroon was not comfortable clearing him. Bryan said his concussion specialist said he was okay, so Bryan wanted to see a third specialist.
Triple H spoke that Vince McMahon felt it was his responsibility to protect Bryan. Hunter said their medical experts believed Bryan should not wrestle, Bryan did not want to accept that, he understood it from a talent perspective, and they gave him the chance to seek out other medical opinions.
WWE showed Bryan visiting the UCLA Medical Center for an exam. He said UCLA cleared him, but Dr. Maroon still could not clear him in good conscious. So, Bryan said he would get as many people to test him as possible to build a case that he should be able to wrestle again.
Brie talked about Bryan going to New York to visit super specialists who do deeper testing than neurologists. Not discussed is whether the science is accurate. Bryan said he ended up getting a test that showed a lesion in a part of his brain that linked to his seizures. Hunter said that became more than just an opinion, but rock-solid information about the condition of his brain.
Brie said Bryan walked in the room and he started crying so hard after getting the information. Brie recalled Bryan saying that he does not want to retire, but he knows he has to. So, Bryan called McMahon to have him flown to Raw TV so he could retire.
From Seattle Raw, Bryan said that Brie reminded him that wrestling is important, but it’s not the only thing. Bryan said they want to start having babies soon, so he has to think long-term about being a father. Bryan said he can’t give his children a good life if he can’t be there for his family. “How special he was in the ring is how special he will be in his next life,” Brie said.
Back to Bryan backstage at Raw. Bryan knocked on Vince McMahon’s office door and walked in where Michael Hayes was hanging out. Vince gave him an open mic and as much time as he wanted, just as long as he closed on the “Yes!” chant. Vince asked for a hug and told him he would see him at Gorilla position.
Bryan was shown hugging Bubba Ray, Natalya, Kevin Owens, and Paul Heyman, who said the atmosphere was good because Bryan was upbeat about what was going to happen. In a talking head, Rollins said he was sad that he could not be at Raw to give Bryan a hug.
A.J. Styles said he had to talk to Bryan about him changing the game to make an opening for someone like him. Bryan said he felt sad that people like Rollins and Cesaro were not at Raw because of their injury situations. “I’ve spent a lot of my adult life with them,” Bryan said.
Brie talked about the crowd chanting Daniel Bryan’s name throughout the whole night as they hung out in the back. Bryan talked in the talking head about Mark Henry giving him a big hug right before he went out to the ring for his speech. Owens and Cody Rhodes also talked to him. Bryan said it was really hard for him since he was trying to get in a zone and not cry before going out to the ring.
WWE cut to Bryan walking through the curtain to his music and soaking up the crowd reaction in his home market. WWE showed the arena-wide “Yes!” chants as Brie, Henry, and New Day watched Bryan at the Gorilla position. WWE cut to highlights of Bryan’s retirement speech and everyone watching backstage. Heath Slater was shown crying and Hunter was shown holding back tears. They cut to Roman Reigns with a smile on his face listening to Bryan.
WWE showed Bryan getting emotional pointing out the spot in the arena where his dad stood and watched the Seattle crowd “hi-jack” Raw with “Yes!” chants. They cut to a shot of Cody Rhodes backstage tearing up, obviously thinking about Dusty. The footage closed with Bryan leading the crowd in “Yes!” chants one more time.
Then, Brie Bella came through the curtain to embrace Bryan in the ring. Brie said it felt like her wedding day being in the ring with Bryan. Triple H said he doesn’t think Bryan could have given a more perfect “thank you, I’m done” speech. Seth said he kept his tears inside until Brie came through the curtain and he lost it at that point. Cesaro called it one of the most emotional segments he’s seen.
Bryan said he gave Vince a hug on the stage, but he just wanted to get through the curtain because he was about to lose it. (There was Titus O’Neil moments away from getting suspended for grabbing Vince on the stage.) Brie said Bryan fell to the ground and said he just did not know how to react and feel after the speech and the emotions of the day.
Bryan said the wound is so fresh and he needs some space from wrestling after ending it on that note. WWE cut to Bryan and Brie driving away from the building as fans chanted “Yes!” for their exit. Bryan said it was a “very unique day that I will not soon forget.”
WWE cut to first-person “thank you” messages from the roster including Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Sami Zayn, The Miz, Cody Rhodes, Triple H, Kane, Corey Graves, Kevin Owens, and John Cena, who said Bryan brought out the best in him. Then, Michael Cole, various fans and kids, A.J. Styles, Cesaro, New Day, Mark Henry, Seth Rollins, and Brie to close.
Bryan said he is thankful for so many things. They showed clips of Bryan’s career from in the ring and behind the scenes. Bryan said there aren’t enough words to thank the audience for their support. “It wasn’t me who made Yes’ing cool, it was the fans who made it cool. I really thank them for that,” Bryan said. Bryan said he is thankful for meeting his wife through WWE.
WWE closed with a final shot of Bryan standing tall at WM30 in New Orleans as WWE World Hvt. champion. “Thank you,” he said in a voice-over to end the documentary.
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