WWE Wrestler Daniel Bryan Retires after New Concussion Test

[The Carlisle]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2614998-daniel-bryan-retires-latest-comments-and-reaction
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/14749702/wwe-superstar-daniel-bryan-leaves-lasting-legacy
https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Due to medical reasons, effective immediately, I am announcing my retirement. Tonight on Raw, I'll have a chance to elaborate. #gratitude

Daniel Bryan is widely beloved by fans and is regarded as the most popular wrestler in the modern era. This news came to a shock to most fans who thought he would return to the ring after two successful concussion exams. But after a new test in New York, one using a more modern procedure, he finally decided to retire. His brain was more injured than expected and, wanting to build a family and good future, decided to hang the trunks up (or in his case shave the beard).

For those of you who are fans, I'm sure we are all sharing our pain but giving respects to the great man and wishing him a great future out of the ring. For those of you who aren't, well there is another matter for you to indulge and debate.

Daniel's retirement sheds new light on the matter of concussions in contact sports, such as MMA and American Football. The test he took showed more damage that previous tests didn't show and his decision to retire shows the seriousness of this damage. This test could change the face of contact sports forever. It's a given that most contact sports athletes have received a concussion before, but how much damage has been done to their brains? Would players consider retiring early to save their minds? How will sports team owners deal with players when they are in effect risking their mental health? Will there be more safety and rules to deal with head injuries?

In pro wrestling, at least, its easy to mitigate head injuries. Being more show than sports, they can avoid head shots and moves that attack the head. But MMA? When one of the ways to win is to knock your opponent out (give them a concussion), you can't avoid it. And how will American Football handle it?

In this way, another chapter in the history of concussions has been added, and I'm not sure how contact sports are gonna deal with this.

So, what say ye NSG? Ban contact sports forever ?

[Dahon]

Yes, I remember that guy! Was a pro wrestling fan, still watch from time to time.

So he's retiring? Shit happens, but at least he won't be a Chris Benoit.

[Eastern Equestria]

Mfw

[The Serbian Empire]

He has made a good decision. I know if I were in his shoes, I'd retire.

[Nariterrr]

Mixed feelings on this. Don't know what to think.

[The Black Forrest]

who?

[Gauthier]

Yes, I remember that guy! Was a pro wrestling fan, still watch from time to time.

So he's retiring? Shit happens, but at least he won't be a Chris Benoit.

Hopefully.

[The Lone Alliance]

It's a pity cause for the couple years I actually bothered to watch I grew to like him, but I understand concussions are no joke.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

If I was him, upon the news of brain damage, I would retire as well.

[The Archregimancy]

who?

Or even 'what?'

There's a serious discussion to be had about the role of concussion in modern sport - one that could usefully include rugby (union and league), Australian Rules football, boxing, American and Canadian football, ice hockey, and other sports with a strong contact component and a reasonably widespread appeal and/or international profile.

But attempting to hold that discussion on the basis of the retirement of some obscure proponent of a form of (no doubt athletic) professional theatre with a fairly limited global demographic may not be the best way of initiating said discussion.

[Gauthier]

who?

Or even 'what?'

There's a serious discussion to be had about the role of concussion in modern sport - one that could usefully include rugby (union and league), Australian Rules football, boxing, American and Canadian football, ice hockey, and other sports with a strong contact component and a reasonably widespread appeal and/or international profile.

But attempting to hold that discussion on the basis of the retirement of some obscure proponent of a form of (no doubt athletic) professional theatre with a fairly limited global demographic may not be the best way of initiating said discussion.

So discussing an issue like concussion should be limited to subjects with international recognition rather than those that a fair number of people are familiar with then?

[Neu California]

who?

Or even 'what?'

There's a serious discussion to be had about the role of concussion in modern sport - one that could usefully include rugby (union and league), Australian Rules football, boxing, American and Canadian football, ice hockey, and other sports with a strong contact component and a reasonably widespread appeal and/or international profile.

But attempting to hold that discussion on the basis of the retirement of some obscure proponent of a form of (no doubt athletic) professional theatre with a fairly limited global demographic may not be the best way of initiating said discussion.

