Why NJPW Might Not Be An Option For Daniel Bryan When His WWE Contract Expires

Daniel Bryan was forced to retire last year after WWE doctors wouldn’t clear him for an in ring return, but Bryan hasn’t fully committed to retirement, as the SmackDown Live General Manager has said he’s considered returning to the ring after his WWE contract expires.

Since WWE won’t clear him, that means Daniel Bryan will have to look elsewhere for work, and NJPW seems like it would be a perfect fit for Bryan. However, Dave Meltzer recently noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Bryan could run into issues getting cleared by NJPW as well (via ProWrestling.com).

“If you have a concussion [in New Japan] it’s the same thing: they keep you out, there’s no questions asked, and they don’t put you back in until you pass the testing. Now, do they have the same stuff as they do here? Our stuff, we use the stuff that Joseph Maroon did with the impact testing, and whatever they do [in Japan] is probably the same. But when guys have concussions in Japan they’re usually out for a while.”

Daniel Bryan’s future remains unclear, but he hasn’t been shy about letting the world know he wants to wrestle again. A few months ago during an interview, Bryan said he is “working on” returning to the ring.

“I’m working on it,” said Bryan. “Wrestling is more of a creative outlet, and especially for somebody like me, I view it as my creative outlet. Not all WWE superstars and not all wrestlers view it that way, but that’s how I view it and that’s one of the ways my mind works creatively.”

Even though Bryan has made it clear he wants to wrestle again, an in ring return for the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion is far from guaranteed, as he has to put his health first now that he has a child to worry about.

One way or another we’ll just have to wait and see what happens when he becomes a free agent.