– Before he decided to retire following the medical update he got last week, Daniel Bryan was considering working with ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The WON reports that Bryan was considering working with one of the two promotions if he wasn’t cleared for a WWE return. As previously noted, Bryan had reportedly asked for his release and was denied.

Bryan was said to be not concerned about the differences in his WWE contract and what he would make from bookings, and felt he could help pro wrestling as a whole by using his star power to help promote the smaller companies. There were also reports of Bryan studying CMLL pretty heavily to the point that he was growing his hair for a potential “hair versus mask” match at an anniversary show. Bryan had suggested the possibility of an indie run in interviews last year if he couldn’t get cleared by WWE.

I don't think those products would have been a good fit for his health. Even in WWE he just takes it too far to try entertain people every week.

No product in general is good for his health. He flat out told the world that his brain is way worse than he thought. I am sure these considerations and options were made before he retired on monday - and for good reasons, he simply did not realize how bad he has gotten. Brain Trauma is nothing short of absolute certain irreversible damage for life. The studies and discoveries of it in the last 20 years has been astounding and is very blunt. Unfortunately it does not get better by simply halting physical and consequential activity. Bryan can suffer from sever bouts of depression, suicidal tendencies, memory loss, mobility issues and so and so on. By the tone and nature of his abrupt retirement, it would seem he knows - and wanted people to know - that he is or has entered stages of irreversible damage, and he hasn't even been wrestling.

Bryan is very smart and noble and would not want to put that on anyone else at this point. Not his wife; his family; or the fans. Took a lot of courage to do what he did in all honestly, he could have been selfish and said its his life and his body and etc... but from all varying accounts, Bryan is one of the goods guys.

It sucks that he retired, but this way he can live the rest of his life comfortably. He got to wrestle for 16 years and kick ass at it, and now it's his time to rest.

Bryan thought he was fine and every doctor until January said he was fine. The doctor in NY whose findings convinced him to retire didn't tell him he had to retire. Bryan made a decision with complete information and I'm happy for him.

I think he could have done very, very well in CMLL, NJPW, and ROH and the schedule probably would have been fine. Bryan would have been the unquestioned top star and could have negotiated his way into only doing major shows. During this whole process, Bryan suggested he pitched to WWE the idea of only doing matches every so often and seeing his neurologist in-between matches. I think he would have stuck to that had he ended up on the indies, and probably worked 10 or so matches a year.