You can add motorsports to that list, believe it or not. Dario Franchitti had to retire after his third major concussion, for example, because a fourth would likely render him disabled or dead and many NASCAR drivers have reported having concussions (and then racing anyway). The concussions there aren't nearly as common, but they're far more severe than those in other sports. I'm a big motorsports fan, I should point out

[The Carlisle]

who?

Or even 'what?'

There's a serious discussion to be had about the role of concussion in modern sport - one that could usefully include rugby (union and league), Australian Rules football, boxing, American and Canadian football, ice hockey, and other sports with a strong contact component and a reasonably widespread appeal and/or international profile.

But attempting to hold that discussion on the basis of the retirement of some obscure proponent of a form of (no doubt athletic) professional theatre with a fairly limited global demographic may not be the best way of initiating said discussion.

I brought this case up because its recent and uses a newer method off EEG to examine the brain for concussion damages. Given that he had an MRI test and an EEG before this and was cleared for all of it, the fact that this EEG showed damages not seen before is surprising. Who knows what this new method would mean to athletes who suffered concussions and better show the extent of their damages?

Also, pro wrestling still has a wide appeal in Japan, Mexico and the USA, with the biggest circuit stationed and operating in the latter. Not to mention the growing independent scene in western nations like the UK and Germany. Regardless, I don't see how a sports/shows international appeal in anyway matters to this recent concussion case.

[Napkiraly]

I don't know who he is, but it's always a shame when an athlete is forced to retire early as a result of injuries.

Concussions are a major problem for contact sports. For hockey and gridiron football, there have been advancements in helmet design and enforcing proper tackling technique to cut down on this. Of course, it won't completely eliminate the problem but that goes with the kind of sport we are dealing with. For pro-wrestling, the only way I can see it changing to reduce the frequency of concussions and other head injuries is by reforming techniques and their execution, unless fans are fine with the wrestlers also wearing a helmet.

I know of a guy in the Winnipeg High School Football League, not my school but a different one, who was forced to stop playing football and other contact sports at the age of 17 or 18 for life as a result of two major concussions. Tragic.

[The Archregimancy]

Or even 'what?'

There's a serious discussion to be had about the role of concussion in modern sport - one that could usefully include rugby (union and league), Australian Rules football, boxing, American and Canadian football, ice hockey, and other sports with a strong contact component and a reasonably widespread appeal and/or international profile.

But attempting to hold that discussion on the basis of the retirement of some obscure proponent of a form of (no doubt athletic) professional theatre with a fairly limited global demographic may not be the best way of initiating said discussion.

So discussing an issue like concussion should be limited to subjects with international recognition rather than those that a fair number of people are familiar with then?

No, of course not; but more people would likely be able to relate to the thread if the primary example wasn't professional wrestling, and the thread title made it clear that concussion in contact sports was supposed to be the primary discussion point. The thread title is about the retirement of a professional entertainer that a fair number of NSG participants are likely wholly unfamiliar with. I'd wager that calling the thread 'concussion in professional sports' and then using Mr Bryan as the first example before bringing in a couple of other sport examples would give the thread better legs - which I stress is a personal opinion, not a mod opinion.

Or maybe I'm wrong; I suppose we'll find out soon enough if this thread manages to get past the first 3-4 pages. I could be entirely misjudging the NSG demographic in my old fartdom; after all, I had a passing interest in what was then still the WWF when I was 16-18ish (some 30 years ago).

[The Carlisle]

So discussing an issue like concussion should be limited to subjects with international recognition rather than those that a fair number of people are familiar with then?

No, of course not; but more people would likely be able to relate to the thread if the primary example wasn't professional wrestling, and the thread title made it clear that concussion in contact sports was supposed to be the primary discussion point. The thread title is about the retirement of a professional entertainer that a fair number of NSG participants are likely wholly unfamiliar with. I'd wager that calling the thread 'concussion in professional sports' and then using Mr Bryan as the first example before bringing in a couple of other sport examples would give the thread better legs - which I stress is a personal opinion, not a mod opinion.

Or maybe I'm wrong; I suppose we'll find out soon enough if this thread manages to get past the first 3-4 pages. I could be entirely misjudging the NSG demographic in my old fartdom; after all, I had a passing interest in what was then still the WWF when I was 16-18ish (some 30 years ago).

