From the WWE Rumor Mill: Daniel Bryan must undergo extensive concussion tests after every match
What's the story?
Daniel Bryan is allowed to compete inside a WWE ring again and I'm sure I'm not the only one who shed a tear during the speech he gave to open SmackDown, and absolutely marked out at him taking an Apron Powerbomb at the end. However, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has revealed some of the extreme lengths Bryan has to go through to be allowed to wrestle again.
In case you didn't know...
Before SmackDown Live the WWE released the incredible news that Daniel Bryan was cleared to compete again. By the time SmackDown Live had finished Bryan had hit Sami Zayn with a German Suplex, hit his running Turnbuckle Dropkicks and looked incredible doing so.
The heart of the matter
Those following Bryan's story closely will know he's already worked incredibly hard and gone to great lengths to prove he's fit to return to active competition following his forced retirement three years ago. He's undergone hyperbaric chamber treatment, consulted with several doctors and fought every step of the way.
Now Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has revealed that Bryan has also agreed to an extraordinary step as a condition of WWE allowing him to wrestle again.
The only difference between him and every other wrestler on the roster is that part of his agreement when getting WWE to send him to leading neurologists of Maroon's choosing to get evaluated, is that he agreed, after every match, until WWE was comfortable that he was okay, he would go to the WWE doctors backstage and get Impact testing and a neuropsychological evaluation done.
As you can see, every time Bryan sets foot inside a ring, he must be extensively tested afterward until the WWE are satisfied there's no actual risk to his health.
What's next?
Bryan was stretchered out of SmackDown Live to close the show, but I'd expect the plan is for him to team with his fellow authority figure Shane McMahon to get revenge on their troublesome talent Owens and Zayn at WrestleMania.
Author's take
Both John Cena and Brie Bella have gone on record recently saying they hope that people will realize the full extent of the work and effort Bryan has put in to get to this point and this sure does support their statements.