Who replaces Daniel Bryan on the WWE Roster?
Who will carry the torch now?The wrestling world is still in shock over the announcement that WWE’s Daniel Bryan retired from the business Monday night on Raw. Word came down from WWE’s website early in the afternoon and spread like a wildfire in a dry California forest. “The Little Engine That Could” of professional wrestling had been halted by injuries, not by will or determination.What does WWE do now? The company that had portrayed itself to be so anti-Bryan in promos and programs and storylines now is faced with the fact he is not coming back, that the “Yes!” movement will take a detour and another marketing concept will take a hit. More importantly, fans won’t have the opportunity to see the “American Dragon” in a ring doing what he loves more than almost anything on this planet.Although it is “sudden” with this kind of news, I cannot say I am shocked as much as I thought I would be. I am more saddened than anything else. Bryan is every man. He is the against-all-odds winner, the man who makes it happen, the guy who portrays “Rudy” on screen and has us hoping for one more great match.Now, we have to channel or feelings and emotions in the direction of another – someone else who must carry the torch. WWE must find its inner Miyagi somewhere in the bottom of a desk drawer or on the bleak company roster. There has to be a passing of the torch, a moment where one wrestler stops and another starts. It was supposed to be that way from The Rock to John Cena, Ric Flair to Sting and to some extent, John Cena to Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan.There has to be a connection with the fans, one that fills a void. WWE still has been searching for that since Edge retired due to injury and is still waiting for someone to take the reins and run with it.With that said, there has to be a “new” movement within the company and only a few can lead the charge. These wrestlers could be ones counted on to take Bryan’s spot on WWE’s main event stage.
#5 Sami Zayn
WWE fans erupted in Orlando when Zayn came out from the back at the Royal Rumble and true to form, he battled with Kevin Owens.
Could that be part of another huge program in WWE? We all hope so. The Canadian star would be ideal in the Bryan role and could challenge for one of the mid-card belts. Zayn would be a definite plus to the current state of the WWE roster.