I couldn't really fit all I could into the title. I wanted to include concussion but was hitting the character limit. Mentioning his early retirement age was the best "hook" I guess. Regardless, nothing I can do now. If people come in now, they can see the prominent OP detailing the discussion, despite the less than optimal thread title.

[Washington Resistance Army]

I wasn't really a fan of his but it sucks he retired, I know lots of people liked him.

WWE just hasn't been able to catch a break lately.

And no, don't touch my contact sports.

[Quokkastan]

I confess, I haven't the foggiest idea of who he is, but I'm glad he is prioritizing his health over the spotlight.

Hopefully this will encourage other... let's say "athletes," to do likewise.

[Pope Joan]

Smart choice, enjoy the rest of your life without further scrambling your brains.

[The Carlisle]

I confess, I haven't the foggiest idea of who he is, but I'm glad he is prioritizing his health over the spotlight.

Hopefully this will encourage other... let's say "athletes," to do likewise.

I don't doubt other athletes with histories of concussions will be taking this test, or encouraged to do so. An early retirement because of what was found in this concussion examination is pretty big, regardless of the popularity of the medium. I can see media putting more pressure on NFL teams to get their players examined with this new test.

[The Carlisle]

Not detailed in the OP, but Daniel goes on to say in his interview at ESPN about athletes who have suffered concussions to try and power through it/ ignore them in order to get back into the game. We've seen this a lot previously in football, when a player suffers a concussion there is a desire to try and put them back into the game, either by the coach or the player themselves. This is dangerous as the effects of the concussion don't dissipate for several hours not to mention risking more injury to an already damaged brain. Will this culture of working through concussions start to disappear on its own, or will backlash force them to make it go away?

Also, better thread title. Just remembered you could edit it. Not thread OP very often, forgive me for my noobiness

[Val Halla]

Concussions are a real danger in any sport that involves or can involve heavy forces. I'm not sure you can really do that much to prevent them, even with some of the most advanced technology in the world, Fernando Alonso suffered a concussion after a crash last year. I mean shit, you can get a concussion from just falling off a chair.

[The Carlisle]

Concussions are a real danger in any sport that involves or can involve heavy forces. I'm not sure you can really do that much to prevent them, even with some of the most advanced technology in the world, Fernando Alonso suffered a concussion after a crash last year. I mean shit, you can get a concussion from just falling off a chair.

That's one of the real difficulties in preventing such injuries. You can minimize the chances of it happening, but it won't ever go out of the realm of possibility. Accidents will still happen regardless. A good helmet and tackling technique can improve safety for football athletes, but a fall that hits just enough to cause one?

[Val Halla]

Concussions are a real danger in any sport that involves or can involve heavy forces. I'm not sure you can really do that much to prevent them, even with some of the most advanced technology in the world, Fernando Alonso suffered a concussion after a crash last year. I mean shit, you can get a concussion from just falling off a chair.

That's one of the real difficulties in preventing such injuries. You can minimize the chances of it happening, but it won't ever go out of the realm of possibility. Accidents will still happen regardless. A good helmet and tackling technique can improve safety for football athletes, but a fall that hits just enough to cause one?

Exactly. Unlike with other sensitive areas like the neck, you can't really get a brain guard.

[The Serbian Empire]

Or even 'what?'

There's a serious discussion to be had about the role of concussion in modern sport - one that could usefully include rugby (union and league), Australian Rules football, boxing, American and Canadian football, ice hockey, and other sports with a strong contact component and a reasonably widespread appeal and/or international profile.

But attempting to hold that discussion on the basis of the retirement of some obscure proponent of a form of (no doubt athletic) professional theatre with a fairly limited global demographic may not be the best way of initiating said discussion.

You can add motorsports to that list, believe it or not. Dario Franchitti had to retire after his third major concussion, for example, because a fourth would likely render him disabled or dead and many NASCAR drivers have reported having concussions (and then racing anyway). The concussions there aren't nearly as common, but they're far more severe than those in other sports. I'm a big motorsports fan, I should point out

And Ricky Craven who was NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1995 retired in 2006 due to concussions.