Daniel Bryan says WWE gave him no choice but to return as Smackdown GM

In an interview with the Associated Press, Daniel Bryan said WWE didn’t really give him a choice and after they offered him the Smackdown General Manager job, he had to show up because he’s under contract.

With two years left on his current WWE deal, Bryan said that despite everything, he is treated fairly by the company and doesn’t think they are keeping him away from wrestling on purpose.

“There are times I just get all worked up and I’m like, I need to call them and I’m just going to ask for my release,” he said, adding that if he didn’t have a family, he would have pushed harder to get out of his deal and go wrestle somewhere else. “Because it’s what I love to do. But, it becomes different when you have a wife and you’re trying to have kids.”

Bryan said that WWE has not changed their position over him wrestling again. “You can see it from their point of view. If something happens to me…and then they let me back in the ring, and something happens to me, even if these other doctors say I’m cleared, they’re not the ones who the media will blame,” he told the Associated Press.

When the AP asked WWE for comments regarding the story, WWE replied, “WWE determined it is not in the best interest of Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan) to continue as an in-ring performer.”